The run-up to the Frankfurt
IAA has seen a mixed bout of news for Lancisti – while the brand will once again
show off its mish-mash of rebadged Chrysler Group models in Frankfurt, this time
in the lead-up to production, the big news is the confirmation of the dumping of
the Flavia sedan, a planned rebadge of the Chrysler 200.
At March’s Geneva Motor Show,
two of the most egregious displays were provided by Chrysler’s 200 sedan and
convertible, masquerading as ‘concepts’ under the hallowed Lancia Flavia name.
Although Lancia emphasised no final decision had been taken to green-light the
cars for production, it was admitted that had the response of show-goers been
positive, then the cars could be ready for European sale within six months.
However, the financial
arguments for selling the 200 as a Lancia have always been dubious at best. The
possibility of rebadging the car as a Lancia, to sell as a ‘fleet special’, was
originally mooted around 12 months ago, with the less refined 2.4 ‘World Gas
Engine’ and automatic gearbox replaced with a drivetrain more suited to Europe –
Fiat’s 2.0 MultiJet engine coupled to a six-speed manual gearbox.
But with competition in the
European D-segment amongst the stiffest in the entire market, featuring a
cavalcade of impressive models out to tempt buyers, this premise was always a
non-starter. Industry observers – including Lancia’s own dealers – implicitly
understood that selling a revamped version of an average product, under a
tarnished badge, would never prove successful – yet it seems Fiat’s management
were amongst the last to arrive at this conclusion. According to a report in
Automotive News, it was determined the cost of installing the diesel
powertrain would have made the car too expensive in the marketplace and unlikely
to provide a return on investment.
The quality of the 200, the
facelifted Sebring, itself forms a core part of the problem. US motoring
journalists have been underwhelmed by the reheated midsize contender, suggesting
that at best it is a respectable stepping-stone towards an all-new and, ideally,
genuinely competitive replacement, based on Fiat underpinnings and
technology. Indeed, at one point, it was reported that Fiat itself had doubts
about selling the 200 under the Lancia name, worried that it would not match the
marque’s traditionally high standards, and that consideration was being given to
selling it under the Fiat name instead as a replacement for the Croma.
With the sedan’s cancellation,
however, attention is now focused on the prospect of selling the convertible
with an unchanged powertrain to that it is offered with in the US – the WGE
powerplant, hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission. This approach has
the advantage of saving the cost of re-engineering the engine bay. However, with
Europe’s focus on CO2-based taxation and relatively expensive fuel, a
large-capacity petrol convertible – especially an unremarkable one being sold as
under the Lancia nameplate against established German competitors – is
effectively assured of smalller sales figures. Given this, it seems surprising
that Fiat is prepared to commit the level of investment necessary to homologate
only the convertible for European markets. The expense of this procedure should
not be underestimated – earlier this year, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said the
simple cost of engineering the 200’s headlamps to European standards was around
$15-20 million.
Nevertheless, it seems the
decision to green-light the convertible as a Lancia has been made, and to this
end, the Lancia stand will have a Flavia Cabrio on display, featuring
three-layer white paint and a leather interior. It is fitted for the occasion
with the 175 hp 2.4 four-cylinder engine, mated to a six-speed automatic
gearbox. (As yet, it remains unclear whether the production model will also
offer the option of the vastly-superior, but significantly thirstier, 3.6-litre
Pentastar V6.)
Also lining up on the brand’s
stand is its hoped-for flagship model, the Thema – a rebadged version of
Chrysler’s freshly-facelifted 300 sedan. The ostensible replacement for the
Thesis luxury saloon will go on sale from October across Lancia’s European
dealer network. The Thema will be available in the showrooms in three trim
levels – Gold, Platinum and Executive – with two engines: the 286 hp 3.6-litre
Pentastar V6 in conjunction with a standard 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox, and
the VM 630 3.0 V6 diesel in two states of tune (190 hp and 239 hp), both offered
only with the ageing Daimler-Benz five-speed automatic.
Chrysler’s Voyager, meanwhile,
replaces the outgoing Phedra (built as part of a joint venture with PSA
Peugeot-Citroën) as Lancia’s full-size MPV contender. It gains a Lancia badge
but retains the Voyager name. One example will be shown on the stand in
Frankfurt, in the ‘Gold’ trim level. Unfortunately, the Lancia-sold Voyager
retains VM Motori’s 163 hp 2.8 turbodiesel engine, a unit not held in high
regard, which will make the task of convincing consumers of its merits much more
difficult. The Frankfurt Motor Show example will have an exterior in ‘Dark
Charcoal’, while the interior will feature leather upholstery, entertainment
system with DVD players mounted on the second and third rows, navigation system,
keyless entry and rear back-up camera. On sale from October in the European
dealerships, the Lancia Voyager will be available in the Gold trim level and
with two engines: the 287 hp 3.6-litre V6 petrol with automatic 6-speed gearbox
and the 2.8-litre four-cylinder VM diesel, also with a six-speed gearbox.
As in Geneva, the slew of
rebadged Chrysler products and the mixed reactions they have garnered from
onlookers takes focus away from the new-generation Ypsilon, which went on sale
in Italy in June. The ‘mini flagship’ will be displayed in Frankfurt in three
versions – a 69 hp 1.2 in Gold trim, and two versions (Gold and Platinum)
equipped with the innovative 85 hp 0.9-litre TwinAir. Starting in September, the
new Ypsilon will also be sold under the Chrysler brand in Great Britain and
Ireland.
The C-segment Delta will also
be shown in Frankfurt. Now sporting a generic Lancia/Chrysler front grille for
MY2011, it gets a new version equipped with the 120 hp Euro 5 bi-fuel 1.4 Turbo
Jet engine, offered on all European markets in three different trim levels
(Steel, Silver and Gold). Completing the line-up in Frankfurt is the ageing
Musa. It is still selling in decent numbers in Italy but won’t be replaced in
the range as the new Ypsilon, for the first time in 5-door format, aims to cover
its base. The model on display will be a 95 hp Platinum 1.4 16V with Start&Stop
technology, finished in two-tone paint (Angelico White/Masaccio Black).
