This, in essence, is the shape of the new model. Though reworked to create an MPV, the traits are strongly distinctive of Lancia's new look that first surfaced with the Dialogos and came into its own with the Thesis. 

The front end is sculpted and dominated by distinctive Lancia motifs and a sense of movement. The bumpers are fully integrated with the car's surface and the big upright grille conveys a sense of superiority and breeding rather than aggression. An imposing, distinctive trademark that is becoming an obligatory point of reference for Lancia designers as it passes from the Thesis to the Phedra. The light clusters are gem-like and clean-shaped in line with the new brand style philosophy. 

 The long side of the imposing, compact vehicle body displays lines that run crisply toward the rear and shapes marked by slightly angled corners. The two striking door handles stand side by side (a hint of chrome that is reflected in the side strips and, naturally, on the grille) as a delightful reference to a great Lancia of the past: the Aurelia. The other main features of this aspect are long door mirrors that extrapolate the line of the wing and ultimately lead to the side turn signals. 

Lancia motifs are again apparent at the rear, where tall upright tail-lights enclose a generous tailgate with a finely-balanced mix of metal and glass. The tailgate is a consistent complement to the broad band of glass that runs through windscreen, side windows and rear window to an ideal continuity of vision under all circumstances. 

Inside, the model features a highly distinctive arched facia that runs in a slender line from pillar to pillar. This attractive solution allowed us to: foreshorten the facia by visually reproportioning it - while also creating an imaginative effect because the three big square dials appear to hang below the arch and are divided by the 7" TFT display of the CONNECT NAV+. 

The central console, designed to be practical and user-friendly, extends toward the passenger compartment to bring the gearbox, telematic controls and climate control system controls within easy reach of the driver. Style watchers will be struck by the unusual elephant's foot shape of the console while more practical customers will be impressed by new remote controls that are no longer located around the screen but away from it and close to the driver. 

The seats add another dash of personality, with sculpted shapes that are less rounded than usual. This outline is made possible by a new in situ technique that achieves sharper angles while minimising the number of seams. 

Overall, the Lancia Phedra passenger compartment looks like a veritable lounge. And this impression is reinforced by the extensive use of Alcantara material. Yet it also has the look of a practical, modern interior designed to ensure driver and passengers alike an extremely comfortable drive. These sensations are aided by painstaking attention to detail and materials. Beginning with an antiglare facia that looks like an ergonomic control cockpit enhanced by two generous, cloth-trimmed compartments and given a look of understated elegance by mahogany inserts and burnished chrome features. To continue, the tops of the door panels are trimmed in Alcantara® (as are the compartments). Together with facia, this ensures that passengers are enfolded in a soft, continuous band of this top-quality trim. Other features include a host of storage compartments all over the place, practical fold-away tables behind the seat backrests and convenient grab handles on the central pillar (they make it easier for passengers to get into and out of the second and third row of seats) that are leather trimmed like the steering wheel, gear knob and gaiter.
 

The entire Lancia Phedra range is therefore fitted as standard with ABS plus EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution), that regulates braking action on the rear axle to prevent the wheels locking and ensure full control of the vehicle under all conditions. The system also adapts its operation to wheel grip conditions and brake pad efficiency to reduce pad overheating. 

To ensure greater mastery of the car, the Lancia Phedra offers as standard ESP (Electronic Stability Program), a system that cuts in under near-limit conditions when car stability is at risk and helps the driver to control the car. 

 All versions of the new model are fitted as standard with ASR (Anti Slip Regulation) to limit drive wheel slip under conditions of low grip. This automatic traction control system works at all speeds to adjust torque according to the grip coefficient The MSR (Motor Schleppmoment Regelung) cuts in when the gear is shifted down abruptly in conditions of low grip. This device restores torque to the engine to prevent the wheel skidding as a result of lock. 

All Lancia Phedras are fitted as standard with an emergency brake assist device. This function is carried out electronically by the ABS control unit and is referred to as HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assistance). 

Many sophisticated devices ensure the dynamic safety of the new model. These will complement a particularly effective braking system that ensures prompt, gradual deceleration and also shorter stopping distances. What is more, if the driver suddenly puts his or her foot down hard on the brake pedal, an automatic emergency system cuts in to turn on the hazard lights as an early warning to cars behind. 

So we pass from active safety - that is also aided by standard foglamps and headlamp washers - to passive safety. Attention to all aspects related to driver and passenger protection has long been an integral part of the process that influences the design of the body and all other components of a car: i.e. the facia, seats and restraint systems. This work has brought outstanding results in the case of the Lancia Phedra. Suffice it to say that the new model has passed all the most severe crash tests and all possible types of accidents were considered to ensure an outstanding level of passive safety: front impact, side impact, roll-over, shunting and fire. The designers also considered the different speeds at which crashes can take place, the different types of obstacle and the safeguarding of occupants with a very wide range of physical features. An in-depth examination of all these parameters led to a set of technical solutions that make the Lancia Phedra one of the safest cars in the entire segment. 

This total protection begins with devices specifically devoted to passive safety that are fitted as standard throughout the range: two multistage front airbags, two front sidebags and two window bags. And also: three-point seat-belts with pretensioners and load limiters (except on the middle seats in the second and third row) plus height-adjustable, tilting head-restraints (front). Not to mention an electric door lock system and Isofix attachments for carrying even the smallest passengers in absolute safety. In the case of a crash, the doors naturally unlock and the fuel flow is cut off. 

The Lancia Phedra is therefore equipped with all the most advanced passive safety devices currently available. It is governed by a sophisticated new 'nervous system' that is governed by an electronic control unit located in the front tunnel. This receives signals from various sensors throughout the car and the control unit then uses these signals to determine which devices should be operated. 

The 2.0 16v:
This 1997 cc four cylinder in line unit comes with an aluminium crankcase and cylinder head and develops 100 kW at 6000 rpm and a maximum torque of 190 Nm at 4100 rpm. The timing system features twin overhead camshafts driven by a toothed belt. The multipoint injection is sequential. 

Attributes of the power unit include a motorised throttle that allows the 2.0 16v petrol unit fitted to the Lancia Phedra to be fitted with an ESP device for dynamic stability control. 

Other major benefits include particularly low fuel consumption. The figure is just over 9 l/100 km over a combined cycle, an absolutely outstanding result for the MPV category. 

The engine is also very clean. An oxidising catalytic converter, EGR valve and petrol vapour trap allow this power unit lower emission levels than those set by Euro 3 standards. German drivers, for example, can even benefit from tax allowances introduced for cars that meet Euro 4 standards ahead of time. 

The 3.0 V6 24v:
This is the engine for drivers who really expect the most from their vehicle. 

In terms of performance, an arena where the 2946 cc V6 engine fitted to the Lancia Phedra ensures category-topping performance: 150 kW of power (at 6000 rpm), 285 Nm of torque (at 3750 rpm), 205 km/h top speed and just over 10 seconds to speed from zero to 100 km/h.

In terms of emission control: here, like the 2.0 engine, this unit returns emission levels lower than those laid down by Euro 3 standards that allow it to benefit from German tax allowances for cars that meet Euro 4 standards ahead of time. 

And also in terms of technology. Because the 3.0 V6 24v takes the previous engine range one notch higher in the prestige rankings and also because it offers Lancia Phedra customers a technologically sophisticated power unit. 

The crankcase and cylinder head are in aluminium. The cylinder head is cross-flow type with individual intake ports for each valve (these are also variable cross-section) and fork-shaped exhaust ducts. Two of the four camshafts that operate the hydraulic tappets are controlled by the VTC (Variable Timing Camshaft) that provides an angular phasing of 30° in relation to the crankshaft. 

The throttle is controlled electronically by the engine management unit to benefit driving comfort and emission control while making it possible to fit sophisticated active safety systems such as ESP. 

The 2.0 16v JTD 
This engine offers the attributes of driving satisfaction and running economy. The 2.0 16v JTD develops a maximum power output of 80 kW available at 4000 rpm and a maximum torque of 270 Nm at 1750 rpm. Seventy percent of this torque is already available at just 1250 rpm. The particularly favourable torque curve means that the car can pick up even from low rpms without needing to change gear. 

This feature, coupled with hydraulic clutch control, a double damping engine flywheel and engine speed-dependent power steering (the steering is very soft at low speeds and gradually becomes stiffer as speed increases), ensures that a Lancia Phedra equipped with a 2.0 16v JTD engine offers outstanding driving comfort that is particularly welcome in town traffic. 

The two-litre common rail turbodiesel unit also offers advantageous running costs. As with all engines of this type, direct injection of fuel into the engine at a very high pressure, electronically-controlled preinjection and special electrohydraulic injectors offer improved performance for lower fuel consumption, lower emissions and a considerable reduction in running noise. 

The 2.2 16v JTD 
This engine develops 94 kW of maximum power at 4000 rpm and 314 Nm of maximum torque at just 2000 rpm. And 80% of that torque is available up to 3800 rpm. This feature, plus the presence of two balancer shafts, ensure this engine a roundness of operation similar to that of a six-cylinder unit. 

Another strength of the 2.2 16v JTD is its great respect for the environment. Because this power unit offers certain engineering features that are particularly significant when it comes to emission control. 

The first is a sophisticated aluminium cylinder head that incorporates two intake ports per cylinder (one is a shorter helical port and the other is a longer tangential port) that ensure excellent air swirl inside the cylinder and thus improved combustion for lower emissions. 

The second is the FAP, a filter that traps particulate and reduces fume levels. The FAP is located after the catalytic converter and made out of the silicon carbide. It is cylindrical in shape and consists of a porous structure made up of thousands of tiny channels. When exhaust gas is forced through these channels (they are closed off in alternation), it deposits particulate on their inside walls. 

Every 400-500 kilometres, two sensors located before and after the FAP warn that the filter must be regenerated by burning off the accumulated particulate. The operation is carried out by post-combustion of the fuel (this takes place first in the exhaust and then in the cylinder) and an additional complementary post-combustion by an oxidising catalytic converter located upstream of the filter. 
 

GEARBOXES 

The engines fitted to the Lancia Phedra are matched with four gearboxes, two manual and two automatic. These ensure smooth operation and maximum driving comfort under all driving conditions while also effectively transferring the power generated by the engine to the ground. 

One of the two manual gearboxes is reserved for the 2.0 16v petrol engine, the other for the two turbodiesels: the 2.0 16v JTD and the 2.2 16v JTD. The first of the automatic gearboxes is fitted to the two litre version, in petrol and turbodiesel configurations, while the second is for the 3.0 V6 24v version only. 

Both automatic gearboxes also adopt different operating strategies. 

The unit fitted to the petrol-driven 2.0 16v and 2.0 16v JTD comes with an electronically-controlled self-adaptive program that can adjust to the driver's style, road profile and vehicle load. And also a sequential program that the driver can use to shift gear personally by means of a selector lever that acts as a joystick (push up to change up, down to change down). 

The sophisticated electronic automatic transmission developed for the Phedra 3.0 V6 24v comes with three programs (self-adaptive, sport and snow). 
 

SUSPENSION 

The Lancia Phedra suspension maintains the tried and tested configuration used on the previous vehicle (MacPherson at the front and deformable beam at the rear) but interpreted in the light of the most sophisticated, advanced technical, quality and performance standards. The suspension therefore ensures outstanding travelling comfort combined with willing, sincere dynamic behaviour (the car's behaviour in slaloms and the so-called moose test is particularly outstanding). Attributes of the revised suspension configuration include the elimination of roll, extra braking efficiency and one of the best turning circles in the segment (10.92 m).

Beginning with the on-board climate. This is one of the main comfort factors during a trip and also important for preventive safety. For this reason, the Lancia Phedra comes with a sophisticated climate control system that automatically controls temperature, air flow, air distribution, compressor activation and recirculation by means of an electronic control unit.

It takes the form of a multizone climate control system, i.e. able to ensure different temperatures and distribution patterns in the various parts of the passenger compartment simultaneously: one microclimate for the driver, one for the passenger and yet another for rear passengers. The innovative automatic multizone climate control system fitted as standard throughout the Lancia Phedra range extends the bizone system to include additional fans and controls that allow passengers in the second and third row to control air distribution. All you have to do is press the 'Rear' button to enable knobs on the left and right rear pillars. 

The Lancia Phedra system comes with an active carbon filter that reduces polluting substances and absorbs unpleasant smells. 

This welcoming, healthy environment is made even more appealing by the particularly good-looking, comfortable, wrap-around front seats. These are produced using an innovative technique and can be fitted as an option with electric controls. The driver's seat can also be optionally fitted with a memory that allows you to store personal seat, door mirror and steering wheel settings for two different drivers by pressing one key. If you want, the front seats can even come in a swivelling version: simply turn them through 180° to make a veritable lounge out of the back seats. 

 Back seat passengers are also assured comfort and a gratifying sense of well-being, with real armchairs fitted with head-restraints that ensure outstanding comfort without affecting the driver's visibility. They can be folded down flat, folded up like a book or removed with great ease. The Lancia Phedra's seats are the best expression of the practicality of an MPV that combines good looks with all the luxury of a range leader. 

Driving satisfaction, travelling satisfaction. Many devices have been created to make a drive in the Lancia Phedra as comfortable as possible: such as Cruise Control, a system that maintains a cruising speed set by the driver automatically without the driver having to press the accelerator pedal (standard on all Lancia Phedras). Such as xenon headlamps with automatic alignment adjustment. These sophisticated headlamps offer much better emitted light quality than conventional headlamps, excellent efficiency in all atmospheric conditions and use less energy (standard on 3.0 24v versions and an option on others). The Lancia Phedra is also equipped with automatic headlamps that come on as dusk falls or when you drive into a tunnel. Automatic windscreen wipers that come on by themselves when it starts to rain. Proximity sensors that aid parking manoeuvres. A deflation sensor that notifies the driver of punctures or loss of tyre pressure. 

For a comfortable, stress-free drive, the Lancia Phedra also offers all the great little features that simplify life on board: from smart windscreen wipers to follow-me-home lights, puddle lights and darkened windows. The car is also fitted as standard with an electrochromic interior rear view mirror that automatically turns the mirror to avoid glare from the headlamps of cars behind. The options list includes major, sophisticated devices such as side doors and a triple sunroof - both sliding and electrically-controlled.

CONNECT represents a veritable revolution that is destined to make the idea of a car journey as a period of detachment from everyday activities and habits a thing of the past. Instead a car journey will become a time in our day that allows us to maintain contact with the outside world and even offer a few extra opportunities. And all at the press of a single key. Sophisticated technology that is easy to use and always ready to serve the driver. 

 The CONNECT system, located in the centre of the facia, acts as an on-board assistant that can be asked to make a phone call, put on some music or take a memo. All this is done by means of remote controls arranged on the unusually-shaped console while the screen displays a detailed picture of the driver's requirements. The resulting device is full of functions, comes at an advantageous price and is, above all, as easy to use as one would expect of latest-generation technology. 

CONNECT offers something more than its competitors. In other words, the possibility of talking to a real live person. This person is a call centre operator who is ready to provide information, solve problems and offer a wide range of services at any time. To gain access to this new world of services, all you have to do is press the green CONNECT key that will put you in touch with one of the 750 operators at the Arese contact centre, a service and information factory that works 365 days a year. 

Motorists are just a phone call away from operators who speak their language (14 are already active), can help them find their way and give them information on traffic conditions and the weather en route to their destination. They can even recommend a restaurant and book a hotel. In the future, they will also be able to buy airline ticket for motorists. And, if necessary, they can send out a rescue vehicle. Someone who can guide you step by step to your destination, remind you of appointments and notify you of traffic changes. While still remembering to give the result of a match played by your favourite team. 

The CONNECT system is really one of a kind in terms of the number of functions it offers and the quality of its services. Lancia Phedra customers also receive the most comprehensive version as standard: CONNECT NAV+ This configuration of the infotelematic device offers: RDS radio with CD, dual band GSM phone with handsfree unit, CONNECT button for connecting to the Contact Centre and a dynamic map navigation system. Everything is displayed on a 7" colour dot matrix display located in the central part of the instrument panel so that drivers can read information without removing their glance and attention from the road. It is also located in the middle of the facia where it can be used easily by the passenger too and be seen by those in the back seat. The Lancia Phedra is also designed to take a 7" colour screen that may be fitted in the middle of the ceiling over the first row of seats. The monitor can be swung away out of sight and may be connected to a DVD player or Play Station.

10.03.2002  LANCIA PHEDRA MPV AT THE 2002 GENEVA MOTOR SHOW
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