26.08.2003  LANCIA THESIS PROMENADE AIMS TO RECAPTURE THE STYLE AND EMOTION OF THE COTE D'AZURE

Lancia Thesis PromenadeA name that conjures up the Côte d'Azur, the most famous section of coastline in Europe and the indisputable milieu of the international jet set. It is not difficult to imagine the Lancia Thesis Promenade driving along the coast road from Mentone to St. Tropez through small towns and villages of subtle, sophisticated charm. All this is a specific reference to the Côte d'Azur as it was at the beginning of the Seventies when an automobile was all about taste for external appearance and emotion. It was fine to favour form over function and to express your own personality. The half-concealed luxury typical of such cars hit you with full force when you set foot on board: seats like armchairs, authentic materials such as wood, walnut and the unmistakable smell of leather. The special production Thesis Promenade takes us back to that magical atmosphere and the prestigious cars that threaded their way along the French coast with casual elegance.

The new version arose out of the Lancia Style Centre's wish to experiment with no particular productive end in view. Its exterior features an original Ivory colour obtained by superimposing three layers of paint (to further emphasise the car's shape and lines) and brand new 18" light alloy wheels with special PAX tyres that keep going even when punctured. These tyres are also reminiscent of the big wheels with tall tyres that distinguished top-class cars of the early Seventies. The final effect is of huge charm and elegance, to all intents and purposes a homage to those splendid cars that carried film stars along the French promenades.

Like the exclusive body colour, the Lancia Thesis Promenade body is an emotionally involving place where top-quality materials have been chosen for their tactile and acoustic qualities to create a multisensorial whole that represents the final frontier of the Lancia world. Beginning with ultrasoft leather by Poltrona Frau. This top-quality leather covers the seats and forms an unbroken central band around the passenger compartment. The soft leather comes in a colour midway between tobacco and red. This blends perfectly with the Magnesium-coloured inserts present on the door panels and facia that reflect the colour of the central console. This additional touch of class is beautifully complemented by the seats in the Lancia Thesis Promenade. The seats are the very latest thing in comfort and ergonomics: the soft, rounded front seats ensure maximum comfort and the aesthetic appeal of a luxury environment. Double, riveted seams add a touch of craftsmanship and elegance, while saddle-shaped head-restraints are unmistakably Italian in style. 

Rear seat passengers will also enjoy all the comfort and gratifying well-being of their own living rooms. Partly because the armchair seats ensure outstanding comfort and partly because the rear passenger room offered by the new Lancia flagship (which boasts a wheelbase of two metres and 80 centimetres) is one of the best in its segment. We realise that not all customers will be driving their Thesis themselves and have taken every step to ensure that such passengers are able to travel with appropriate style and dignity in the rear. Hence the air outlets on the central door panels and the fact that rear passengers can select their own air temperature and output. A big fold-way armrest in the middle of the back seat can house a remote control that is used to adjust the Hi-Fi system. 

The Lancia Thesis Promenade is equipped with a new 3.2 V6 24v combined with a sophisticated automatic transmission. This power unit is vigorous and, above all, turns as roundly as a six cylinder engine should. It is remarkable for its power output and flexibility, the latter being enhanced by a 5-speed automatic transmission. Power output is 230 bhp (169 kW) at 6200 rpm with peak torque of no less than 289 kgm (29.4 kgm) at 4800 rpm. All you need to achieve remarkable performance on demand, with a torque curve that reaches high levels at low speed. The thing that makes the most difference is the painstaking work that our engineers put in to ensure that this power unit delivers the type of performance you expect from a Lancia. This refinement has been achieved through a myriad of tiny changes to obtain extremely smooth, gradual power delivery without jerkiness during application or release. All this makes for a much smoother drive. 

Several parts have been revised to achieve this result: from the accelerator control to the injection and ignition times. Altogether, the Lancia Thesis Promenade offers an outstandingly satisfying drive. Top speed is 240 km/h and it takes 8.8 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h. 

The Lancia Thesis Promenade may be a one-off prototype but it still offers the same class and elegance as standard production models, apart from some specific traits. The Thesis range has recently benefited from the introduction of two new engines and other exclusive options. A more powerful (175 bhp) 2.4 JTD 20v engine has now joined the previous 150 bhp 2.4 JTD 10v. The new engine is a member of the second generation of Common Rail direct injection diesel engines known as Multijet engines and is available with a 5-speed automatic transmission or six-speed manual gearbox. The petrol engine range is now topped by a 3.2 V6 24v unit with Comfortronic (as fitted to the Promenade prototype) that is ideal for the Lancia Thesis. The result is a great deluxe saloon with the same standards of roominess, comfort and performance throughout. 

Both power units feature state-of-the-art technology as one expects from a car made by Lancia, a manufacturer that is always careful to offer customers the most advanced engineering content. 

Their introduction provided an opportunity to revise the setting of the sophisticated five-speed automatic transmission to ensure smoother gear shifts and hence a considerable increase in driving comfort. The current gearbox has also been replaced by a 40.7 kgm six-speed manual gearbox to accommodate the higher torque delivered by the 2.4 JTD 20v engine. This more compact device comes with three shafts and features a synchronised reverse and a clutch with automatic play take-up device. 

Two new options that grace the Lancia Thesis range are also inspired by the very latest technology, namely Comfort seats and the Keyless System. The seats are the last word in ergonomics because they offer fully electric adjustment combined with sophisticated functions such as ventilation, heating, adaptability and massage. The Lancia range leader is actually able to recognise its owner through the Keyless System: it unlocks its doors at his approach and allows him to start the engine by turning a knob instead of a conventional ignition key. 

These new features will help the Lancia Thesis strengthen its position in a segment that contains a restricted number of models into which the most important manufacturers typically seek to pack the cream of present-day automotive technology. 
 
Lancia Thesis Promenade