Lancia Ypsilon Driving, Engines & Performance
With just 109bhp and 151lb ft of torque available it's hardly rapid, and fully laden up Tuscan hills it feels like it could do with a little more poke. But in more normal circumstances it allows you to make smooth progress, and the hybrid assist means it's nippy enough off the mark in town.
Sadly, we're yet to drive the Ypsilon Rally4 HF. Instead, we spent some time in the Ypsilon Hybrid, and if you're familiar with the powertrain from its Peugeot and Vauxhall/Opel applications then there won't be much here to surprise you.
The six-speed dual-clutch gearbox is reasonably quick to respond too, and while there are paddles behind the steering wheel the response to your inputs is sluggish, so you'll probably rarely use them.
What's it like on twisty roads?
Interestingly, the steering is actually a bit heavier than you might expect. In the Peugeot you get that dinky little wheel and the steering itself feels overly-assisted, but the Ypsilon has a bit more heft to it and gives the Ypsilon a tad more feedback from the front wheels. Okay, it's hardly a Delta Integrale, but it's a decent effort for a small hybrid supermini.
The Ypsilon corners fairly neutrally too without too much understeer, and the ride is fairly firm so there isn't too much body roll. That does mean that it's a little compromised over larger bumps in the road though, particularly if you've gone for a higher spec and 17in wheels.
What about refinement?
Most superminis are surprisingly competent grand tourers these days, and the Ypsilon is no different in hybrid guise. There's a little bit of road noise and motorway speeds, but wind noise is kept to a minimum and the powertrain generally sounds very refined. It's a grown-up small car, this.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
18 minutes ago
- Reuters
Ferrari boss Vasseur hands over to D'Ambrosio for Austrian GP
SPIELBERG, Austria, June 29 (Reuters) - Ferrari Formula One boss Fred Vasseur has left the Austrian Grand Prix to return home for personal reasons with deputy Jerome d'Ambrosio taking over for Sunday's race at Spielberg, the team said. Ferrari had Charles Leclerc set to start on the front row alongside McLaren's pole-sitter Lando Norris and seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton fourth on the grid. The Italian team have yet to win this season and Frenchman Vasseur has come under increasing pressure with speculation about his future. Belgian D'Ambrosio is a former racer who joined Ferrari from Mercedes and has been deputy principal since last October. Before that he was also a team boss with Venturi in the all-electric Formula E series.
Auto Car
an hour ago
- Auto Car
Philippe Krief: The engineering guru who swapped Ferrari for Renault
A successful one, admittedly – young Krief was rolling around in the back of DS Citroëns and had a soft spot for his father's Peugeot 504 coupé (the Pininfarina one, he reminds me), so delectable metal was on the scene. But it wasn't the impetus. Engineering was the job he always wanted to do, 'so I combined cars with my passion', he says. Engineering was the desire, cars the vessel. The balance has since shifted, and Krief today can't imagine engineering anything else. He says: 'The thing I learned, and that I now know would be difficult not to have, is the soul you give to a car,' he says. 'You can feel it when you test drive it.' I guess you can't get quite the same kick from designing an MRI machine, or even an unmanned rocket. That soundbite is typical Krief talk. He speaks softly, authoritatively, in accented English, enunciating precisely as he describes engineering concepts and management structures, but then often expressing a sentiment that would sound twee coming from anyone else. It helps that 'soul' is very much his oeuvre, as anyone who has tried his back catalogue knows. You get the sense Krief is a unique proposition. On one hand the man is obsessed with quantitative approaches – 'at the end of the day, what makes the car feel [special], even if it looks subjective, can be measured' – and he champions simulators, with their potential to do all the dogsbody bits of chassis development, driving down costs and freeing up talent. But he also firmly believes the human touch is non-negotiable if you're going to create a sports car that is 'completely harmonious in everything'. In many ways he is perfectly suited to taking a romantic brand like Alpine forward into what is, technologically, still rather an unknown space. The extent of Krief's uniqueness as a world-class chassis developer surely stems from his geographically varied and demanding career path. Part of the final year of an engineering degree was spent at Renault, developing early suspension simulation models. It was pioneering stuff in the '80s – and perhaps useful preparation for today's uncertain world. Next was Michelin, when tyre development was still a 'trial and error process'.
Auto Blog
6 hours ago
- Auto Blog
Five Crazy Features of the Concept AMG GT XX We Hope Make It To Production
A plethora of techy features Sure, a 1,341-horsepower super sedan from one of the most storied brands on Earth is exciting, but there's more to the cool concept than a slick spec sheet with larger-than-life numbers. Affalterbach says that the Concept AMG GT XX 'offers insight into the first series-production model based on high-performance architecture.' Hopefully, some of the coolest features don't get left on the cutting room floor. Previous Pause Next Unmute 0:00 / 0:09 Full screen 2024 Kia EV6 GT-Line review: Is this the EV that will convert you? Watch More 'World first' Aero wheels Turbofan wheel covers have been around since the 1970s, but Mercedes claims the patented design appearing on the Concept AMG GT XX is a world first. The blades comprising the turbofan cover are repositionable and react to different situations as dictated by the car's control units. Like a traditional turbofan cover, they can sit flush with the wheel to reduce drag; however, when required for enhanced brake cooling, the blades open to increase airflow. The actuators adjusting the fans are attached to each wheel, fully autonomous, and use the wheel itself as a power source. Benz says the battery on each is good to store enough energy for 200 blade movements. Mercedes-AMG CONCEPT AMG GT XX — Source: Mercedes-Benz Taillights and light bar Around back, the Concept AMG GT XX continues to put on a masterclass in techno wizardry. The light panel comprises more than 700 individual LEDs and can even display vehicle status info like charging progress. Even the taillights themselves, which are fairly straightforward circular lights in groupings of three, are something we hope to see more of. The panel housing the lights is actually slightly recessed, giving the lights an extra sense of depth. The deceptively simple lights are a nice slice of retro-futurism — and good design — that we would love to see MB include in their upcoming cars. Mercedes-AMG CONCEPT AMG GT XX — Source: Mercedes-Benz Carbon fiber bucket seats What radical concept car is complete without a set of uber-aggressive carbon fiber-backed bucket seats? The Concept AMG GT XX isn't the first, nor will it be the last, but we're still suckers for an excellent pair of thrones. The front two buckets are based on race seats and feature swappable seat pads, similar to driver changes in endurance racing. The seat pads are also 3D printed, which makes us think there's actually a possibility of production in their future. Perhaps cooler — and less production-ready — are the rear bucket seats, a feature BMW pioneered in the F90 M5 CS. Benz says they're integrated into the car's rear bulkhead, cushions, and all. So, no hot swapping there. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Mercedes-AMG CONCEPT AMG GT XX — Source: Mercedes-Benz Unique flooring The Concept AMG GT XX, notably, has no headliner, leaving the carbon fiber roof exposed for all to see. You don't have to look up to be amazed; you can also look down at the floor. You'll notice a racing-inspired checkered flag design that's made of 100 percent recycled materials. I'm a big fan of working in checkered flag designs where you least expect it — like BMW and its F87 M2 CS's carbon fiber roof — and I'm really hoping Mercedes-Benz pursues this line of design. Name another car with a checkered flag design on the floor. I'll wait. Mercedes-AMG CONCEPT AMG GT XX — Source: Mercedes-Benz Luminescent paint The bright orange paint on the Concept AMG GT XX is eye-catching, but even more interestingly, it's luminescent, essentially translating to glow-in-the-dark. The paint emits light in response to an electrical current, allowing it to glow bright even when the lights go out. MB dubs it 'MBUX Fluid Light Paint,' and you may have already seen it in action, since the manufacturer used the same paint on a GT3 race car at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Mercedes isn't the only one working on this, so we expect to see this kind of paint becoming more mainstream over the next decade or so. Final thoughts The Concept AMG GT XX is one of the more compelling Mercedes concepts to debut in the last few years. Not because of its horsepower figures or striking overall design, but because it seems to offer a genuine glimpse into the automaker's future. If it is, we expect some really good-looking cars to roll out of Affalterbach sooner rather than later. While some features, like the aero wheels, are bound to be reserved for high-dollar cars, there are somewhat more reasonable goals for things like luminescent paint and recycled flooring. We'll have to wait and see. About the Author Steven Paul View Profile
