Lancia is one of the most famous names in rallying but hasn’t got its tires dirty in competition for years. That’s changing with the launch of the Ypsilon Rally 4 HF, a dedicated motorsports version of the brand’s new subcompact decked out in a retro-inspired livery. The order book for the new € 74,500 (US$ 80,600) rally car opens today, and as you’ve probably guessed from that price, buyers won’t be getting themselves a top-tier car in the vein of Lancia’s old Delta Integrale, Delta USS 4,037 or Stratos. The Rally 4 HF is more of an entry-level machine. But it has been developed with the help of a man who knows some of those cars inside out. Italian rally legend Miki Biasion, who won the 1983 European Rally Championship in a 037, and the WRC in both 1988 and 1989 at the wheel of an Integrale, was on the team honing both the Ypsilon rally car and the electric Ypsilon HF hot hatch that goes on sale in Europe next spring.
Both versions are front-wheel drive and
based on the same platform found in the Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa, but the
Rally 4 runs a 1.2-liter turbo engine making 209 hp and the upcoming
road car is powered by a 276 hp electric motor, making it the most
powerful of Stellantis’s small EVs. The ICE machine sends its power to the
front knobblies via a five-speed manual transmission and limited-slip
differential. Lancia hasn’t revealed any performance figures for the
motorsports model, which is seen here in action at the Balocco test track, but
claims the EV will be good for zero to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds.
The Rally 4 is named after the category it’s designed to race in, but in addition to making the car available for rally events all over the world, Lancia is also hosting the Trofeo Lancia Rally, which takes place at six events of the 2025 Italian Rally Championship. There’s € 300,000 (US$ 325,000) of prize money up for grabs and the winner gets to drive the Lancia Corse HF team’s official Ypsilon Rally 4 HF in the 2026 European Rally Championship.
