17.09.2004 The entire Lancia stand in Paris next week will be a shrine to Italian good taste, all the warmth and appeal you would expect from a fabulous hotel hideaway

The entire Lancia stand at the Paris Motor Show next week will be a shrine to Italian good taste, all the warmth and appeal you would expect from a fabulous hotel hideaway or a superb Tuscan villa in the country.

Places where hospitality is not a matter of a formal welcome but always a warm embrace with simple, sincere gestures.

This, in short, is the spirit that pervades the entire Lancia exhibition area in Paris. These appealing surroundings provide a backdrop to the latest arrival: the Lancia Musa is a compact MPV that invites you to share in the satisfaction of living aboard a vehicle unique in its segment.

Though definitely a luxury product, it never exceeds the boundaries of good taste because it is designed to meet the desires of those who love to enjoy life but keep their feet on the ground at all times.

The Lancia exhibition area therefore encapsulates the essence of the new Musa: an Italian vehicle designed to receive its passengers on board as true guests, with every detail attuned to make them feel at ease at all times.

The new car, indisputable star of the stand, is exhibited in two versions equipped with Multijet power units: one with a 1.9 engine and one in a 1.3 version combined with the exclusive D.F.N. ('Dolce Far Niente') robotised gearbox. The two Lancia Musa versions are fitted with Connect NAV+, Sky-dome and 16" alloy wheels. They are exhibited in the following shades: Vasari Pearl and Dark Brown. Refined colours that blend in perfectly with the stylish Wenghe wood floor of the exhibition area.

Near the area reserved for the Musa you can see the other queen of the stand: the Lancia Ypsilon. Fresh from a year of public and critical acclaim, such as the Design Award it won recently in Brussels, Lancia's pocket flagship can be seen on an elliptical stand in top-quality wood and marble flooring. Two cars are on view at the Motor Show, both in the Platino specification and equipped with the exclusive 1.3 Multijet and D.F.N. ('Dolce Far Niente') gearbox package.

The two versions of the B-Kini limited series can be distinguished by their two-tone bodies: one features a stylish 'Guttuso Red - Paganini Ivory' colour scheme while the other is in a sophisticated 'Paganini Ivory - Caravaggio Brown' combination.

This appealing and hugely attractive livery is reminiscent of the unique editions Fire, Air, Earth and Water introduced last year at the Bologna Motor Show that aroused so much interest among visitors and the international press. The same success was repeated this summer in Milan, in the exclusive Lancia showroom in Corso Como 14 where the public were given their first glimpse of two 'B-Kini' versions.

Lancia has chosen to flank these two automotive gems with the brand range leader, the 175 bhp Thesis Emblema 2.4 jtd with two-tone bodywork in Mink and Dark Brown shades. This special edition assures customers the satisfaction of driving or being driven in an élite car. Visitors will be able to admire sophisticated interiors created with absolutely top quality materials that feel equally special to the touch, selected for their good looks and also the sensory reactions they arouse.

The entire Lancia stand is a warm, welcoming environment with sophisticated, expensive-looking materials that create an impression of luxury and sophistication that is always understated. Carefully crafted top quality materials such as walnut, marble and wenghe wood create a place of great appeal with every detail finished to perfection, ready to enfold visitors into a protective embrace. Airy, sunny images of the Lancia Musa are also projected onto a led screen measuring more than 9 m2 that makes a fine hi-tech addition to the stand.

The same warmth is evident inside the Lancia building that forms the background to the exhibition area with its wall of wenghe wood panels. The structure is characteristically yacht-shaped and further embellished by a gorgeous water feature, an ever-present theme on Lancia stands. On the ground floor, you can visit the Lancia boutique.

This is deliberately visible from the outside so that your attention can be drawn by items of sheer Italian class. If you go up the stairs, you will reach the Martini Terrace, a generous VIP lounge that offers a privileged view over the stand.