Lancia will present the 'sporty' new Ypsilon Momo Design 'special edition' model during the Frankfurt IAA later this month.

Earlier this year - at the Geneva Salon - Lancia revealed the Ypsilon 'Sport' concept car, a truly stunning show car that quickly became one of the show's brightest stars. Created by the Zagato Design Centre, a design house which is closely related to Lancia’s glorious past, the Ypsilon Sport explored how the small, little Ypsilon could evolve into a potent hot hatch. The model was designed with the aim of creating a car for everyday use, but one that would also offer the driving sensations of a real sports car given the right situation.

This is why the Ypsilon Sport was careful to maintain the cheeky elegant lines of the basic model, which have proved very popular with the European public, but livened up by a number of more dynamic and aggressive elements. A lot of these elements had been translated from the highly-regarded Fulvia concept, including the new front air intake treatment. More substantial and striking changes were made on the inside, and in fact most major parts were totally redesigned by Zagato.

The Ypsilon model range still lacks a 'hot' model, two years after its production initially got underway, and Lancia - buoyed by the excellent reception the Sport concept car received in Geneva - have been very keen to address this issue.
 

Thus key visual features of the Zagato Sport concept car will now be translated onto a production ready model - and so the Ypsilon MOMO Design is now born. The Ypsilon Sport's duotone - orange and black - paint finish will be carried over, and a host of MOMO styling products have been evolved to fit into the Ypsilon's philosophy. The car will be designated via embossed B-pillar coverings. To fit in with Lancia's general philosophy, the MOMO Design's ambitions are slightly understated, so its mild manner will allow it to also appeal to female drivers, an important cornerstone of the brand's marketing strategy.

Lancia have recently embarked on a new round of the on-going advertising campaign for the Ypsilon range, which is based again around UAU (United against Ugliness) strategy, while this month also sees the model switching to a new home, as production gets underway at the Termini Imerese factory in Sicily.

by Edd Ellison and James Granger