| INTRODUCTION
NEW ENGINES FOR THE
LANCIA THESIS
The Lancia Thesis. A refined
car for refined motorists. A large, prestigious saloon that now proposes
a number of sophisticated new options, revamped gearboxes and two new engines:
the 175 bhp 2.4 JTD 20v and the 230 bhp 3.2 V6 24v.
In the first six months since
its launch, the Italian flagship has won over a particularly exclusive,
demanding clientele in its market segment. The most requested of the various
outfits is the Emblema, which accounts for 75% of orders. The most popular
engine is the 2.4 JTD 10v, chosen by 64% of customers, while the best-selling
petrol engine is the 3.0 V6 24v, with 14%. This mix shows clearly that
the centre of gravity of Lancia Thesis sales has shifted perceptibly upwards.
And to respond to this shift,
the car is now available with two new range-topping engines and more exclusive
optional equipment. A more powerful 2.4 JTD 20v now joins the 150 bhp 2.4
JTD 10v. The new engine belongs to the second generation direct injection
Common Rail diesel family: the Multijet engines. It will initially be available
with a five-speed automatic transmission, but orders for the six-speed
manual gearbox, which will be on the market in September, will be taken
at the launch.
The top of the range is now
a spectacular, but above all 'round' 3.2 V6 24v, which is extremely powerful
and elastic. This engine is ideally suited to the Lancia Thesis, creating
a large luxury saloon on which roominess comfort and performance are perfectly
balanced.
The two engines embody state-of-the-art
technology, in the best Lancia tradition, offering customers the best that
advanced technology can offer. The launch of the new engines also provides
an opportunity to revise the settings of the sophisticated five-speed automatic
transmission, which maintains the innovative features of the previous model
but now guarantees an even higher level of comfort. To adapt to the increased
torque delivery of the 2.4 JTD 20v, the previous mechanical gearbox has
been replaced by a new, more compact 40.7 kgm six-ratio unit, with three
axes, synchronised reverse and a clutch with automatic wear adjustment.
Two new options now offered
on the Lancia Thesis are also the fruit of cutting edge technology: the
'Comfort' seats and the 'Keyless' system. The former embody the best where
ergonomics are concerned because they incorporate both completely electric
adjustment and sophisticated functions such as ventilation, heating, adaptiveness
and a massage. With the Keyless System, the Lancia flagship actually 'recognises'
its owner; it unlocks the doors when he approaches and allows him to start
the engine by turning a knob instead of the usual key.
As a result of these new
features, the Lancia Thesis is expected to strengthen its position in a
segment that contains a small number of cars in which the most important
carmakers concentrate the best that automotive technology can offer today.
But even among this elite
group, the Lancia Thesis flagship stands out, because it is so different.
The styling is new, because it refuses the current school of rational shapes
in favour of an 'emotional' and very personal elegance. And it is new because
it was designed to meet new needs: the needs of people who are interested
in technology but know the value of tradition, who want substance from
the product but also exclusiveness and prestige.
The Lancia Thesis offers
these customers the exclusiveness of typically Italian creativeness and
craftsmanship. The substance of technology that is everywhere but 'invisible',
which responds immediately to the desires of the occupants because it is
the car that adapts to the occupant and not the other way round. The ability
to guarantee maximum wellbeing thanks to prestigious materials chosen not
only because of their aesthetic effect but also because of the sensory
reactions they provoke.
The advertising campaign
for the new Lancia Thesis engines, the 230 bhp 3.2 V6 and the 175 bhp 2.4
JTD, reflects this exclusive context. A new type of power, for motorists
who demand superlative comfort but will not forgo brilliant performance.
The performance of the Lancia flagship is expressed in the values of styling,
class and elegance that have always been hallmarks of the brand.
'The Lancia Thesis. Plenty
of horsepower. One rider'. This is the claim of the campaign which has
the actress, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, as its celebrity endorsement.
The popular actress, a symbol
of Italian beauty all over the world, appears riding a bike along a tree-lined
avenue. But she is disturbed by a number of large cars that rush past her.
Her hair flies all over the place and her skirt lifts up, getting in her
way. She becomes increasingly annoyed.
A Lancia Thesis - whose brilliant
performance we have already enjoyed for a few seconds - approaches at high
speed. The actress prepares for yet another buffeting, but her skirt only
lifts slightly and the breeze caresses her hair. The car overtakes her
gently, quietly and smoothly. The film ends with the cyclist and the driver
exchanging glances, as if to recognise that they belong to the same world,
in which the demonstration of power leaves room for courtesy and sensitivity.
The Lancia Thesis range which
will be on the market in June numbers 16 versions:
2.4 JTD 20v (175 bhp) Comfortronic
'Emblema'
2.4 JTD 20v (175 bhp) Comfortronic
'Executive'
2.4 JTD 20v (175 bhp) 'Emblema'
2.4 JTD 20v (175 bhp) 'Executive'
2.4 JTD 10v (150 bhp) 'Emblema'
2.4 JTD 10v (150 bhp) 'Executive'
3.2 V6 24v (230 bhp) Comfortronic
'Emblema'
3.2 V6 24v (230 bhp) Comfortronic
'Executive'
3.0 V6 24v (215 bhp) Comfortronic
'Emblema'
3.0 V6 24v (215 bhp) Comfortronic
'Executive'
2.4 20v (170 bhp) Comfortronic
'Emblema'
2.4 20v (170 bhp) Comfortronic
'Executive'
2.4 20v (170 bhp) 'Emblema'
2.4 20v (170 bhp) 'Executive'
2.0 20v turbo soft (185
bhp) 'Emblema'
2.0 20v turbo soft (185
bhp) 'Executive'
The range also includes the
bullet-proof 'Protecta' version, which Lancia offers with two levels of
protection: B6, and B4 with 'Kalashnikov' rating. They may be ordered in
Italy through the marketing network from June 3, with the 3.0 V6 24v Comfortronic
engine. |
