LANCIA
AT THE 76th PARIS INTERNATIONAL
MOTOR SHOW
Lancia Musa
Guests, not passengers
The new advertising campaign based on deductive reasoning
The Lancia Musa is the Italian alternative
Lancia Ypsilon
The debut of the B-Kini versions
Luca Way and the original advertising campaign
Lancia Ypsilon exceeds expectations
Lancia Thesis
An elegant two-tone trim for the exclusive flagship
Lancia at the 76th Paris International Motor Show
The entire Lancia stand is 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 йlite 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.
Lancia Musa
Guests, not passengers
The Lancia Musa brings the secrets of an Italian welcome to the world of the motor car: it receives its guests with good taste, warmth and generosity. Its shape and features contrive to recreate a typically Italian atmosphere, a magical mix of elegance, informality, effortless attentiveness, luxury and naturalness that puts everyone instantly at ease.
The Lancia Musa was never intended to fit into any specific category. It looks like a mini but its extra centimetres create a sensation of ease and airiness. It offers all the features and comfort of a higher-category car yet does not occupy the physical (and mental) space of a flagship. It is modular in design but built for people who love the physical pleasure of conviviality more than the intangible rigour of modular space management.
The car’s very short development time means the Lancia Musa is able to pre-empt the trends of tomorrow as well as the fashions of today. The car is intuitively in line with the ground swell of contemporary taste. Showy luxury cars have had their day and the Lancia Musa, though evidently opulent, eschews pointless ostentation. Rampant consumerism has given way to considered choice and the Lancia Musa, though a sophisticated product, also offers a specific rational appeal. People are again looking for product substance when they make big purchases and the Lancia Musa offers all the value a customer could want at a balanced cost.
All this – intelligent luxury, content and balance – brings the Lancia Musa closer to the movers and shakers of our generation: the people who make and shape our world today.
The Lancia Musa is immediately outstanding for its up-to-date finely wrought design that is in keeping with the unmistakable Lancia style of recent years. Yet it saves the very best of itself for its guests: its interior is exceptionally sophisticated and comfortable and offers a wealth of colours and top-quality materials. On the road, it offers a reassuring sensation of control and safety with an extra touch of brio that makes it satisfying to drive over any route, even around town.
The Lancia Musa is the epitome of good taste in its sophisticated, harmonious shapes, its warm colour combined with elegance, in its top-quality details (such as its grille and two-tone rims) and exquisite materials (such as leather combined with microfibre). It is the right size for use around town and for longer trips: the vehicle measures just under four metres in length, 1.70 metres in width and 1.66 metres in height and is bound to become the new benchmark in this particular compact car sector.
The Lancia Musa is warmth in the sensations it offers its guests: the lightness of its transparent GranLuce roof and the airiness of the interior environment, the pleasing sensations offered by its surfaces and the wraparound comfort of its ergonomic seats. A dual zone climate control system and Bose Sound System ® (typical Lancia features) make particularly satisfying use of a space that is easy to dominate due to the raised driving position, user friendly controls and modular seats that can assume up to 32 different positions (including an unusual ‘chaise longue’ position).
The Lancia Musa is generous in its engineering products: high-performing engines designed for an easy, relaxing drive. Two diesel Multijet units: the 100 bhp 1.9 unit is well-rounded and flexible, ideal in any situation and the 70 bhp 1.3 unit is ideal for driving around town when fitted with the Dolce Far Niente gearbox. For people who cover a smaller mileage, a lively 95 bhp 1.4 Fire petrol unit is available. The same generosity is evident in the broad and diverse standard equipment list (the Platino specification includes a GranLuce roof, leather interiors, automatic climate control, radio-CD and alloy wheels) and the surfaces included in the exclusive Parure Lancia package that extends the contractual warranty to the fifth year after the sales date or a maximum of 120,000 km.
Travelling in the Lancia Musa is a warm, reassuring and satisfying experience that reinforces the pleasure of living a life full of good taste and well-being.
The name ‘Musa’ is in keeping with this idea: a classical name that conjures up an idea of art and creativity. The choice of lettering also has a strong link with the car: the design of the letter ‘M’ is reminiscent of a chaise longue, the very symbol of comfort and relaxation.
By applying the organic method of advertising that was used with such success on the Ypsilon, Lancia will advertise the Musa by linking it to big names throughout areas where Italian hospitality is a by-word. For example, a miniguide (‘Bella Dentro’) will be produced on the cities of art: public and private places, works of art and local restaurants, tourist attractions and flavours.
The new advertising campaign based on deductive reasoning
The Lancia Musa is all about an Italian welcome. Hospitality, warmth, a new way of understanding the car that transcends concepts of ‘driving’ and ‘passengers’ to become a total experience that is rich and rewarding. The Lancia Musa welcomes its guests with a new, superior quality of life on board and allows them to discover, explore, experience and savour things that normally evade them. The Lancia Musa amplifies sensory perception. When seen from inside a Lancia Musa, everything we see every day when we drive acquires new value. We are shown a brand new side of things and the sensations we feel when we are aboard the new model are also different.
This was the conceptual starting point for an original and multifaceted advertising campaign. The TV and cinema campaign divides into two stages: during the first stage, an absolutely thrilling film unveils the philosophy of the Musa, the car that sets out to change an automotive product into a brand with its own distinctive values. This creative process was developed through deductive reasoning:
‘When I live, I discover.
When I discover, I am born.
When I am born I see, I hear, I touch.
When I touch, I feel.
When I feel, I imagine.
When I imagine, I travel.
When I travel, I drive.
When I drive, I am.’
In the film, we watch the city unfold on the other side of the car window through the eyes of the girl who is driving. Though the city is absolutely normal, we discover details, images and moments of pure visual and emotional poetry. Things appear to us that normally escape us. A bag dancing in the wind. A beam of sunlight through the trees. The play of water from an ordinary garden sprinkler, people's small surprising gestures. Nothing unreal or contrived: when you drive the Musa you discover the extraordinary magic that is hidden inside the simplest things. You perceive it, see it, live it and are part of it.
The launch video is followed by two films that describe the features of the car, but again this is not done in a roundabout or artificial way in a clumsy attempt to put over our message. It is done by simply revealing the beauty in the mundane: the tension of a group of cyclists training, the determination of a girl running, the futuristic speed of a high-speed train symbolise the Multijet engine. And for the Sky Window sunroof, an upside-down journey shows us at last the extraordinary world of images that unfolds in the sky above us every day.
The film treatment, photography and direction are all to cinematographic standards and the end result is a different visual language that is unique to the Musa. No less important is the decision to shoot the film in Italy but to steer clear of stereotyped locations in order to convey the Italian values intrinsic in the Musa’s hospitality and bred into Lancia’s genes.
In the same way, the press adverts are meticulous and innovative graphic creations that put over the same simple, poetic message by using a set of subjects to illustrate the concept ‘When I drive, I am’ and convey the same sensations as the film. In the press adverts too, the aim of the creative task was to build a Musa brand to break through the conventional boundaries of car industry advertising, just as the Lancia Musa succeeds in doing within its own category: by creating a category of its own.
The Lancia Musa is the Italian alternative
In the European panorama of contemporary compact cars, the Lancia Musa represents the Italian alternative based on good taste, warmth and generosity. The vehicle embodies typical brand values with style and elegance: sophisticated design, top-class finish and a wealth of content.
The Musa finds its ideal position between the Ypsilon and the Phedra in the Lancia range. The three vehicles share a common stylistic layout and also a leaning toward unconventional architecture and a contemporary take on the Lancia character.
The same distinctive exterior features (the large chrome-plated shield, triangular bonnet and characteristic tail-lights) are also to be found in the Lancia flagship and the medium-sized Lybra saloon and station wagon, together with the unmistakable Lancia selection of colours and trim.
Good Taste
Lancia Musa good taste is much more than a mere aesthetic concept: it is a way of experiencing the car that weds harmony and form with attention to every slightest detail. The elegance is also a result of astute choice of furnishing trim and colours. The key to the Musa’s charm is warm simplicity: generous and attentive to its guests, the new Lancia welcomes everyone like a perfect host.
Elegant and well-balanced forms, top quality details
From a design viewpoint, the Lancia Musa continues the work of reinterpreting and renewing the brand tradition developed by the Lancia Style Centre from the Dialogos concept car. All the features that typify the latest brand vehicles are present: strong, consistent family feeling, stylish retro suggestions of classic Lancia motifs, yet all combined with an up-to-the-minute reading of car styling trends in premium segments.
The Lancia Musa offers unique, harmonious good looks with all the lines converging on the front to create an effect of great dynamism. The front end is strong and opulent with a top-quality grille embedded between tapering headlights. The chrome-plated friezes converge on the central logo, situated, as always, high up in the centre. The front bumper is a horizontal feature that blends in perfectly with the rest of the car.
The rear end also displays consistency and harmony. The generous tailgate is enclosed between upright tail-lights. The play of light on chrome-plated parts reflects the same appealing language as the front.
The side surface is extremely elegant and uncluttered. Two profiles run parallel to the waistline to create a faceted effect that accentuates the car’s dynamism. The lower profile is underscored and embellished by a mirror-finished moulding. The rounded lines and lack of sharp edges emphasise the welcoming, protective aspect of the passenger compartment, a shell that promises great safety and the greatest comfort packed into small dimensions: the car measures just under four metres in length, 1.70 in width, 1.66 in height and offers a wheelbase of 2.51 metres.
The balance between the body and extensive glazed areas is the key to a well-lit, relaxing environment. The Musa’s passengers will enjoy perfect continuity of vision in all circumstances through the windscreen, side windows and rear window.
Warm, sophisticated colours
A good colour match is essential to the style of a great garment. In the same way, colour options form an integral part of the Lancia Musa’s design and make a decisive contribution to defining its personality.
This warm, sociable car that makes such a virtue of its welcoming, convivial atmosphere would not be comfortable in sombre or aggressive shades. Black and grey are therefore banned from the Musa’s palette of colours. In full accordance with the best Lancia tradition, our stylists picked out contrasting colour matches based on warm shades (such as dark brown, reminiscent of fine woods such as Wenghe) and delicate shades (such as Ivory or Magnesium, reminiscent of a stylish sofa or armchair).
In the Lancia Musa, the interior/exterior relationship is enhanced by the presence (as standard on the Platino specification) of an exclusive ‘GranLuce’ glass sunroof. This solution means that the inside and outside are treated as part of a single environment or, if you prefer, as a lounge with adjoining terrace. All the colour combinations have been chosen with care to create sophisticated and original solutions.
This car sees the introduction of two exterior shades that are completely new to the Lancia range and created by the Lancia Style Centre to express the values of the Musa project to the full: the shades ‘Vasari Pearl’ and ‘Peyrano Chocolate’. The name of Peyrano is intended as homage to a true artist of Italian hospitality and gastronomy.
Top-quality materials
Inside the car, as much thought has gone into the materials as the colours: hence the use of high-tech glass, top-quality leather and soft microfibres.
The interior lines and shapes are enhanced by metallic details that emphasise the new exterior colour shades. The facia is covered with a soft material that is pleasant to the touch. On the one hand, Lancia reaffirms its tradition of hand-crafted interiors while these new, original material and colour matches emphasise yet again how much elegant colour matches are now a distinctive part of its products.
Warmth
When one thinks of an Italian welcome, one thinks of heat and naturalness, friendly people and faces. Lancia set out to recreate this Mediterranean approach to the world by turning the Musa into a ‘room with a view’.
Everything on the new model has been developed to give the driver and passengers the sensation of being guests in an environment that offers comfort, safety and the protection of a veritable house on wheels.
The ‘GranLuce’ roof: a room with a view
The Lancia Musa is a sunny car: the windows are huge and the car also comes with a ‘GranLuce’ panoramic sunroof consisting of two glass panels (one of which opens) and two sun blinds that run independently towards the rear of the car. When both blinds are open, the transparent surface area extends to 70% of the roof.
The latest-generation device is extremely quick to operate: the front glass panel opening control acts in just seven seconds. And more: it gives you a changing relationship with the environment. The choice is not simply between a closed passenger compartment or an open roof: you can also keep your passengers perfectly protected but also flood the car with light through its window on the sky. Or you could decide to open the front panel to an intermediate setting that runs on aluminium guide rails. Simply release the key to stop the movement at the required position.
The ‘GranLuce’ roof comes with a safety system that reverses the movement of the glass if it encounters an obstacle.
Mastery of space
The Lancia Musa is a car where you can experience relaxing moments and travel in comfort. Its environment is created to accommodate its guests in the best possible manner: discover it for yourself by getting into the car, making yourself comfortable, adjusting the seats and opening or closing the ‘GranLuce’ roof.
The Musa is a response to the need for space in a population that has grown in height and sophistication: the passenger compartment coefficient is 99.5%. In the front seats, the ideal layout is within the range of people of all shapes and sizes: from 1.50 to approximately 2 metres. Even if the driver is very tall, an equally tall passenger seated in the back will enjoy a good level of comfort. The shoulder room is excellent at the front (1402 mm) and also at the back (1365 mm).
The sliding rear seats ensure that passenger compartment size can be extended to 390 litres. The overall interior volume is one of the best in its segment in absolute terms and also in relation to ground clearance.
These dry facts and figures are all very well, but the car's human, welcoming side is much more important to Lancia. The airy environment creates a new dimension of experiencing the car, i.e. on-board well-being in the widest sense of the word. The multi-purpose vehicle offers you plenty of space but above all space exactly where it is needed. You, the customer, are free to organise this space and adopt one of the 32 available configurations.
Mastery of the road
The Lancia Musa has been designed and built with a view to motorists’ desires and new mobility needs. The driver’s position is extremely up-to-date: the high seating plane allows mastery of the road, a sensation accentuated by the oceans of glass. The gear lever is located in the middle of the facia, the steering wheel is adjustable for height and depth, the driver’s seat is equipped with a seat lift device. Having the instruments and controls in the centre of the facia makes them easier to read because the driver is an optimal distance away from the extremely linear messages and graphics. All the instruments (analogue) are backlit with an orange light for faster focusing when you move your eyes from the dark to the dashboard.
The ergonomic driving position allows an excellent quality of dynamic response. The Lancia Musa’s suspension has been designed to ensure control and comfort at the same time: the front system is a MacPherson configuration while the rear suspension features interconnected wheels with a torsion beam. A combination of both layouts adopted offers handling standards comparable with higher category cars.
The sensation of on-board protection is not simply the psychological effect of the attention to detail, elegance and domestic familiarity of the furnishings: it is also the result of an objective factor, i.e. the fact that the vehicles meet specific safety criteria.
Mastery of climate
Passenger compartment climate is one of the main comfort factors during a trip and also important for preventive safety: temperature, humidity and ventilation affect a driver’s well-being and level of alertness. For this reason, the Lancia Musa comes with a sophisticated climate control system that automatically controls temperature, air flow, split air distribution to driver and passenger, compressor activation and recirculation by means of an electronic control unit. This dual zone climate control system can offer different temperatures at the left and right of the passenger compartment.
The Lancia Musa also implements an equivalent temperature climate control strategy. The system uses input from various sensors to assess the sensation of thermal well-being experienced by the passenger in relation to the set temperature. The result is a constant climate, even with significant changes in external conditions.
Customers can alter the interior temperature gradually, half a degree at a time, to achieve outstanding personal climatic comfort. The knob allows the temperature to be adjusted to 16°C, with a maximum temperature difference between left and right of 7°C. The system is fully automatic but manual controls always take precedence over the automatic mechanism and the system can also be turned off altogether.
The ‘bi-zone’ air conditioner includes a device for assessing air quality: the Quality System (AQS). When you drive through areas with high smog levels, the system automatically turns on the recirculation function and prevents external air from entering the vehicles.
All the emotions of a Bose® Sound System
You would not feel fully welcome if you could not listen to music. On board the Lancia Musa, the Bose® Sound System makes you relive the emotions of a concert hall with a sound that enfolds all the car’s occupants.
The system was created by the US Hi-Fi leader Bose and offers realistic playing quality with crystal clear high notes and full, rich bass notes. The incredible sense of depth experienced by passengers is a result of sophisticated acoustic planning that led to the car passenger compartment and sound system being designed in tandem.
The Bose® Hi-Fi Sound System also includes an audio power amplifier with 6 independent channels. An equalisation circuit also ensures an excellent automatic electronic balance of all output frequencies, great stability and clarity of tone throughout the audio range. 7 speakers are built into the car: two 165mm broadband speakers with 50mm tweeters in the front doors, two 150mm mid-woofers on the rear sides, a 130mm diameter dual coil bass-reflex sub-woofer at the rear plus two tweeters in the front pillars.
Together with the Bose® Sound System, the Lancia Musa offers another two sound systems that are built in to the dashboard design. As an alternative to the Bose® system, both can offer six speakers and a power output of 4x30 Watt. They are equipped with RDS (Radio Data System) and a TA (traffic announcement) function. They differ in the type of player offered: the first will only play CDs while the second will also play MP3 files.
All the sound systems are equipped with a device that automatically adjusts the volume on the basis of car speed and can be connected to the handsfree set of the GSM phone. The system is protected against theft by a communication link with the electronic unit that manages the electrical system (body computer). When the car is turned on, the body computer reads the radio code and activates it only if the numerical sequence is correct. Theft is pointless because the set is unusable on another car.
The customer can also install a CD-changer that takes up to 10 discs on the Lancia Musa. This may be operated using steering wheel controls.
Generosity
A perfect host always treats his guests with generosity. It is the one essential rule of good hospitality: never let your guests want for anything. The Lancia Musa always offers something extra that you would not expect. Beginning with the engines that come in a range designed to allow any driving style to express itself and continuing with great product features that make the Musa the most comprehensive and well-balanced car in its category. Its great Italian personality is also enhanced by the ‘Dolce Far Niente’ automatic gearbox that was first introduced on the Ypsilon and also the ‘Dolce Far Poco’ pack, a brand new Lancia product introduced on the Musa.
Generous engines, comfortable gearboxes
Three engines and two types of gearboxes designed to give customers exactly what they need on the Lancia Musa. Sturdy, flexible power units with excellent performance and low emission levels (all are in line with stage 4 EEC emission limits), but also limited maintenance requirements and low running costs. Beginning with the 1.4 16v petrol Fire unit that is the descendent of a family that has spawned more than 12 million offspring throughout the world. And above all, power units that adopt top-level innovative engineering such as the two multiple injection Common Rail turbo-diesel units that, under the name of ‘Multijet’, have taken the market by storm as the main new automotive engineering advance of recent years.
The Musa combines these gems of automotive engineering with two five-speed manual gearboxes and the Dolce Far Niente (D.F.N.) gearbox, a robotised device that can operate in sequential and also automatic mode.
70 bhp 1.3 Multijet 16v
The new Lancia Musa is fitted with the 1.3 Multijet 16v, the smallest and most advanced of the multiple injection Rail diesel engines that can be combined with the Dolce Far Niente (D.F.N.) robotised manual gearbox.
The 1.3 Multijet 16v is a 1251 cc 4 cylinder in line power unit with a bore of just 69.6 mm and a 82 mm ‘long’ stroke. The four valves per cylinder are driven directly by a twin overhead camshaft. Maximum power output is 51 kW at 4000 rpm (70 bhp) and the torque delivered is 180 Nm at just 1750 rpm.
The 1.3 Multijet 16v is a true masterpiece of miniaturised technology: when clad with all its accessories, it weighs in at just 130 kg. Its size is small at less than 50 centimetres in length and 65 in height. The component layout has been designed to ensure it takes up the smallest possible space. Yet it guarantees the same advantages as bigger engines because it has not been reduced but miniaturised.
The power unit has thus been built to ensure the greatest rationalism, efficiency and reliability and is the smallest Common Rail four-cylinder diesel on the market. The only one able to enclose no fewer than six normal-sized components into a space of less than 70 millimetres: four valves, one injector and one glow plug.
The new engine also adds another record to this major feat of miniaturisation: it is the most powerful. Despite a truly miniscule cylinder capacity of 1248 cc, the pocket Multijet comes out top when compared with all the small diesels with fixed geometry turbines currently present on the market. Even the most vaunted. Suffice it to say that it offers the best specific performance of any diesel engine with 800 to 1500 cc of cylinder capacity. Power output of 41 kW/l and torque of 144 Nm/l.
This compact, technologically sophisticated new engine also offers outstanding efficiency and is practically guaranteed for life. The 1.3 Multijet 16v is designed to last for 250,000 km instead of the usual 150,000. During this long lifetime, it does not require any maintenance to mechanical parts (and the fan belt need not be changed religiously at 80,000 km). And more: the oil change intervals have been extended from 20 to 30,000 km (the 1.3 Multijet 16v uses low viscosity oil. It is therefore thrifty with fuel and also respectful of the environment).
And more. The 1.3 Multijet 16v is environmentally friendly and already meets Euro 4 emission limits. It is also one of the very few engines in the world that has been able to achieve this result without the need for a sophisticated exhaust post-treatment device such as a particulate trap. Altogether an intrinsically clean car: the particulate emission level (responsible for dust and fine dust) is even lower than that established by the forthcoming Euro 4 standard.
Last but not least, the performance figures for a Lancia Musa equipped with the 1.3 Multijet are outstanding: top speed is 159 km/h while the car takes just 15.4 seconds to speed from 0 to 100 km/h and 36.6 seconds to cover a kilometre from a standing start. The fuel consumption figures are also amongst the best in the segment: 6.2 l/100 km over an urban cycle, 4.5 l/100 km for an extra-urban cycle and 5.1 l/100 km over mixed routes.
The 1.3 Multijet 16v therefore represents a true technological leap that translates into a reduction in fuel consumption and emissions for the customer. All this comes with:
• lower noise levels (due to the multipoint ignition);
• improved comfort (fewer alternating masses means less vibration);
• smooth, gentle drive due to outstanding torque progression (in turn guaranteed by the possibility of greater control of combustion, moment by moment);
• the flexibility and prompt responses of a diesel engine that resembles petrol engines more and more due to its wide rpm range (e.g. you no longer feel the fuel cut-off at just over 4000 rpm);
• environmentally-friendly features that allow this engine to improve on the greenest feature of a diesel (fuel consumption) by minimising its main defect (particulate emissions).
100 bhp 1.9 Multijet
This is a 1.9 Multijet (multiple injection Common Rail) unit with 4 cylinders in line, bore of 82 millimetres and stroke of 90.4 mm. The two valves per cylinder are driven directly by an overhead camshaft.
For example, the Common Rail system used on the 100 bhp 1.9 Multijet unit includes two new strategies for automatically calibrating and balancing the diesel injected to lower noise levels and reduce vibration. The combustion chamber has also been optimised to improve thermodynamic efficiency by reducing the compression ratio to 18:1.
The power units are turbocharged via a fixed geometry turbocharger with an electronically-controlled wastegate that helps improve power delivery by allowing very high torque delivery even at low rpms. Suffice it to say that 90% of maximum torque is available between 1750 and 3250 rpm. These data translate into great driving satisfaction and truly inspiring performance.
The 1.9 Multijet offers very low noise levels when the engine is heating up, excellent power (100 bhp at 4000 rpm) combined with generous torque (26.4 kgm at 1750 rpm). A Lancia Musa with this engine exceeds a top speed of 179 km/h, accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 11.5 seconds and covers one kilometre from a standing start in 33.0 seconds. Despite these searing performance figures, fuel consumption is low: 7.0 l/100 km over an urban cycle, 4.7 l/100 km for an extra-urban cycle and 5.5 l/100 km over mixed routes.
Like the 1.3 Multijet, the 1.9 Multijet belongs to the second-generation Common Rail family. Its basic principles are the same as on the original Common Rail units: high injection pressure and electronic injector control. But one extra feature has been added: during each engine cycle, the number of injections is increased. In this way, the same amount of diesel is burnt inside the cylinder but in several portions to achieve smoother, more complete combustion. The secret of the Multijet is enclosed in the control unit responsible for opening and closing the injectors to ensure that a set of injections can be performed very close to one another if necessary.
This unit offers three main advantages over first generation Common Rail engines: lower running noise, reduced emissions and increased performance levels.
95 bhp 1.4 16v Fire
This is the latest edition to the Fire range. It is a 4 cylinder in-line unit with a cylinder capacity of 1368 cc, bore of 72 millimetres and stroke of 84 mm. The four valves per cylinder are driven directly by a twin overhead camshaft.
The power unit was developed with particular attention to performance and fuel consumption, an area where the Lancia Musa excels in its category. This is due to the fact that the volumetric efficiency has been optimised throughout the service range due to painstaking fluid dynamic development studies on the entire intake and timing system. The result is a power output of 70 kW (95 bhp) at 5800 rpm and a maximum torque of 13.0 kgm at 4500 rpm. A Lancia Musa with this engine exceeds a top speed of 175 km/h, accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 11.5 seconds and covers one kilometre from a standing start in 33.0 seconds. The fuel consumption figures are amongst the best in the segment: 8.5 l/100 km over an urban cycle, 5.5 l/100 km over an extraurban cycle and 6.6 l/100 km over a mixed cycle.
In other words, a vigorous yet frugal engine. This performance is enhanced by a drive by wire electronic throttle control system. The system also guarantees maximum integration with all the other devices such as ESP and Cruise Control.
The 1.4 16v Fire unit offers outstanding torque levels at low speeds that allow fuel consumption to be minimised. The emission levels are in line with the forthcoming Euro 4 standard: this has been achieved by means of a catalytic converter positioned in the engine compartment that reaches high temperatures in very short times and can thus reduce emissions even while the power unit is warming up. To minimise the environmental effect, the new engine is also equipped with a returnless fuel system that eliminates fuel recirculation within the tank and thus reduces vapour formation.
High-performing, thrifty and clean: the 95 bhp 1.4 16v Fire unit backs these qualities with outstanding acoustic comfort. Firstly, a barycentric power unit mounting system has been adopted to achieve reaction forces with zero offset and thus minimise the transfer of engine vibrations to the body.
‘Dolce Far Niente’ gearbox
Like the Ypsilon, the Lancia Musa is also fitted with the D.F.N., a sophisticated robotised gearbox that allows automatic control of transmission. Available on 1.4 16v and 1.3 Multijet 16v engines, the D.F.N. is a new robotised sequential manual gearbox that is highly convenient in town traffic (due to its automatic mode) once you have experienced all the satisfaction of a sporty, dynamic drive on the manual setting. Hence Lancia’s whimsical reinterpretation of the technical name D.F.N. System as the acronym D.F.N. (Dolce Far Niente).
On this, a hydraulic servo device automates the clutch controls and gear lever to retain all the attributes of a dry clutch and manual gearbox (weight, strength and reliability, low energy consumption).
Two operating modes are available: semiautomatic (manual) and automatic.
The first is more similar to manual operation and allows you to change gear using a joystick on the tunnel. Because no clutch pedal is present, the device is controlled simply by moving the lever: forward to change up (towards the + symbol), back to change down (toward the – symbol). A simple push is sufficient to ensure the transmission makes a fast, accurate gear change.
The second mode offers two settings: Normal and Economy. The Normal strategy offers outstanding driving comfort to assure scintillating gearshifts in all conditions. The Economy strategy is used when you wish to reduce fuel consumption while still maintaining top level handling and driving comfort. With both options, the system stretches to a higher ratio once the rpm level has been reached, when the engine delivers maximum torque or power. In automatic mode, the system recognises the road gradient (by means of a software algorithm) and modifies the gear shift point to ensure the best possible compromise between the driver’s needs, ground conditions and vehicle situation (speed and engine rpm) at all times.
Yet the D.F.N. offers one advantage over conventional manual and automatic gearboxes: it can interpret the driver’s demands and adapt to his driving style. To do this, it examines pedal position maps and engine rpm (interpreted as power requests). To ensure safety and prevent undesirable gearshifts, it puts the car in neutral if the door is open while the engine is still running. Lastly, the D.F.N. System device also activates warning lights and buzzers to notify the driver of emergency situations or manoeuvres that are not permitted and could damage the engine or gearbox.
With the D.F.N. gearbox in automatic mode, its robotised electronic management system allows the gears to be changed at the time of maximum engine performance. This makes it possible to exploit all the power and torque of the 1.4 16v and 1.3 Multijet engines and achieve a distinct improvement in acceleration over a manual gearbox. In automatic mode with the Economy key engaged, the Lancia Musa consumes less fuel than a manual gearbox. With the 1.3 Multijet engine, fuel consumption over a combined cycle is 4.5 l/100 km compared to 4.6 l/100 km obtained with a manual gearbox. With the 1.4 16v engine, the result is 6.4 l/100 km as opposed to 6.6 l/100 km.
The engineers therefore succeeded in imposing a set of gear shift settings that reduce fuel consumption without reducing performance and thus driving satisfaction. Last but not least, these hi-tech features are offered at a price significantly lower than that of a conventional automatic transmission.
Nav Plus CONNECT system
The Lancia Musa may be equipped as an option with CONNECT Nav Plus, a sophisticated cutting-edge infotelematic system that includes a satellite navigation system radio, CD player, dual-band GSM handsfree phone, voice commands and bCONNECT services.
The device is located in the centre of the facia and is equipped with a 6.5 inch TFT transflective colour screen (active matrix) that allows the driver to follow easy instructions for the set route on the display (and also voice commands).
This system is a telematic product that makes cutting-edge technology available to drivers and ensures in-car living is even more comfortable and easy while you are en route for your destination: due to the GPS/GSM network and the miracles of satellite communication, customers can simply press the green key to speak in hands-free mode to an operator; nothing less than a personal assistant ready to respond to their every need for information on traffic conditions on the motorways, ring-roads and main roads of Italy and Europe and points of interest. If necessary, they can also guarantee roadside assistance or send out mobile workshops to resolve problems on the spot.
Drivers need not concern themselves about requesting constant updates on road conditions because the Follow Me function means that the bCONNECT operator updates them on any route changes via text or voice messages.
And more. The bCONNECT system on the Lancia Musa also offers the Drive Me service that customers can use to request a destination of their choice (from a friend's address to a favourite restaurant). The bCONNECT operator will send the destination address to the navigation system and the customer can set the route easily by simply pressing the CONNECT key.
All in complete safety and without distracting the driver from the road.
The bCONNECT operator can also make bookings on behalf of the customer and also, for example, reserve an air ticket, an overnight stay in a hotel or a table for two in one of the many points of interest selected by prestigious international Partners.
The ‘Dolce Far Poco’ pack
The generosity of the ‘Dolce Far Niente’ approach is complemented by additional high-tech devices designed to help life on board. These include ‘Dualdrive’, the electric power steering system with City function, Cruise Control that maintains a set cruising speed, a rain sensor that turns on the windscreen wipers automatically at the first drop of rain, a dusk sensor that turns on the headlights as soon as you drive into a tunnel and a sensor to help with parking manoeuvres.
These last four equipment items are offered, together with the dual zone climate control system, as a single options pack known as the ‘Dolce Far Poco’ pack put together for people who really want to avoid any effort during driving.
Parure Lancia Warranty
Customers who buy a Musa (or any other Lancia model for that matter) gain access to the ‘Parure Lancia’ Warranty. This exclusive module extends the contractual warranty to the fifth year after the sales date or up to 120,000 km, in combination with the roadside assistance service. The following are completely free if you break down: towing (even if you have an accident), mobile workshop (only in Italy), recovery of the car after repair, courtesy car, cash advance, sending out of spare parts, hotel expenses and passenger return.
If customers decide to sell their car before the five year agreement is up, they have two options: first, they can save on the purchase of a new car (Fiat, Lancia or Alfa Romeo) by subtracting a refund for the unused portion of the Parure Lancia warranty package. Second, they can transfer all the benefits of the Parure Lancia warranty package to the new buyer until the expiry date or kilometre threshold. This makes the vehicle worth more at the time of sale.
Equipment, options and colours
The Lancia Musa offers an extensive and diverse range of engines and gearboxes that are bound to offer the right car for everyone. In Italy, and also abroad, the product range includes three engines (the 1.4 16v, the 70 bhp 1.3 16v Multijet and the 100 bhp 1.9 Multijet); 2 gearboxes (manual and D.F.N.); 2 specifications (Oro and Platino); 12 body-colours; 2 trim types in 4 colour combinations for the Oro specification (high-tech cloth) and 2 combinations on the Platino specification (leather and microfibre).
Customers can also customise their car with devices and systems chosen from the Accessory range or from the list of exclusive options available for the range: the ‘GranLuce’ sunroof (standard on the Platino specification), sidebags, ESP, Cruise Control, dusk sensors, rain sensors, Bose® Sound System and CONNECT Nav Plus.
Lancia Ypsilon
The debut of the B-Kini versions
Two Ypsilon ‘B-Kini’ versions are lined up for your delectation on the sophisticated and elegant Lancia catwalk. These two limited series versions are distinguished by their brand-new two-tone body and interiors of great prestige and quality. The two cars are a direct reference to the four unique edition cars introduced at the Bologna 2003 Motor Show that were named after natural elements: Fire, Air, Earth and Water. The ancient Greeks believed that everything experienced by our senses is based on a combination of these four elements. This immortal concept inspired Lancia to produce the Ypsilon Unique Edition cars that were the true stars of the Bologna event.
In the wake of that critical and public acclaim, Lancia now introduces two B-Kini versions in Paris. These are due to go on sale from October in Italy and later in the other European countries. Both versions come in the Platino specification and are equipped with the stirring 70 bhp 1.3 Multijet engine. They come with a bi-zone climate control system, Bose® Hi-Fi, Cruise Control, 16” alloys, leather steering wheel and gearlever and radio controls on the steering wheel.
In detail, the upper part of the first pocket flagship is clad in a warm and seductive three-layer Guttuso red while the lower part is resplendent in sophisticated Paganini ivory. The superb quality interiors combine the softness and sophistication of leather trim with the style of Glamour cloth to create a colour combination that matches the exterior to perfection. This was the version that attracted most attention from the public who were able to see it at its advance world premiere over the summer holidays at the exclusive showroom in Corso Como 14, Milan.
The second Ypsilon B-Kini present in Paris is graced by an elegant, sophisticated body, all based around non-metallic Paganini Ivory shades below and the exclusive micalised Caravaggio Brown shade at the top. This timeless colour match is subtly mirrored inside the car where the exterior colours are repeated. The Glamour cloth, directly inspired by the world of sailing, takes the form of a mesh cloth similar to the type used to line oilskins; a high-tech fabric reminiscent of the waterproof garments used in sailing – and a warm fabric that comes in several shades: ivory, black, red and yellow.
Last but not least comes a third Ypsilon B-kini that is not present at the Motor Show but is available in the range. This also features exclusive magnesium-brown Glamour fabric inside. This match ideally offsets the exterior shape that is picked out in Rossini Grey at the bottom and the new Caravaggio Brown shade at the top. The final result is a crisp new colour contrast that is quite simply irresistible.
Luca Way and the original advertising campaign
A 3-D graphic segment moves. Takes on life, shape and personality. It plays, with the car and with those who inhabit it. It transforms. It comes together, it comes apart and is then reborn, thousands of times over. Meet Luca Way, star of the Lancia Ypsilon advertising campaign created by Armando Testa.
Luca Way is the personification of the Ypsilon spirit: play, pleasure, dynamism, humour, a dash of glamour and a break with conventional canons. Altogether an advertising campaign that overturns the way cars are normally advertised, just as the Ypsilon concept is at odds with the rest of its segment.
It therefore comes as no surprise to find Luca Way with the new Ypsilon Bi-Kini too. The two-tone Ypsilon is the natural and ideal playground for the Luca Way character, which owes much to modernist, experimental artistic movements: from Mirт to Picasso and Matisse. Luca Way plays with the car, now creating a brush to draw lines, swathes of colour, an interplay of graphic and colour motifs that trace and underscore the spirit of this new car.
Two colours, a new style, an original way of moving that is bound to capture the attention of the public – or in the words of the campaign slogan: impressionist movement.
Lancia Ypsilon exceeds expectations
A model that has seduced its customers with its quality and elegance, setting new standards in the de luxe compact class. Suffice it to say that more than 100,000 orders have been received throughout Europe since October 2003. And more. In Italy, the new model is one of the three biggest sellers in segment B.
It is interesting to note the sales mix of engines and specifications recorded to date. European customers divide equally between those who choose Ypsilons equipped with the revolutionary 1.3 Multijet power unit (36%) or cars fitted with the reliable 1.2 8 valve unit (30%). These are followed by customers who bought Ypsilons with a 1.2 16v engine (19%) and those who opted for the vivacious 1.4 16 valve unit (15%).
As far as the sales mix by version was concerned, top-of-the-range versions swept the board (98%): Argento and Platino, with a clear preference for the former, which accounted for nearly 84% of sales. Customers tend to choose the more opulent and alluring versions and this is borne out by the success of the Glamour pack (alloy wheels, special fabrics matching body-colour and metallic paintwork) that attracted 26% of the customers. Similarly, the colour Ivory proved to be particularly attractive to customers, representing 30% of sales.
In a word, the Lancia Ypsilon is much more than a promise and this is borne out by the three prestigious accolades received in recent months: ‘L’Auto che preferisco 2004’ in the ‘small car’ category awarded by the magazine Quattroruote; the European Automotive Design Award, conferred by a jury of 200 student and professional automotive designers representing 30 countries – and last but not least ‘L’Automobile piщ bella del mondo’ in the ‘small car’ category elected by a jury of design experts.
The factors that underpin the success of the Lancia Ypsilon, a car designed for sophisticated customers engaged in a continuous quest for unique products, may be distilled down to four rules of seduction that make the Ypsilon a real object of desire:
• original, elegant styling;
• cutting-edge engines and gearboxes;
• prestige materials and 555 ways of experiencing the Ypsilon;
• a pocket flagship due to its exclusive features.
Firstly the car captivates at first glance for its original style that is rooted in the past, flourishes in the present and sets the trend for the future. The result is a car with an original profile, fully in keeping with new demands for a softer, more sensual and feminine shape. The most striking thing of all is the unmistakable Lancia sense of breeding. The sculpted front, for example, reveals a pleasing symphony of shapes, all dominated by a large upright grille. The light clusters are gem-like and clean-shaped in line with the style philosophy that typifies new Lancia cars.
The interiors also welcome the passengers and driver into an emotionally involving environment, a true lounge but also a functional, up-to-date passenger compartment to assure maximum comfort. These sensations are aided by the particular care that has gone into the details, the use of top-quality deluxe car materials and the creation of sophisticated, stylish colour matches between the body shades and interior trim colours. Unique features for this segment. This is the background for the ‘Ypsilon’ logo, the full name in cursive script.
And so from design to engineering. The revolutionary power units and gearboxes available for the Lancia Ypsilon represent the cream of present-day engineering. The Lancia Ypsilon owes its great road capability, perennially predictable behaviour and driving ease and satisfaction to the performance delivered by power units that represent the state of the art for a city car.
Four engines are available. The first two are the tried and tested 60 bhp 1.2 and 80 bhp 1.2 16v units, capable of great torque and fluidity despite relatively small cylinder capacities. The other two engines are new on this model: a 95 bhp 1.4 16v and the revolutionary 1.3 16v Multijet. The 1.3 Multijet 16v, in particular, develops a maximum power of 70 bhp at 4000 rpm while torque is 18.4 kgm at 1750 rpm. The power unit, a monument to high technology, is enclosed in a one-piece block measuring less than 50 cm in length and 65 cm in height. It is in fact the smallest four-cylinder Common Rail diesel engine on the market. The only power unit that can pack no fewer than six normal-sized components into a cylinder with a diameter of less than 70 mm for four valves, one injector and one glow plug. Not to mention the fact that the new power unit already meets Euro 4 emission limits.
In addition to the 1.3 Multijet 16v, the new model offers a 95 bhp 1.4 16v. This is the latest addition to the Fire range – and also the highest performer. The new engine offers a cylinder capacity of 1368 cc and a 4 cylinder in line configuration with bore of 72 millimetres and stroke of 84 mm. The four valves per cylinder are driven directly by a twin overhead camshaft. The power unit was developed with particular attention to performance and fuel consumption, an area where the Lancia Ypsilon excels in its category. The 1.4 16v engine also meets Euro 4 emission requirements.
Lancia offers the 1.3 16v Multijet and 1.4 16v petrol units with a manual gearbox or a robotised sequential device dubbed by Lancia Marketing the Lancia D.F.N. System (‘Dolce Far Niente’ – the sweetness of doing nothing) for its peerless comfort and ease of use. It is a traditional manual device that has been fitted with an innovative transmission system that allows the clutch pedal to be removed. The D.F.N. System gearbox works in two modes: the customer can opt for semiautomatic operation by engaging gears by means of a lever on the tunnel. Or the gearbox can be set to automatic. In the latter case, the driver can choose one of two strategies: Normal and Economy.
Whichever you choose, the Lancia Ypsilon will be the ideal car in city traffic or over long and short out-of-town trips. To sum up: manual mode for mixed routes or for a dynamic and fun drive around town. Automatic mode where the traffic forces you to make repeated gear changes or when you simply wish to relax. And all using less fuel (while in Economy mode) than with a manual gearbox. In practice, over a combined cycle, a car with a Multijet engine uses 4.5 l/100 km in automatic mode and economy function compared to 4.6 l/100 km while the figure for the 1.4 16v engine falls from 6.6 l/100 km to 6.4 l/100 km.
The third rule of seduction highlights prestige materials and 555 ways of experiencing the Ypsilon. Once you have been charmed by the stylish interior, inside you will find a delightful blend of elegance and innovation. You will appreciate the craftsmanship that is always a feature of Lancia cars and also note the use of top quality materials: exclusive two-tone leather, top quality Alcantara®, soft velvet and high-tech Glamour cloth types that account for no less than 26% of the car order mix. The model’s exclusivity comes from this very blend of colours, fabrics and materials. It is no exaggeration to claim that anyone can find an Ypsilon that suits his or her requirements and tastes to perfection. Apart from anything else, the new model range comes in three specifications (Ypsilon, Argento and Platino) and is one of the most comprehensive in the segment. One of its main benefits is the great potential for customisation. The pocket flagship can offer no fewer than 555 combinations, achieved by matching eleven body-colours, six different interior trims (available in eight different shades) and five types of alloy wheel (including the versions available from Accessories). Whatever your choice and level of customisation, the Lancia Ypsilon is always appealing and original, and oozes the Italian flair that is famed throughout the world.
The new model also offers a set of exclusive devices that set it at the pinnacle of its category and represent the fourth ‘rule of seduction’. One example is the Skydome (an option), a large glass sunroof that represents a first for this segment and offers a new way of experiencing car travel.
The Lancia Ypsilon may also be optionally fitted with a Bose® Hi-Fi Sound System (standard on the Platino version) that is built by the US company of the same name. The sound wraps around all the occupants and gives them the sensation that it is travelling through a much larger environment, because the sound system and the passenger compartment have been designed together to ensure perfect harmony between the technical specifications of both.
The Lancia Ypsilon also comes with a sophisticated dual zone climate control system that automatically controls temperature, airflow, air distribution (differentiated into driver and passenger zones for the first time), compressor activation and recirculation by means of an electronic control unit.
The car also offers a wealth of other features that set it at the peak of its category: in the safety field, 4 airbags as standard (two front airbags and two window-bags), sidebags, ABS with EBD, ESP with Hill Holder and Brake Assistance. And more: Dualdrive, an electric power assisted steering system with City function; cruise control that maintains a set cruising speed; windscreen wipers that activate automatically at the first drops of rain; headlights that come on as soon as you enter a tunnel and – last but not least – a sensor to aid parking manoeuvres.
Lancia Thesis
An elegant two-tone trim for the exclusive flagship
A very unusual version of the Lancia Thesis will make its first public appearance at the French event. This non-standard production model features a two-tone body in the shades Mink and Dark Brown: this extremely stylish combination is designed to emphasise the shape of the Lancia flagship even more.
The interior of the brand new version, displayed in the Emblema specification and equipped with the powerful 175 bhp 2.4 JTD engine, reveals the same exclusive treatment as the two-tone exterior. The passenger compartment is an emotionally involving place where top-quality materials have been chosen for their tactile and acoustic qualities to create a multisensorial whole that represents the final frontier of the Lancia world.
This original car is thus perfectly attuned to the spirit of the Lancia flagship, a luxury car that attracts йlite motorists with its style and cutting-edge technology. This specific segment includes a select number of cars that have been chosen by the biggest Manufacturers to showcase the cream of present-day in-car technology. To strengthen its position in this market band, two new engines were introduced last year for the Lancia Thesis: a more powerful (175 bhp) 2.4 JTD 20v engine has now joined the previous 150 bhp 2.4 JTD 10v. The new engine is a member of the second generation of Common Rail direct injection diesel engines known as Multijet engines and is available with a 5-speed automatic transmission or six-speed manual gearbox.
The petrol engine range is now topped by a 3.2 V6 24v unit with Comfortronic gearbox that is ideal for the Lancia Thesis. The result is a great deluxe saloon with the same standards of roominess, comfort and performance throughout. Both power units feature state-of-the-art technology as one expects from a car made by Lancia, a manufacturer that is always careful to offer customers the most advanced engineering content.
These two powerful, smooth power units benefit from a revision to the settings of the sophisticated five-speed automatic transmission to ensure smoother gear shifts and hence a considerable increase in driving comfort. The current gearbox has also been replaced by a 40.7 kgm six-speed manual gearbox to accommodate the higher torque delivered by the 2.4 JTD 20v engine. This more compact device comes with three shafts and features a synchronised reverse and a clutch with automatic play take-up device.
These recent additions to the range are complemented by 5 new body shades: Rossini Grey, Angelic Blue, Cimabue Blue, Paganini Black and Donizetti Green. All the strengths of the Lancia flagship have been retained. As far as styling is concerned, the Lancia Thesis is a hit because it speaks a new formal language. Its volumes are full yet scored by long razor-sharp ridges while retro hints such as the high front end and long bonnet are offset by futuristic lines.
The passenger compartment is a luxurious, generous and protective environment. A big central column under the facia in the middle divides the two front seats to leave room for a high, wide armrest. This means that both front occupants can use the armrest simultaneously without getting in each other’s way. The technological nerve centre of the Thesis is also housed in the central console: a seven-inch colour screen flanked on either side by switches for direct access to the various menus and complemented beneath by a row of reconfigurable keys that control CONNECT, the sophisticated integrated telematic system.
The seats are the very latest thing when it comes to comfort and ergonomics. The optional comfort version offers attractive, brand-new functions such as ventilation, adaptivity and massage. Ventilation is achieved by three fans that generate an air flow toward the occupant while adaptability is assured by a cushion and backrest that mould themselves to the physical shape of the occupant. They also deliver a slight massage by inflating sacs cyclically for a few minutes. The comfort seats are also trimmed in ultra-soft Poltrona Frau nappa leather.
The new Lancia range leader also offers one of the best rear passenger room ratings in the segment. This space will also be enjoyed by customers who do not drive their Thesis themselves and must be accorded a seat of appropriate style and dignity. Hence the need for individual air outlets and the option of choosing an air temperature and flow pattern different from the setting selected at the front. A big fold-way armrest in the middle of the back seat can house a remote control that is used to adjust the Hi-Fi system.
The top-quality material selection lays the emphasis on leather, ultra-soft Poltrona Frau hide, Alcantara® and wool. This unusual trim is a reference to the renowned ‘Lancia cloth’ used in the past. The trim covers the seats and forms an unbroken central band around the passenger compartment. Trim quality is set off to perfection by an understated insert made out of wood: an open-pored untreated mahogany in which the natural grain is apparent.
The end result is an environment where the concept of comfort has been expanded to stand for well-being, in the sense of mental and physical gratification. When aboard the Lancia Thesis, well-being is truly multisensorial, because air and sound (not to mention light) strike occupants indirectly and are never over-invasive. Sound comes from the 11 speakers that form part of the ultra-sophisticated Bose ® Hi-Fi system. Air diffuses slowly from a broad band of micropores located in the upper part of the facia. The automatic climate control system electronic control unit also sets different temperatures and air distribution patterns in different parts of the car simultaneously. The sunroof incorporates solar cells to power the fan when the car has been parked in the sun. And a programmable supplementary heater ensures the passenger compartment is cosy even on the coldest days.
In-car well-being also means being able to customise your Thesis by means of Lancia Personal Selection that can be used to customise car settings directly via the CONNECT system – or by means of a setting Memory that allows you to adjust the front seats, rear view mirrors and steering wheel to your own satisfaction and then recall the same settings whenever you want at the press of a key. The innovative Keyless System makes it easy and convenient to get into your Lancia Thesis and start the engine. All you need to do is keep your CID (Customer Identification Device) with you. When you approach the car, this new electronic key system recognises the owner, unlocks the doors and allows you to start the engine without a key by turning a knob located in place of the conventional ignition.
You can see why it