Lancia Ypsilon HF: the Elefantino is back, and it wants to bite

HF: Three Decades of Legend in Two Letters

Before discussing horsepower and kilowatts, a reminder is in order. The acronym HF — for High Fidelity — embodies Lancia's competitive DNA since the 1960s. Under this badge, the Fulvia Coupé HF claimed its first laurels, the Stratos dominated rallies in the mid-1970s, the 037 held its ground against Group B 4x4s, and the Delta HF Integrale crushed the competition with six consecutive manufacturer titles between 1987 and 1992. In total, eleven WRC Constructors' World Championship titles: an absolute record, still unbeaten.

Then silence. Lancia left the heights of competition in the early 1990s, and the brand languished for three decades, reduced to a handful of markets and a single Ypsilon. Until Stellantis decided, under the impetus of its CEO Luca Napolitano, to rekindle the flame.

The Road Version: 280 Horsepower and an Electric Soul

The road-going Ypsilon HF, hitting markets from spring 2025 onward, doesn't mess around with the numbers. Under its hood — speaking figuratively — sits a 280-horsepower permanent magnet synchronous motor with 345 Nm of torque, shared with the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce. The 54 kWh battery propels this city car from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds, placing it squarely in the company of the Alpine A290, Mini John Cooper Works electric, and other upcoming Volkswagen ID. GTIs. In terms of dimensions, the Ypsilon HF gains 4 centimeters in width compared to the base version, reaching 1.80 meters, with widened tracks, more aggressive body panels, and underneath the bodywork, a mechanical locking differential borrowed from the Abarth 600e. Inside, the headrests sport the HF badge and the ambiance tastefully echoes the sportcars of yesteryear.

The Ladder of Glory: From Trofeo to Monte-Carlo

What makes this comeback particularly serious is the method. Lancia didn't simply slap an HF badge on a road car: it rebuilt a competitive pyramid from A to Z.

First rung: the Ypsilon Rally4 HF. Powered by a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine with 212 horsepower, five-speed manual gearbox and limited-slip differential, this competition version was born from collaboration between Lancia and Stellantis Motorsport. It was developed with input from Miki Biasion, two-time rally world champion (1988 and 1989) at the wheel of a Delta. In 2025, it shone in the Trofeo Lancia, a single-marque series running six rounds of the Italian Rally Championship: over one hundred cars sold, around forty teams entered, and an Italian two-wheel-drive championship title won convincingly. The trophy winners, Gianandrea Pisani and Nicola Biagi, wrapped up their season with a round to spare over their rivals. Lancia thus returned to competition with a bang — and success in its wake.

Second rung: the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, unveiled in November 2025 from Stellantis Motorsport's workshops in Satory, France. This weapon of war — powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged petrol engine, developed with expertise garnered from Peugeot and Citroën rally programs — entered the WRC2 category as of January 2026 at the Monte-Carlo Rally, an event in which Lancia boasts 13 overall victories, an absolute record. At the wheel: Yohan Rossel, WRC2 vice world champion in 2025, and Nikolay Gryazin. The 2026 program covers at least eight WRC2 rounds, the European Rally Championship and several national championships in Italy, France, Spain and Belgium.

A Few Figures to Appreciate the Scale of the Comeback

Eleven WRC constructor titles. Thirteen Monte-Carlo victories. Thirty years of absence. One hundred competition cars sold in the first Trofeo season. Sixty Rally2 HF Integrale units already acquired by teams and private customers before their first official start. And the 2025 Trofeo champion joining the factory team in ERC 2026: Lancia isn't building an image, it's building a program.

This comeback is also a fine lesson in consistency: the same Ypsilon silhouette, from the supermarket parking lot to the snow-covered roads of Monte-Carlo. Hard not to smile.

The Rebirth of a Legend in Everyday Life

The Lancia Ypsilon HF embodies something quite rare in today's automotive industry: a comeback that lives up to its promises. An electric city car with bite, a competition family that builds momentum step by step, and a symbol — the little red elephant — that regains its colors after three decades in storage. Turin is back on the motorsport map, and this time, it's not just nostalgia.

Want to know everything about the Lancia Ypsilon and its variations? Find the Lancia Ypsilon brochures available on Brochure Auto and also consult the Lancia Ypsilon user manual to know everything about your future electric sports car.