New Lancia Delta is flagship of range

As part of the all new Lancia-Chrysler line-up of amalgamated cars, the Delta has been chosen as the ranges “compact flagship”.

The C-segment hatchback features a host of new innovations ranging from a newly designed front end, a new selection of trim levels and engine choices, and a host of new on-board technologies.

The Delta looks ‘unmistakably Italian’ with sophisticated, modern and beautiful external lines according to the Lancia press release, which is also unmistakably Italian. The imposing radiator grille is designed by Centro Stile Lancia to celebrate the European-American alliance, and features a lavish air intake complemented by a row of LED lights.Exclusive ‘Black’ and ‘Hard Black’ packs can also be ordered which feature 18” matt black alloy wheels, chrome-plated mirror fairings, twin exhaust and "Eclissi" black non-standard pastel paint.

Four levels of interior trim will be available starting with Steel, with leather quality increasing for the Silver, Gold and Platinum versions respectively. This contributes to the Delta’s ‘lounge-like’ feel which also features a sliding rear seat that can be used to either increase boot space from 380 to 465 litres, or reclined for the same comfort as ‘a business class seat on an intercontinental flight.’

There will be a choice of seven supercharged engines for the Delta, all of which feature a 6-speed gearbox available as manual, automatic or “robotised”. The petrol variants will be a 120 HP 1.4 Turbo Jet, 140 HP 1.4 MultiAir and the 200 HP 1.8 Di Turbo. Diesel choices are a 105 HP 1.6 MultiJet, 120 HP 1.6 MultiJet, 165 HP 2.0 MultiJet and a 190 HP 1.9 Twin Turbo MultiJet.

The most intriguing engine of the range is the 105 HP, 1.6 litre diesel MultiJet which offers 300 Nm of torque at just 1500 rpm. This allows it to reach 100 km/h in 10.7 seconds from a standstill and on to a top speed of 187 km/h. It also achieves Euro-5 compliance with CO2 emissions of 120 g/km in the combined cycle.

A plethora of on-board technology is also available on the Delta including the ‘evolution of ESP’ which Lancia calls the Absolute Handling System. This system intervenes in conditions wherethe car is approaching its limits but is kept discreet by the Drive Steering Torque (DST) function. Other technologies that feature are the Reactive Suspension System, a Driver Advisor which jolts the car with a sudden burst of torque if the driver strays too far towards the side of the lane, Blue&Me Bluetooth connectivity, Instant Nav and Magic Parking. This measures the length of a parking space to determine if it is big enough then automatically steers a reverse parallel park while the driver retains control of acceleration and braking.

The new Lancia Delta is already on sale in key European markets and will be released under the Chrysler moniker in England and Ireland from June.