Lancia returns to the rally with its new Epsilon

The resurgence of Lancia continues to announce on Monday that the brand is returning to the rally race.

There was a time when part of the Italian brand, today's Stellantis Fold, was dominant at the rally, including the sport's notorious Group B Class. It was on the back of icons such as Delta S4 and 037.

For its return, Lancia uses its redesigned Epsilon sub-compact hatchback as the basis for its modern rally car. The first design, known as the Ypsilon Rally4HF, was revealed as part of Monday's announcement.

As the name suggests, this car has been developed for the fia's Rally4 class (formerly R2) and is a smaller class designed for two-wheel-drive cars. That's where you generally see up-and-coming drivers looking to build experience.

Lancia does not say when the Epsilon Rally 4HF is ready to hit the gravel, but the company says the car is rated at 212 hp turbocharged 1.2 rit engine fits the 5-speed manual transmission and rotates only the front wheels. The mechanical limited slip differential is also part of the package.

The Ypsilon Rally4HF will also feature the famous stamped elephant logo of the Lancia HF Squadra Corse motorsports department, which dates back to 1963. The logo will also be used in Lancia's future road-going performance line-up, the first of which is the Epsilon HF, scheduled for 2025. The Ypsilon HF features an electric powertrain rated at 240 hp, or 0-62mph enough for acceleration in 5.8 seconds.

Lancia is working on 2026 Gamma and 2028 Delta 2 vehicles. Unlike Epsilon, which offers a choice of gas and electric powertrain, the Lancia of the future will be strictly Ev. Lancia confirmed that these new models also feature HF performance variants.

The brand is fully focused on the European market, so you should not look for any of the new lancia to reach the United States.