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Hugely iconic hatchback set to return next year – three decades after it was discontinued
A MOTOR beloved by petrolheads is making a triumphant return next year, 30 years after it was discontinued.
The iconic Lancia Delta HF Integrale has been confirmed for a surprise comeback by the Italian brand, announced alongside the launch of the Ypsilon Rally6 HF Racing.
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The Delta is hailed as an icon, celebrated for its rally dominance, striking design and seamless fusion of race-ready performance with everyday road appeal.
In its heyday, the Delta was a true hot hatch and today it's a sought-after collector's item, often showcased at car events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The model's return - decades after the brand's period of decline - follows the launch of the new Ypsilon last year.
Lancia have also confirmed the return of the Gamma, a luxury sedan and coupe built from 1976 to 1984.
A high-performance Ypsilon HF - which stands for 'High Fidelity' - was also released last year, featuring a 278bhp electric powertrain shared with its Stellantis siblings, including the Peugeot e-208 GTi, Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce and Abarth 600e.
Built on Stellantis's e-CMP platform, it is expected to share underpinnings with the Vauxhall Mokka.
To that end, it's highly likely that the new Delta HF Integrale will be an electric set up, although Autocar believes the return of a combustion-engined Delta HF Integrale isn't completely off the table.
The original Delta, launched in 1979, started out as a humble family hatchback and the HF and turbocharged HF 4WD didn't arrive until 1983 and 1986 respectively.
The Integrale name was later applied to the road car in 1987 when it became a rallying beast.
By 1993, demand had pushed Integrale production to nearly 45,000 but it was discontinued in 1994 - although many 'new' hot Deltas have been created since.
A brief history of hot hatchbacks
Lancia, after years in the doldrums, is also back in rallying with the Ypsilon Rally4 car and the Ypsilon HF Racing, homologated for the entry Rally6.
Despite the hype, the rebirth of Lancia isn't going to plan with sales of the new Ypsilon down 72% in May to just 5,627 cars.
Stellantis, in general, is facing a difficult period and recently appointed Antonio Filosa as CEO to finally replace Carlos Tavares.
This adds more pressure on the upcoming Delta Integrale, with expectations
WHEN IT RAINS
This week it was also reported that Stellantis may have to shut down some of its factories due to the risk of hefty European Union fines for not complying with CO2 emission targets, the chief of the Franco-Italian automaker for Europe said on Tuesday.
The automaker industry has successfully lobbied for more time to comply, as fines will be based on 2025-2027 emissions rather than just in 2025.
Stellantis' Europe chief Jean-Philippe Imparato slammed the targets, saying they were still unreachable for automakers, Automotive News reports.
He then exposed his company to fines of up to 2.5 billion euros within "two-three years."
review the situation.
