New Lancia Ypsilon HF EV Marks The Brand’s Return to Rallying

The all-new Lancia Ypsilon HF EV hot-hatch previews the marque’s upcoming ICE-powered Rally4 contender.

Months after making its global debut as the marque’s first-ever EV model, the fourth-gen Lancia Ypsilon is finally getting a hotter version, known as the Lancia Ypsilon HF. Unveiled ahead of its market entry in May 2025, this all-electric hot-hatch not only features some performance and cosmetic upgrades over its plain Jane twin, but is also a precursor to Lancia’s return to the rallying foray.

More on the rallying thing later, the Ypsilon HF gains a slew of sporty cosmetic touches, courtesy of the marque’s newly-revived HF performance arm. Key design highlights include the HF red elephant emblem on its newly-designed front bumper featuring more prominent intakes and wide fender extensions, as well as the new six-spoke alloy wheels finished in gunmetal grey.

Although Lancia did not provide any official images of the Ypsilon HF’s derriere, we can expect it’ll get the same sporty treatment as the rest of the car, possibly featuring some aggressive aero parts such as a large rear wing and a diffuser, along with the aforementioned HF badge.

The HF treatment continues as we get inside the Ypsilon HF’s cabin, featuring striking blue-and-black upholstery for the seats with contrasting red stitches laced around them. Also present here are several HF emblems and the sporty HF-badged steering wheel, while the rest of the car’s tech equipment is kept the same as its non-HF-badged twin.

More importantly, the Ypsilon HF boasts some significant performance boosts over its bare-boned twin, starting with its peppier front-mounted (FWD) electric motor setup rated at 237 HP (177 kW). This peppier setup allows the Ypsilon HF to have a decent century sprint time of 5.8 seconds, faster than the standard EV and mild hybrid (MHEV) versions. This enhanced powertrain setup is complemented by lowered suspension tuning and wider tracks for its tyres, all of which promise better handling performance.

Lancia is poised to make its rallying comeback with the new Lancia Ypsilon Rally 4 HF.

As we mentioned earlier, the new Lancia Ypsilon HF serves more as the hot-hatch version of the marque’s new EV hatchback model, as this HF-badged hot-hatch also marks Lancia’s return to the rallying world. Previewed alongside the Ypsilon HF EV is the new Lancia Ypsilon Rally 4 HF concept rally car.

Set to compete in the Group Rally4 category, this rally concept is draped in the modern interpretation of Lancia’s iconic Martini livery as an homage to the legendary Lancia 037 and Delta Integrale rally cars. Beyond its rally-inspired drape, the Ypsilon Rally 4 HF also gains some rally-specific touches, such as the same aggressive body kit we saw on the Ypsilon HF EV, a functional roof scoop, and a pair of hood vents to help with engine cooling.

Yes, we said engine, because unlike its EV hot-hatch twin, the Ypsilon Rally 4 HF comes in full-ICE form, powered by a tuned-up version of the standard Ypsilon’s 1.2-litre 3-cyl petrol engine, now capable of delivering up to 209 HP. Said power is then sent to the front wheels (FWD) via a five-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential for better traction on loose rally stage surfaces.

Although yet to be disclosed by Lancia, we can expect the Ypsilon Rally 4 HF to gain some other mechanical and chassis improvements, such as beefier brakes, as well as a more robust suspension system with rally-specific tuning.

As of now, Lancia has yet to announce a specific date for the new Ypsilon Rally 4 HF’s racing debut. Considering that its production EV hot-hatch twin is set to hit the market later in 2025, perhaps we can expect this Rally4-spec hot-hatch to make Lancia’s comeback into the rallying world as early as next year.