Lancia Delta 1.6M/Jet

johnos1984

Has anyone driven the new Chrylser Lancia Delta?

I stopped in for a nosey recently in a local dealership and was pretty impressed with the looks of the car in the real world and it's spec sheet but I couldn't get over the €5k difference in the price against a similar spec Bravo.

I was just thinking about it this evening after passing one out on the road on the way home from work.

Anyone know more about the Irish operation and what the plans are for the brand. Incidentally when talking about it both me and the dealer called it a Lancia (which it is everywhere else)

EPM

How does the price compare to a Giulietta?

road_high

Think Fiat made a major mistake not re-introducing the Lancia brand into Irl/UK and rebadging (tarnishing imo) them as bloody Chryslers.
With good products and keen pricing Lancia could definitely have a place in the market. Bit like an Italian Volvo perhaps? Silly move imo and can't see it selling thanks to the badge mainly.

johnos1984

EPM wrote: »

How does the price compare to a Giulietta?

Give or take a few euro in base trim for the Delta it is the same as a Lusso spec Giulietta

The pricing seems a bit daft to me. A similar spec Bravo was 21k before negotiation etc.

EPM

johnos1984 wrote: »

Give or take a few euro in base trim for the Delta it is the same as a Lusso spec Giulietta

The pricing seems a bit daft to me. A similar spec Bravo was 21k before negotiation etc.

In that case they aren't going to sell. The memories of the last lot of Lancias are still in peoples memories, calling it a Chrysler won't change that and the arguably more desirable Alfa is a better car and on the money.

Flop.

johnos1984

EPM wrote: »

In that case they aren't going to sell. The memories of the last lot of Lancias are still in peoples memories, calling it a Chrysler won't change that and the arguably more desirable Alfa is a better car and on the money.

Flop.

Bob Flavin on thenextgear.com gives it a very good review but again even he highlights the price issue.........and the branding (I'd prefer Lancia)

Pity but I have to agree it'll be a flop unless they get the pricing right and some marketing

RobAMerc

sad to say, but given the total bias against anything Italian and the fact the Lancia rust issues still loom large in the minds of many ( often who have no idea why b the way ) - it's probably better left where it is and let Chrysler use their name which is not tarnished to the same degree ( despite the Neon ).

I also hate to say, I have had both an Ypsilon and Musa on hire and they really are products we can do without.

johnos1984

RobAMerc wrote: »

I also hate to say, I have had both an Ypsilon and Musa on hire and they really are products we can do without.

The Neon is a bag of **** and always will be in my mind.

I don't agree that the cars have no place in the market place. They are well built (regardless of what John Joe down the pub says), they have a comfort orientated suspension which is what we need for out roads and they look different. Nissan has proved with the Juke that divisive looks can sell a car and that there is a demand there for cars like that

dgt

mfitzy wrote: »

Think Fiat made a major mistake not re-introducing the Lancia brand into Irl/UK and rebadging (tarnishing imo) them as bloody Chryslers.
With good products and keen pricing Lancia could definitely have a place in the market. Bit like an Italian Volvo perhaps? Silly move imo and can't see it selling thanks to the badge mainly.

Should have put Saab there



It is built on the new Bravo platform. They have been doing this for years... Alfa 147s/156s have the same chassis and bulkhead as a mk1 Bravo for example.

But I too think the pricing is too high for what is essentially a re hashed Bravo. Too many people out there won't want to forget what happened in the past either :rolleyes:

Nissan doctor

They'd want better advertising then the billboards I've seen around.

Unless you stopped in front of the billboard, you would have no idea what car it was or any info about it.

johnos1984

Nissan doctor wrote: »

They'd want better advertising then the billboards I've seen around.

Unless you stopped in front of the billboard, you would have no idea what car it was or any info about it.

I haven't even seen any...or if I have I haven't even noticed :eek:

Saab Ed

Except for the real stand out models i.e. Delta Evo etc, Fiat era Lancias have all been junk. There's no brand loyalty at all, there's no need or want for the brand and after seeing the new Delta in the flesh a couple of years ago, there's no new reason for Lancia to exist. Everyone does it better these days, everyone.

johnos1984

Saab Ed wrote: »

Except for the real stand out models i.e. Delta Evo etc, Fiat era Lancias have all been junk. There's no brand loyalty at all, there's no need or want for the brand and after seeing the new Delta in the flesh a couple of years ago, there's no new reason for Lancia to exist. Everyone does it better these days, everyone.

They could be turned into a quirky premium brand in place of Saab or even Volvo. Neither company could tap the platform sharing economy of scales that Lancia can do.

Volvo could do it for a while but not sure what the story is now that they are Chinese owned

RobAMerc

johnos1984 wrote: »

They are well built (regardless of what John Joe down the pub says), they have a comfort orientated suspension which is what we need for out roads and they look different.

Nope - they are not I am sorry. The Ypsilon although almost new overheated on us and the AC packed in. The Musa felt like it was made from coke tins and plastic bottles with multiple lights flashing for no reason.

I for one don't believe in the JohnJoe bs - however having owned a Fulvia, Y10 and Delta, I also know what Lancia are capable of and their current range ( I know nothing of the new Delta admittedly ) is nothing like the Lancias I know and love.

johnos1984

RobAMerc wrote: »

Nope - they are not I am sorry. The Ypsilon although almost new overheated on us and the AC packed in. The Musa felt like it was made from coke tins and plastic bottles with multiple lights flashing for no reason.

I for one don't believe in the JohnJoe bs - however having owned a Fulvia, Y10 and Delta, I also know what Lancia are capable of and their current range ( I know nothing of the new Delta admittedly ) is nothing like the Lancias I know and love.

I agree they are a million miles away from what they used to make. They are now luxury only, well trying to be. I haven't heard of a Fiat disaster story in ages, not a new car one anyway.

Used car disasters seem to be mostly down to poor maintenance.

Also basing the judgement on rentals is a bit harsh. I had to return an almost brand new A3 a few months back in Scotland as the dash was lit up like a Christmas tree.

Nissan doctor

johnos1984 wrote: »

I haven't even seen any...or if I have I haven't even noticed :eek:

Its a picture of the car, in black. The tag line of something like 'something from the land of milk and honey' written in italics which took me 3 attempts to read(passing) and then loads of lines of smaller writing which I think is about finance etc but is impossible to read unless you stood in front of it.

You can't see the brand or name of the car.

Who ever came up with it would want to hope they never have to sit in Bill Cullens board room!

Saab Ed

johnos1984 wrote: »

They could be turned into a quirky premium brand in place of Saab or even Volvo. Neither company could tap the platform sharing economy of scales that Lancia can do.

Volvo could do it for a while but not sure what the story is now that they are Chinese owned

No they couldn't. And tbh they actually find themselves in the same position as Saab in that both companies were destroyed by their respective parent company.

What saab and lancia used to stand for is now A) Long gone and not wanted anymore I'm sorry to say. If its not a Uberwagon penis extension or an over stretched/blinged up/Chelsea tractor then its nothing. Who in their right mind wants a rebadged Fiat made worse with dodgy styling no matter how old the badge on the bonnet is

johnos1984

Saab Ed wrote: »

Who in their right mind wants a rebadged Fiat made worse with dodgy styling no matter how old the badge on the bonnet is

Me

I don't agree the styling is dodgy, I like it! Certainly stands out and makes and impression when you see it in the metal. My real only issue with the car is that it looks and feels too much like a Bravo and given the price gap this isn't forgivable .

Personally I like the idea of a comfort orientated car rather than something which is going to shake my fillings out and which is a bit different

pburns

With Saab gone and Alfa down to a 2 car range (for a year or two at least) and Subaru becoming Toyotaised there are no 'alternative' brands left to my mind.

johnos1984

pburns wrote: »

With Saab gone and Alfa down to a 2 car range (for a year or two at least) and Subaru becoming Toyotaised there are no 'alternative' brands left to my mind.

Could be a time to capitalise if they had the marketing budget

Anan1

Saab Ed wrote: »

Except for the real stand out models i.e. Delta Evo etc, Fiat era Lancias have all been junk.

That's simply not true. The Beta was a very good car, as was the Thema.

Paparazzo

The new one looks woeful imho.
The proper one or the evo are savage looking cars. My mates dad had one back in the 80's, I remember as kids being able to put our hands through parts of the bodywork, the rust was that bad.
I know another guy that has one now, he's having lots of rust problems. He says he gets boy racers asking "is it a real one" all the time :rolleyes:

johnos1984

Paparazzo wrote: »

The new one looks woeful imho.

It needs to be seen in the flesh before a judgement is made. It looks well

Paparazzo wrote: »

The proper one or the evo are savage looking cars. My mates dad had one back in the 80's, I remember as kids being able to put our hands through parts of the bodywork, the rust was that bad.
I know another guy that has one now, he's having lots of rust problems. He says he gets boy racers asking "is it a real one" all the time :rolleyes:

Rust isn't really an issue any more