Review – Lancia Ypsilon Electric (2025)

Are you in the market to get into a new electric lease car this year? Do you still want to take advantage of the lower 17% additional tax rate instead of the 22% that applies to all leased cars starting in 2026? And are you looking for something special? Then book a test drive in the new Lancia Ypsilon Electric. It makes a good business impression and inside it is inviting and tasteful. You get that impression as soon as you get behind the wheel and let your eyes wander through the interior.

Lancia Ypsilon also as a mild hybrid

The Lancia Ypsilon, which by the way is also available as a mild hybrid, has everything that made this Italian brand so different and special in the past. The materials have been chosen with care. The design is very much its own, with a touch of sporty chic. You notice the latter in the quiet driving due to good sound insulation and in the direct steering. By the way, the Lancia has an unprecedentedly short turning circle. You can almost turn around in one go in the street.

You want that little table

One thing in the Lancia Ypsilon is super practical. That’s the little round table above the center console. You can put your phone on it. It has a wireless charging station integrated into it. Your sunglasses and other items you want to have easily at hand are literally right there for the taking. No searching in storage compartments next to your seat but almost at eye level you grab your wallet or credit card, for example. You hardly have to take your eyes off the road. That little table has something homely about it.

Velvety velvet

Homely is also the benevolent velvet seat coverings, at least those draped over seats and backrests in the test car. The seats are comfortable thanks to long backrests. In the back, those are a bit shorter. This is not the domain for very tall people. Especially not if there are also tall people in the front and their seats are further back.

Lancia Calice

Back to the look! To the front, because it tells a story. Three illuminated LED bars there form the Lancia Calice. In earlier models it was the feature as part of the grille. Three lines (lances) touching at the tips: two more or less horizontal and a shorter vertical line. The round shape of the taillights containing a star shape is an homage to the famous Lancia Stratos. Furthermore, the new Ypsilon appears to be a three-door. The handles for opening the rear doors are incorporated almost invisibly into the C-pillar. Stylistic solution.

Domestic?

Lancia makes no secret of it: the interior is geared toward homeliness. Italian furniture styles and designs have served as inspiration. Just that dashboard alone with all those soft curves that in the dark are attractively lit with string lights like you might know from the walls in a movie theater. With the S.A.L.A. interface you can choose from a wide range of colors, not bright but rather pastel. That totally fits the experience in this interior. In the dark, you feel cosy, protected and at ease in the Lancia Ypsilon.

Driving the Lancia Ypsilon

The ride and feel matches the looks. You expect comfort and you get it. The soundproofing keeps out many noises. Actually, you only hear slight rolling noise from the tires, but that is also because the electric powertrain is already very quiet by nature.

Driving range electric, what about it?

Driving range is always the issue with an electric car. The Ypsilon has an electric motor of 115 kW (156 hp) and that is enough for smooth performance. If you use it regularly, you won’t get much further than 300 km on a full battery. If you take it easy, about 370 km is achievable. If you follow the WLTP driving cycle, you will theoretically get up to 425 km, but then the ambient temperature has to be 20 degrees and you hardly use things like heating. The test shows that in practice you can assume 350 km and that is enough. Especially when you consider that you can top up 100 km in 10 minutes on a fast charger.

Price and addition?

What does a Lancia Ypsilon cost and what does it do in the additional tax rate anno 2025 at 17%? You can get it from 32,950 euros with a net additional tax rate from 164 euros per month. That’s quite manageable. You might also want some comfort. Then opt for the slightly more richly equipped versions as in this test. The Edizione Limitata Blu, for example, with the velvet interior, heated front seats, wireless smartphone integration (works nice and fast), seat massage, the S.A.L.A Pro Hub system and more. Then the price is 34,200 euros. Interesting though, but do order before the end of 2025. Certainly, if you qualify for that 17% additional tax rate. And otherwise, it’s a nice car to drive to work anyway and you can smooth out the cost with a mileage allowance or mobility budget from the boss.