Delta is a historical name that represents one of the pinnacles of Lancia's motoring history, but also a mathematical symbol that stands for change, progress. Delta is a universal measure of difference, a striving toward excellence by exceeding a previous limit. Our entire strategy is underpinned by a quest for an evolved form of the Delta.

So in this sense, the Lancia Delta is the first car to represent the new Lancia philosophy. An original and unique positioning, a blend of two values that are intrinsic to the brand: elegance of style and a bold, innovative temperament that are also the inspiration of every marketing and communication campaign.

Today we welcome the first all-new car from Lancia's second centenary, the Delta, with its unparalleled design, true to the brand's innovative vocation. Due to its product features and international development work to support the launch planned for mid-2008, the Delta represents a turning point in Lancia’s history and contributes significantly to the development of a strategic plan.

The first developmental shift or 'delta' is the car's ability to reconcile the traditional elegance of a Lancia with original architectural features that wed the mettle of a sports car with the on-board well-being of a saloon for the first time, while also offering extraordinary roominess for the category (a wheelbase of no less than 2.7 metres adds to the car's imposing dimensions: It is 4.5 metres long, 1.8 metres wide and 1.5 metres high). And so the Lancia Delta returns to take its place at the top of the mid-sized saloon segment, taking the great Lancia car tradition forward into the future: the Aprilia, Appia, Fulvia, Beta, Prisma and Dedra up to the Lybra.

The new Delta, designed by the Lancia Style Centre features an imposing grille, an emblem of the brand, and a beefy and imposing grille. The front end is made more dynamic by a generous lower air intake that speaks volumes about the temperament of the Lancia Delta’s engine. Innovative headlights have been chosen to emphasise the sporty, high-tech appearance of the model, that are enhanced by a row of LEDs on the lower profile. The same dynamism is evident at the side, where the main theme is a high waist line and trapezoid-shaped rear pillar providing a natural support for the light-drenched Granluce roof (a nautically-inspired flying bridge). The generous glazed roof – with its pillars diverging in distinctive manner toward the rear – ends in a spoiler that blends perfectly into the original wraparound rear window that features an up-to-date design without any surround structure. Lastly, cutting-edge technology is evident at the rear where tall, LED tail-lights accentuate the elegance of the Lancia Delta.

The car’s slender lines are complemented by chrome mouldings that blend ideally into the window seals and emphasise the flying bridge configuration – and the colour contrast of the lower part of the opaque grey side member that reflects the two-tone colour scheme of the Granluce roof. The two-tone livery so typical of great Lancia cars of the past now makes a comeback on the latest models through a laborious painting process (it takes 6 hours longer than the conventional process): once it was a crafted feature within the reach of a few but now Lancia offers it throughout its range.