It doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be competing in the top-flight WRC in the near future, but Lancia’s newly unveiled Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale is a step in the right direction.

Lancia revealed its new Rally2 car on Wednesday, marking a step up after reviving the factory rally program in late 2024 with the Ypsilon Rally4 HF. Details on the new car were fairly scant save for the following statement from Stellantis:

“The New Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale makes its debut, bringing the legendary spirit of Lancia’s rally victories into today’s motorsport. And this is just
the beginning.”

The Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 HF currently competes in the FIA European Rally Championship and is used in Stellantis’ Trofeo Lancia Rally spec series, the latter a companion to the Campionato Italiano Assoluto Rally Sparco. In August, Craig Rahill won the ERC4 and Junior ERC classes at the ERC’s Barum Czech Rally Zlín to secure the first international rally win for Lancia since the 1993 Rallye Monte-Carlo. Their last overall win came at the 1992 Rallye Sanremo.

The champion of the Trofeo Lancia Rally will be offered a factory seat at Lancia Corse HF for the 2026 European Rally Championship.

Of course, Stellantis is taking the program one step at a time and probably isn’t already drawing up plans for a WRC effort just yet, especially with the FIA set to introduce new regulations in 2027. Ironically, said changes could bring the Rally2 HF Integrale into the WRC because the WRC27 ruleset has some overlap with Rally2 and allow cars from the latter division to take part.

Lancia has the most manufacturer’s titles in WRC history with ten from 1974 to 1976, 1983, and 1987 through 1992.

Featured image credit: Stellantis