The renaissance of Lancia began in 2024, and since then, the brand has been trying to gain market share with the new generation of the Ypsilon, even before the arrival of the top-of-the-range Gamma, announced for 2026.
However, what fans of the Italian brand have been most eagerly anticipating has now been confirmed: a new Delta HF Integrale, which Lancia hopes to launch in 2026, marking the return of an icon of the brand more than 30 years after the end of production of the legendary hot hatch.
The news was confirmed as part of the launch of the Ypsilon Rally6 HF Racing on Tuesday, the second new rally car released by Lancia since its return to motorsport with the Ypsilon Rally4 HF Racing in October of last year.
The return of the Delta HF Integrale will certainly be in 100% electric mode; however, a version with a combustion engine is not completely out of the question.
It is worth remembering that Lancia launched the original Delta in 1979 as a humble family hatchback, with the more powerful HF and the turbocharged HF 4WD arriving only in 1983 and 1986.
The now-famous name Integrale was applied to the road car in 1987, when the Italian brand decided to take the Delta to the rallies. It all started with the 182 hp HF Integrale, with a left-hand drive only, before the more powerful 197 hp HF Integrale, which could also be purchased with right-hand drive, arrived in 1989.
According to the rules of the World Rally Championship, Lancia had to produce 5,000 road-homologated units per year to comply with the regulations, but in 1993, demand was such that the production of the Integrale nearly reached 45,000 units. It is worth remembering that Lancia ceased production of the Integrale in 1994.