Luca Napolitano, CEO of Lancia, wants the car manufacturer he manages to pursue more profitability than volume. And to secure a long-term and privileged place in the Stellantis stable, he will try to imitate what Mercedes-Benz has done over the years. This is what has been stated which intends to overturn what some analysts have said who consider Lancia as one of the less strategic brands within Stellantis.
Napolitano certainly did not remain idle and presented the CEO of Stellantis Carlos Tavares with a ten-year plan to relaunch Lancia, based on three new models: the new Ypsilon in 2024, both hybrid and battery electric, and a compact crossover expected in 2026 and a compact sedan in 2028. The latter two models will be fully electric.
“We still have to work and we have to look to a point of reference … which for us is Mercedes”, Napolitano said. “I don’t mean we want to fight Mercedes, that would be naive, but this is an example of what we look at.”
Luca Napolitano wants more Lancia in Europe but without waging war on Mercedes
If Alfa Romeo and DS are brands that are present globally, Lancia’s goal is to aim to expand Europe, but obviously starting from Italy. Lancia will initially enter very prolific markets such as Germany and France, where electrification is moving faster. The second step will be to present the new models in other markets of the Old Continent such as Belgium, Austria, Spain. Finally, the focus will shift to the Nordic countries.
“Initially we aim to achieve 25% to 30% of our sales abroad, to reach 50-50”, stated the CEO of Lancia. “Our aggressive electrification strategy and our focus on market segments that are very strong in Europe will help us.”
Napolitano said Lancia also aims to become the brand within Stellantis with the highest share of recycled materials. And anyone who was thinking of a return of Lancia to motor racing will have to put their hearts in peace, as, according to Napolitano, the expansion in Europe in the premium segment requires credibility and therefore it is better to focus on other priorities. But a Lancia outside of Europe however, it is not a pipe dream: “However, in the next few years, if things are going well, why not try taking our RHD models to Japan, South Africa or Australia?”– Napolitano specified.
Lancia’s expansion plan in Europe will start with the opening of a dealer network only in the largest urban areas, to contain costs and increase profitability. Napolitano said the goal is to have approx 100 Lancia points of sale in Europe in around 60 cities, to share with other Stellantis brands. Last but not least, Lancia’s # 1 wants to push online purchases to reduce the amount of time potential buyers spend at dealerships. “My goal is to make it possible to buy a car with just three clicks”, comments Napolitano.