After a 15 year absence from the lucrative United Kingdom market, Fiat-owned Italian automaker Lancia was poised to make a flashy return with the all-new Delta model. However, the automaker says it is officially postponing the return due to the global economic crisis that has crippled demand for Lancia products.
“Given the current global economic crisis, Fiat Group Automobiles has taken the decision to delay the re-introduction of the Lancia brand in right hand drive markets beyond 2009,” Lancia said in a statement.
The Delta was to be sold in select Alfa Romeo dealerships, though the selected dealers had not been announced. The Delta was to be priced around £17,000 and would have competed with Ford ’s Focus.
Lancia stressed that it was a delay – not a cancellation of the eventual plans to return to the UK. Car Dealer Magazine says that company insiders suggest that the redesigned Ypsilon – which is due to be launched in Italy in 2010 – will serve as the flagship model in the UK.
