ROADTEST CHRYSLER YPSILON TWINAIR:WHEN FIAT announced it was taking on the troubled Chrysler Group in 2009, eyebrows touched hairlines within the auto industry.
Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne has done a remarkable job in once more turning around the Italian car firm and in the process has become a boardroom pin-up. But taking on Chrysler seemed like the typical over-ambition of someone who had bought into his own PR. The media prepared his career obituary.
The Germans had been there before in the late 1990s when Mercedes’ owner Daimler effectively took control – though it was officially called a merger – and despite creating the 300C they admitted defeat and sold off their stake in 2007.
If German diligence couldn’t change the Chrysler story, what hope for the Italians? Well so far under the tutelage of Turin, the US car brand is starting to show some signs of real recovery. And Marchionne is being lauded as the man who saved Motor City.
Under the new strategy Fiat has opted to marry the Chrysler brand with its own troubled quasi-premium marque, Lancia in European markets. So Chrysler is rebadged Lancia on mainland Europe, while Lancias are rebranded Chryslers in Ireland and Britain. Someone somewhere in Fiat management may be able to explain why they makes sense. So far we haven’t met him.
First up has been the Chrysler Delta, a great looking hatchback that we suspect would be a firm favourite if it carried the Lancia badge.
Now comes an attempt to create an upmarket city car. That’s no easy task, no matter what the badge. Many well respected car firms have tried and failed to capture the essence of premium in a small car to attract the much-talked of motorists who are supposedly downsizing.
The Ypsilon takes its styling cues from the recently launched Delta and in that regard is one of the smarter looking city cars on the market, boasting some lovely exterior styling touches, like the strip lighting on the rear.
The downside of the devotion to style is that the sharp sweep of the rear window lines, which pinch up into the rear pillar, severely limits rear visibility when merging in motorway traffic.
The new car is built on Fiat’s city car platform, sharing its underpinnings with the Panda, Fiat 500 and Ford Ka, although in this case it’s a slightly longer wheelbase than the rest. This means the Ypsilon can cope with a couple of average-sized adults in the back seat.
The interior is clearly trying to live up to the “luxury” claims made for the car, but it never meets the billing. The plastics are hard and rather harsh and the centre console over-populated with buttons.
The decision to put the instrument cluster in the centre of the dashboard might be an attempt to link it with the likes of the Mini, but it also benefits the accounts department in that the same dashboard can be used on both left and right-hand drive models.
On the continent that means the speedometer is nearest the driver, but in Ypsilons for Ireland the nearest dial is the rev counter. The speedometer is over with the front seat passenger, which leads to some interesting in-car debates as your passenger gives you regular updates on your speed.
I’ve written before about Fiat’s little TwinAir engine that powered our test car. To reiterate its pros and cons, it’s a relatively economic but noisy affair. Try to get a bit of headway against the oncoming traffic when pulling out of a junction and the engine whine is excessive.
Fuel economy and low emissions are the big selling points of this little 875cc two-cylinder petrol engine and when you consider its size, the fact you get 85bhp and a 0-100km/h time of 11.9 seconds is impressive. It’s just the noise – an incessant whine that envelopes the cabin – that’s the real turn-off.
In terms of handling, the Ypsilon’s steering is too light for my taste, even without the “city” mode engaged. There’s simply too much play in the steering and it doesn’t feel to have a very close relationship with the front wheels. Engage the “city” mode and you can nearly turn the wheel by blowing on it. It’s really surprising, given that its siblings on the same platform handle so adeptly.
The relative spaciousness of the cabin is created largely from the higher roofline and the car stands tall for its 3.8 metre length. That in turn leads to a degree of bodyroll in corners and the car can be shaken about when passing high-sided vehicles. As for the toys loaded on board, the self-parking feature – an €870 option – is a nice little addition, scanning the side of the street for a parking spot it believes the car can safely fit. It’s a feature that’s also due on the new Panda, arriving here later this year.
Yet there are some strange sacrifices made with this car. Take for example the €14,245 entry-level model: for all the “luxury” claims, it still doesn’t feature air-con or stability control (a €402 option). You can get cruise control on the high-end version, yet the steering wheel still doesn’t adjust for reach.
The over-riding problem with the Ypsilon is the price. Some buyers may have been persuaded to pay a little more to be associated with the history and heritage of the Lancia brand, giving it some quasi-premium appeal. No such case can be made for driving a Chrysler.
The extra gadgets are more toys and trinkets than everyday functions. The cruise control will come in handy on motorways, but if you do a lot of motorway driving then do you really want to buy a car powered by a two-cylinder 875cc engine? It might look smarter than rivals, but you’re never going to feel as if you’re cocooned in a miniature Aston Martin, which incidentally is also building a luxury city car these days.
The reality is that for this money you can get better. For a start you can have a little more space – and better driving enjoyment – with a Volkswagen Polo or Ford Fiesta. If it’s value you seek then why pass up on the Fiat Panda? If it’s image you’re after then the Ypsilon will never have the appeal of its sibling, the Fiat 500, which is also a better car to drive even if it’s smaller inside.
The reality is that whereas the Lancia brand still has some street-cred amongst car fans, the Chrysler logo doesn’t carry that sort of cachet here. The Ypsilon has too many superior rivals, and many of them share its forecourt. A car “aimed at those seeking luxury and prestige in a compact and affordable package” is a laudable aim but the end result for Irish buyers is an over-priced city car.
Factfile
ENGINE875cc two-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine putting out 85bhp @ 5,500rpm and 145Nm of torque @ 1,900rpm.
PERFORMANCE0-100km/h in 11.9 seconds (top speed 176km/h)
ECONOMY4.2 L/100km (67.2mpg).
EMISSIONS99g/km (Band A - €160 motor tax).
FEATURESEntry-level version comes with remote central locking, electric front windows, six airbags. The SE version adds air conditioning, heated door mirrors, front foglamps, a leather steering wheel and gearknob, and BlueMe connectivity.
PRICE€17,495 (prices start at €14,245 for 1.2-litre S version)
RIVALSFiat 500 TwinAir Lounge €16,295 (€160 motor tax); Mazda2 1.3 5dr Sensu €16,295 (€160 motor tax); Hyundai i20 5dr Deluxe €14,995 (€160 motor tax); Kia Picanto 1.0 EX €12,810 (€160 motor tax)
OUR RATING4/10
A host of gadgets dont make up for the hefty price
