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Specs for all generations of Lancia Thesis

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Lancia Thesis

22 anni fa - Sovente un naso importante è motivo di fascino. Non è il caso della Thesis

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Sovente un naso importante è motivo di fascino Non è il caso della Thesis. Naso a parte, l'ammiragliona offre un abitacolo di gran lusso e un buon piacere di guida, a patto che la si guidi come Ambrogio l'autista.

COM'È Dovrebbe essere l'icona del nuovo corso Lancia , l'arma per rinverdire i fasti del marchio e per reinserirsi di diritto in un mercato dominato dai nomi tedeschi e svedesi. Lo stile è quindi volutamente vistoso , un messaggio del tipo "Ci siamo, non fate finta di non vederci!" e la giga calandra a forma di scudetto vuole appunto ricordare l'esistenza del marchio e indicare il nuovo corso .

SCUDETTO O STUFA

Forse sulle dimensioni della calandra e del naso le matite di Torino hanno un po' esagerato: grande, grigliata e prospiciente, la calandrona ricorda il portello della stufa del nonno. Sembra quasi di poterla aprire e di poter trovare dietro il pane caldo fatto in casa.

STILE PULITO

Peccato per il frontale, perché nel suo habitat naturale, la strada, la Thesis è decisamente più piacevole stilisticamente di quanto appaia in fotografia o ai Saloni dell'auto. Le linee sono pulite, le proporzioni tra i volumi sono azzeccate e la coda ha originalità e fascino (un po' troppo leziose e poco visibili alla luce del sole le affilate luci a led) che colpirà chi non ama l'understatement e vuole distinguersi. Un bel tre quarti posteriore, importante e aristocratico , rovinato solo dal nasone cromato e dal profilo a spazzaneve del frontale.

SALOTTO BUONO

All'interno lo stile è elegante ma senza essere barocco. Un'atmosfera che soltanto l'italian style sa produrre. Di bell'impatto i materiali impiegati: una bella plastica nera dall'effetto "pelle ruvida" per plancia e fascia alta delle portiere, magnesio per la consolle e la fascia centrale della plancia, velluto , Alcantara o Pelle Frau per sedili e portiere.

STRUMENTI DI PIACERE

STRUMENTI DIGITALI

ARIA DIFFUSA

CODA PROFONDA

MOTORI DI FAMIGLIA

SOLO SU MISURA

Al volante della Thesis si percepisce una piacevole sensazione di qualità, soprattutto nei materiali utilizzati (sono state bandite le plastichine croccanti, almeno nelle parti a vista). Qualche tolleranza negli accostamenti delle varie parti degli interni è ancora evidente rispetto alle tedesche. Ben disegnata la posizione di guida, grazie a anche a tutte le regolazioni disponibili per volante e sedile . Alla guida, la Thesis pare più compatta di quanto sia in realtà, anche se la coda alta non agevola la visibilità in manovra. Ma questi sono problemi di Ambrogio, aiutato anche dai sensori di posteggio che, però, suonano anche in colonna quando chi segue si avvicina troppo...

COMFORT DI RANGO

Le sospensioni, dotate del sistema Skyhook (agganciato al cielo? forse è più rassicurante sentirsi agganciati alla strada...) che smorza elettronicamente l'escursione verticale degli ammortizzatori, forniscono un buon comfort di marcia . Silenziosa nella meccanica e nella scocca, la Thesis diventa meno confortevole in velocità a causa di fruscii aerodinamici che si sentono ai lati del parabrezza. Anche in questo caso il passeggero posteriore è privilegiato... E il povero Ambrogio?

VECCHIO LEONE

La prima prova della Thesis ha messo a disposizione soltanto il motore V6 da tre litri, vecchia conoscenza del mondo Alfa Romeo . Non un motore moderno, e lo si vede dai manicotti in gomma dei condotti di aspirazione, ma ancora con una bella voce e un bel carattere generoso . Ottimo nel riprendere, abbinato al cambio automatico a 5 rapporti che non ci pensa due volte a scalare marcia quando si preme sull'acceleratore, ma un po' infastidito quando si chiede di raggiungere la velocità massima dichiarata di 234km/h: basta una leggera salita per far fermare l'ago del tachimetro a 180km/h e, anche con una leggera discesa, i 240km/h indicati richiedono un lancio olimpionico. Si comporta bene il cambio automatico nell'uso manuale, sufficientemente dolce e veloce nell'eseguire i comandi.

GUIDA DA AUTISTA

Fino a quando si guida senza fretta, la Thesis risponde bene a tutti i comandi, precisa e facile. Se si preme sull'acceleratore, la guida diventa più impegnativa : la frenata è piuttosto lunga e non è facile dosarne l'intensità, nell'impostazione delle curve il volante non trasmette un feeling immediato e, in curva, il peso (circa 17 quintali) inizia a farsi sentire , richiedendo attenzione. Lo stridere di gomma sull'asfalto, avverte per tempo che è meglio rimettersi il cappelluccio da autista.

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It’s time to appreciate the Lancia Thesis

Forgive us, Lancia Thesis, for the world was never meant for one as beautiful as you.

In the decade since its demise, the Lancia Thesis has been propping up lazy ‘ugly car‘ lists across the internet, deemed worthy of little more than the merest mention in the context of its jaw-droppingly elegant rear lights. The wood enthusiasts in Malvern saw enough beauty in the Thesis to borrow the ‘microbulb’ lights for the Aeromax.

For sure, the Lancia Thesis looks a little weird, certainly in the context of its contemporary German rivals. But looking slightly odd has never hampered Martin Clunes, so why did the world fail to embrace the Thesis?

British buyers didn’t have a choice. The Thesis never made it to these shores, Lancia only returning to the UK under the cover of Chrysler.

It wouldn’t have stood a chance. Faced by the collective might of the 5 Series, E-Class and A6, the elegant Lancia would have been lost beneath a deluge of faeces-related quips.

“The time is ripe for Thesis,” said Lancia in 2001, in a statement unrelated to faecal matter.

The Thesis was borne out of the Dialogos concept of 1998 , a car with swivelling armchairs rather than seats, an absence of door handles, pillar-less entry, suicide rear doors, and an ability to switch between left- and right-hand-drive.

You're really spoiling us

It allowed Lancia to “conceive the idea of stress-free driving and envisage the passenger compartment as both ideal microclimate and living room,” said the company.

What’s remarkable is how much of the Dialogos styling made it into production. The front and rear are straight outta concept, but Lancia lost its nerve when building the bit in the middle. With the B-pillar in place, door handles in situ, standard rear doors, and Vanden Plas-style chrome strip along the side, the Thesis looked more like a low-rent Korean rental car in profile.

In fairness, the Thesis did a fine job of hiding its size. At 4.88 metres in length, this Italian saloon is knocking on the door of Range Rover territory, but while SUVs are aggressive and crude machines, the Thesis puts on a display of restraint and splendour. This is a car for arriving at ambassadorial receptions, not in the car park of a Premier League football ground.

The Italian Scorpio?

Which is the point of the Lancia Thesis. If you’ve ever seen a Thesis at night, you will have admired the diamond-shaped xenon headlights and the almost surreal beauty of the LED rear lights. There are just two 1cm wide strips: one red and one orange. Pure class.

If the jury is out on the interior styling – did somebody say ‘Italian Ford Scorpio ’? – there’s little to debate when it comes to the cabin. The dials were a welcome nod to the Aurelia and Flaminia, with the instruments set off against a soft blue background. Meanwhile, wood, leather, Alcantara and magnesium combined to create an interior that looked and felt a class above the ‘premium’ execs jostling for position on the Autostrade.

Naturally, you’d want the Alfa-sourced 3.0-litre V6 combined with the Comfortronic transmission for maximum waft, but don’t discount the 2.4-litre five-cylinder for aural pleasure. The 2.0-litre turbo was the quickest to 60 and delivered more torque than the 2.4-litre JTD. A diesel in a Thesis? No thanks.

Lancia spent big bucks on the Thesis, resisting the temptation to base the car on a stretched Alfa Romeo 166 platform. The result was a car that rode as well as any luxury car, helped in no small part by the so-called ‘Skyhook’ semi-active damping system. It used sensors to select the optimum damping force required by each shock absorber, to deliver a soft and controlled ride.

Poltrona Frau soft leather was an option, with heated front seats standard on the top-spec models. Tick the right box and your Thesis could leave the back passage of the showroom with ventilated massage seats in the front, and heated massage seats in the back. Thanks to its long wheelbase, the Thesis offered a huge amount of rear legroom. This was a car to drive and to be driven in.

A seven-inch display, voice control, Bose sound system, adaptive cruise control, eight airbags, front and rear parking sensors, and keyless entry wouldn’t look out of place on a spec list today. 

Home delivery

Lancia also knew how to make a customer feel special. Cars were delivered to the doors of potential clients for a test drive, while showroom staff were trained solely to deal with the Thesis. Once purchased, the car would be delivered to the customer’s home or office by the salesperson who sold the car. A few days later, the dealer principal would call to ensure that everything is in order.

The company promises lifetime ‘Home Service‘ cover, which included collection within 48 hours following a report of any faults, a loan car while the Thesis was in for repair, and a dedicated freephone number. Could any lucky Thesis owners could report on the effectiveness of this service?

Maybe it’s the passing of time or simply the increasing number of over-styled SUVs on our roads, but the Lancia Thesis appears to be ageing like a fine Italian wine. Those front and rear bumpers, free of clutter, look delightful, while the overall design, which might have looked out of place at the turn of the millennium, is most welcome in 2019.

Everything in context. Picture yourself driving home from the opera in a Thesis; the world is monochrome as your tyres roll across the gravel outside your immaculate Italianate townhouse. The sound of Puccini is heard from inside as your Monica Bellucci lookalike wife greets you at the door. Life is good.

The Lancia Thesis slots into this vision in a way that a contemporary German exec can only imagine. If only the world had been kinder to the misunderstood Italian. They would not listen, they did not know how. Perhaps they’ll listen now.

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The story of the mysterious Lancia Thesis

Posted: 9 April 2024 | Last updated: 9 April 2024

Lancia Thesis

Compared with the Thesis, few cars from  Lancia  had so much time and money invested in them.

A a car of slightly mysterious allure but plenty of technology, it was developed on its own bespoke chassis and the same sort of suspension used in the  Maserati  Spyder,  Granturismo  and  Quattroporte . It even had radar-guided cruise control - the first Lancia to do so.

Despite the effort and attention lavished on it to make it a true rival for the  BMW 5 Series  and  Mercedes E-Class , it was dropped from the price list after eight years with less than 20,000 produced.

We therefore thought it best to find out why, partly because it has never been sold in the UK, partly because it’s a relatively rare sight even in its native Italy, and partly because it looks a little weird.

Front end design

From the front i ts chrome Lancia grille resembles a medieval shield, and from the rear, where the translucent glow of some rather gothic tail-lights give it a look like no other car on the road.

Piggy in the middle

From the side, however, the Thesis is a car of three parts, its distinctive nose and tail sandwiching one of the dullest centre sections of any executive car on the road. Which is a pity.

Such dullness is all the more disappointing given the design origins of the Thesis – pronounced ‘tay-sis’, rather than as per the lengthy academic tract - which stemmed from a striking 1998 concept called Dialogos.

This car’s clean flanks, wooden floor, subtly sculpted dashboard and suicide-rear-doors promised something refreshing, but Lancia’s nerve faltered, the production version trading the subtle curviness of the original vision for banality instead.

Beauty on the inside

Given that Lancia’s biggest barely registers on any sales graph featuring the 5 Series, E Class and A6 , it might just as well have gone the whole way and produced something really different.

Especially as the Thesis feels pretty special inside, despite the loss of the concept’s (admittedly impractical) wooden floor and smooth-contoured seating.

Sparely deployed wood, cream-faced instruments and richly upholstered seats make this Lancia a car you want to get in as do the heated and cooled massage seats that can be optionally installed front and rear.

Forbidden fruit

The Thesis’s non-availability in the UK meant that I had a long wait, after its 2001 launch, before sampling its charms, and then only as a passenger. But that was enough to discover whether it was burdened with a problem afflicting almost every Fiat Auto product of the day, which was an inability to absorb sharp, transverse ridges like motorway expansion strips without firing a creaky judder through the dashboard.

Disappointment

That might sound a ludicrously arcane basis on which to judge a car, but the aura of mild flimsiness provoked by this flaw was one I hoped this more substantially assembled Lancia would be free of. Within minutes of climbing aboard a Thesis at Turin airport I had my answer – it soon hit an autostrada expansion strip, and I heard the faint plastic crack of a dashboard quivering with a tremor that the suspension had failed to suppress. Oh, the disappointment.

Mild yearning

A couple of years later I got to actually drive a Thesis, and discovered a car not much more able in the bend-bashing department. But those beguiling tail-lights and that classy Italian cabin make this a saloon that I have a mild yearning for - especially as they're so rare.

Consequently we couldn't find any Thesis' for sale in the UK today. But in Italy cars are available at less than €10,000 for a clean example. Tempted?

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Thesis, the last true Lancia

• 14 April 2020

In 2002 with the Thesis, Lancia launched a valid attempt to return once again to the place it rightly deserved in the annuals of the automobile. The endeavour was inaugurated through a new flagship concept that offered a brave and very astute mix of the past and present and encompassed the celebrated legacy of the Turin brand.

The idea first came to light in 1998 at the Turin Motor Show where a concept called Dialogos was revealed, a semi-final prototype of a three-volume sedan with suicide doors and advanced technological components. The Dialogos was warmly received and a large investment was approved to put it into production. Surprisingly, in 2000, a version appeared for Pope John Paul II, which was given the name “Giubileo” (Jubilee).

At its presentation, in 2002, it was clear how Mike Robinson, chief designer at Lancia, wished to combine the stylistic features of the past with more decisive, contemporary touches; the nose that featured a large Lancia radiator grille, the diamond-shaped headlights and the soft fenders were reminiscent of the Aurelia, while at the rear those characteristically thin and innovative LED lights that look like slender fins, recall the Flaminia. The Thesis heralded a new stylistic language that was balanced by the opulent classicism of the interior. A language that was difficult to understand as history would sadly go on to confirm. The Thesis had the difficult task of repositioning the brand and bringing it back to international markets where Lancia had been absent since the early nineties after the Lancia K debacle.

A promise it was unable to fulfil as only 16,000 examples were produced. The rarity that followed, especially for the top-of-the-range versions powered by a 215bhp 3.0 V6 or the 230bhp 3.2 V6, both petrol engines sourced from Alfa Romeo and designed by Giuseppe Busso, makes it a somewhat inexpensive future classic worth betting on.

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Lancia's Thesis was its Requiem

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It has been conjectured that Fiat's attempt to take its storied Lancia charge from rallying legend to a somewhat effeminate near-luxury brand, overtly geared to women, was doomed to begin with.

However, today - perhaps, particularly this year - it's worth remembering the brand's last flagship, the Thesis, for a memorable ad in which Italian actress Maria Grazia Cucinotta appeared, riding a bike along a tree-lined avenue.

A number of large cars whizz past her, causing her hair to fly uncontrollably, and even her skirt to lift. She stops, annoyed. When a Lancia Thesis approaches at high speed, Maria prepares for yet another buffeting; yet her skirt barely flutters, as the breeze caresses her hair. The car overtakes her gently, quietly, and smoothly.

As the film ends, the cyclist and the driver exchange glances, in mutual recognition of this sophisticated demonstration of power, one which has left room for courtesy and sensitivity.

Lancia is - perhaps soon, was - one of the world's oldest automakers. Founded in 1906, it became known for technological innovation and craftsman-like attention to detail.

In the Twenties, the Lancia Lambda was the first car in the world with stress-bearing bodywork, eschewing the frame to which American automakers would remain true for the better part of the twentieth century. The Lambda was also first with independent front suspension.

France's Citroën would become famous for its obsession with wind tunnels and aerodynamics, but Lancia's Aprilia of the Thirties boasted a wind-cheating body before Citroën had ever mentioned coefficients of drag; and registering a C d of 0.47 back when the average value among the competition was a bluff 0.60.

And in the Fifties, under the Aurelia's hood was the first V-6 ever fitted to a roadgoing vehicle.

From the 1970s onward, under Fiat ownership, Lancia wrestled with reliability and rust prevention, while also struggling to retain its identity. Fiat became increasingly intent on integrating Lancia into its engineering and purchasing systems, which saved cost but also hurt competitiveness - particularly in the upper echelon, where being authentically distinctive is important.

The '80s rallying success of the legendary Lancia Delta Integrale - six consecutive world championship titles - gave Lancia something truly unique to talk about again. More recently, its Ypsilon city car proved very popular.

But the soft, sinuous lines for which many remember Lancia need a large canvas to really work.

Lancia's last commercially successful flagship was the 1985 Thema. The Thema's successor, the Kappa, had not done quite as well, despite plaudits for its refinement, packaging, and capable chassis. Some said that Kappa's use of an Alfa Romeo platform had condemned it to also-ran status.

Determined to regain its stature, Lancia decided to pull out all the stops. In 1995, it launched itself into researching what the typical Lancia customer - the "enlightened bourgeois of the 1950s and 1960s," as Fiat Auto managing director Roberto Testore put it - would want at the turn of the Millennium.

The answer came in the form of Mike Vernon Robinson's stunning "Diàlogos" concept of the 1998 Turin Motor Show. The high front, long bonnet, and profile resembling an upside-down wedge marked a new formal language, one which refuted the school of rational forms in favor of emotional elegance. Its large, vertical grille was flanked by diamond-shaped headlamps; its sculpted, shapely fenders broke away from the hood line in a manner similar to cars of the Thirties and Forties. All of this bucked the trend for over-rational, visually spare shapes.

"Exciting elegance goes far beyond rational utility to leave space for the imagination," Lancia enthused. Though controversial, the look successfully averted the customary protruding bumper and consequent front overhang of front-wheel-drive cars.

Neither Fiat nor Alfa Romeo had anything rear-wheel drive. The new Lancia flagship - unlike the Mercedes-Benzes and BMWs with which it would compete - would thus be front-drive. That apart, however, Lancia promised that the Thesis platform would not be shared with any other cars in the Fiat group. Fiat had virtually invented platform sharing, but was now developing spaceframe technology which allowed the basic chassis to be tailored to different cars, with flexible dimensions and flexible mountings.

Inside, innovative telematics technology would prove that the Italians had, finally, mastered multiplexing; with the added bonus of providing intriguing contrast to the retro exterior. There would be a seven-inch TFT color display in the dashboard, with navigation, voice recognition, a hands-free phone, and an optional television. Other options of note would include radar cruise-control, a sunroof with solar cells to power the air conditioning when the vehicle was parked in the sun, dual climate zones for the rear passengers, power assistance when opening the doors, tri-fan ventilated and massaging seats, an electronic parking brake, and an eleven-speaker Bose audio system.

Each Thesis would get eight air bags as standard, and electronic stability control.

The doors would close as soundly as those of a Mercedes E-Class, and the materials employed in the cabin would be used not merely for appearance, for also for the tactile and acoustic reactions they aroused.

"People will be looking for excuses not to buy this car. So, we wanted to be damn sure we didn't give them anything to hook onto," Robinson told CAR magazine.

Underlining the technology within were bi-xenon headlights and thirty LEDs per taillight.

The Italians were particularly proud of their telematics system which, they promised, was the easiest to use around. This, remember, was just as BMW's iDrive launched in the E65 7 series, confounding journalists and owners alike.

However, like the French , the Italians had never been particularly good at electronic gadgetry. The car suffered several delays.

"Trimmed as it is in acres of (real) wood, leather, and alcantara, it's sure to become a favorite among Europe's executive class," wrote Frank Markus for Car and Driver in February 2001 upon seeing the finished result at Geneva.

"The cabin is truly rich, and walks the right side of that line in Italian style dividing the perfectly proportioned minimalism from their bling-bling rap-star Versace vulgarity," said Paul Horrell for CAR. Horrell was particularly impressed with the lightly-varnished wood trim and cast magnesium in the center console. "I can't tell you how much more satisfying it is to use a cupholder or ashtray that glides out of solid metal than some clacky plastic lid."

The car would be named "Thesis" which, like Thema, recalled a letter from classical Greek. This, said Lancia, conjured up the image of culture, while also conveying the idea of advanced scientific research and state-of-the-art technology.

Originally planned to launch in 2000, the Thesis in April 2002 finally became the largest and most luxurious sedan in the Fiat Group portfolio.

To Lancia's credit, the challenging front and rear fasciae of the concept had been retained for production. Yet something had been lost in translation; mostly, perhaps, in the flanks. Something about those door frames seemed more plebian than the rest of the car, and that bulging waistline, much though (as design critic Stephen Bayley has suggested ) it might have recalled the 1965 Flaminia, did not quite fit.

Rumor had it that some degree of inflexibility in Fiat's early spaceframe strategy had forced the change in proportions.

Whatever the reason, the Thesis tended to photograph as though three cars: front, sides, and rear. Not for nothing was it frequently described as simultaneously pleasantly controversial yet frustratingly mellow.

On the road, where the human eye tends to focus on one aspect, the Thesis' lines worked better. Front and rear, from a dead-on perspective, it looked at least as rich as the German competition, and certainly exhibited more character.

To drive, Thesis should have been fairly capable. Its aluminum front suspension was a development of the traditional double-wishbone layout, which enthusiasts find preferable to MacPherson struts. Five links controlled the movement of the front wheels, yet kept virtual steering axle as close as possible to the wheel center, to benefit steering accuracy and response. At the rear, various arms in aluminum, steel, and cast iron provided a fair degree of passive rear steer. Grip was decent, particularly for a car which weighed four thousand pounds. Predictably, the nose would eventually run wide under hard cornering, but the lack of feel through the steering was as frustrating as its non-linear response.

The odd twitchiness of the chassis could pay off, however, as the Thesis was throttle steerable. Lift off, and balance would be restored.

The silent cabin, with its five-millimeter glazing, met a ride that was very good indeed. For the body control, and superlative smoothness over the most pocked roads, one could thank Maserati, who (together with Mannesmann-Sachs) had engineered those six-sensor, semi-active dampers for its Spyder sports car. More akin to a Jaguar than to the German competition, so good was the suspension's ride quality that it even had a name: "Skyhook." Buick would unofficially borrow that name to describe the ride of its own cars.

Predictably, the Thesis' most popular engine was the torquey yet economical 2.4-liter JTD diesel. Surprisingly in thrifty and displacement-taxed Europe, gasoline buyers bypassed the two-liter turbocharged and 2.4-liter five-cylinder models in favor of the sonorous, Alfa-derived three-liter 24-valve V-6.

Lancia had invented the V-6, and this particular engine revved happily to its 6,300-rpm power peak, and 7,000-rpm red-line, producing 215 horsepower and 194 foot-pounds of torque. That made for a top speed of one hundred and forty-six mph; but the Thesis’ sheer heft ultimately conspired against it, resulting in a rather relaxed, 9.2-second 0-60 mph time.

A 3.2-liter V-6 was also available. Plans were made to offer Cadillac's Northstar V-8 and a three-liter Isuzu V-6 diesel was offered as well (to be shared with the Saab 9-5 and Renault Vel Satis), but Fiat's messy divorce from General Motors in 2002 put paid to that.

Thesis was supposed to support an effort to push Lancia sales from just one hundred and fifty thousand in 2001, to three hundred thousand by 2008.

However, Thesis failed to hit even the modest sales goals Lancia had set for it: a mere thirteen thousand and two hundred units in 2002, and hopes for twenty-five thousand in 2003. Mind you, in true Italian fashion, they could never quite agree on a target. Juan Jose Diaz Ruiz, executive vice-president for marketing and sales, was more ambitious. He foresaw annual sales of thirty-five thousand cars.

In the end, they sold just sixteen thousand over seven years. Sales ran through 2009, but the Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi triumvirate was never threatened. More to the point, the Thesis couldn't nearly match the sales of its Kappa predecessor; and the Kappa, in turn, had not done as well as the Thema before it.

Lancia took the failure on the chin, having invested four hundred and five million euros in the project (one hundred and eighty-five million for R&D, and two hundred and twenty-one for tooling).

Following 2010’s Fiat/ Chrysler tie-up, Lancia CEO Olivier François took on the additional role of Chrysler CEO. He saw a parallel between the two brands. For the past ten years, he noted, both had strived to offer, to varying degrees, a quietly elegant, near-luxury experience. Both were positioned as style-conscious brands for upwardly mobile, trend-setting customers.

François was widely regarded to have done a good job at Lancia with limited resources. Despite the long-running Ypsilon and Musa both being based on the floorpan of the last-generation Fiat Punto, and though the Lancia Delta was constrained in its proportions by the Fiat Bravo platform, Fiat’s near-luxury brand had ridden out the effects of the economic downturn remarkably effectively. In a down market which had battered the auto industry, Lancia’s sales in 2009 had remained flat.

But François would sound Lancia's death knoll when he rebadged various Chryslers - including a minivan - as Lancias.

Today, Lancia sells cars only in Italy - and its only car is the little Ypsilon hatchback. The brand is not expected to last much longer.

What a pity. Thesis was a colorful car in a conservative segment - a dignified expression of what Lancia thought its brand could be in the modern era. However, after several years of lackluster cars, for one model to muster the distinction to support a hefty price tag was always going to be a tall order. And the relevance of Lancia's somewhat muddled brand values, post-Millennium, was at best debatable.

Writing for CAR, Paul Horrell saw this clearly at the time. "Imagine a Rover 95 (a theoretical step-up from the British brand's retro 75, which debuted at roughly the same time as the Thesis and which also proved to be its maker's swansong) and you would be spookily close.

"It's a scary thought: two brands that refuse to be youthful or sporty (are the) two brands that have underperformed."

Further reading

Lovely and wrong: Richard Herriott assesses Lancia's former flagship Driven To Write

Thu 14 Dec 17

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• Home Board index Lancia forums in English 40 Thesis
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• New Loudlink Bluetooth car kit firmware for Lancia Thesis V3.0.4.2 by arnoldf » Wed Dec 14, 2022 12:09 pm 0 Replies 830 Views Last post by arnoldf Wed Dec 14, 2022 12:09 pm
• EPB broken (again) by BartW » Wed Sep 28, 2022 8:08 pm 0 Replies 1075 Views Last post by BartW Wed Sep 28, 2022 8:08 pm
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• Dusk and rain sensor problem solved by Isola » Wed May 11, 2022 6:21 pm 0 Replies 1286 Views Last post by Isola Wed May 11, 2022 6:21 pm
• Loudlink Bluetooth car kit new firmware for Lancia Thesis - version: V3.0.4.0 by arnoldf » Fri Jun 25, 2021 10:52 am 0 Replies 1278 Views Last post by arnoldf Fri Jun 25, 2021 10:52 am
• Lancia Thesis 2.4jtd common problems by vtr » Wed Jun 09, 2021 3:21 pm 0 Replies 1351 Views Last post by vtr Wed Jun 09, 2021 3:21 pm
• Lancia Thesis 2,4 JTD, r.v 2003, how to open car?? by PanMacho » Fri Jan 29, 2021 2:32 pm 2 Replies 2373 Views Last post by hartzler Fri Mar 12, 2021 11:59 am
• Lancia thesis 2.4 ECU needed by Baissou82 » Tue Aug 04, 2020 9:08 pm 1 Replies 3449 Views Last post by 1608cc Sun Sep 13, 2020 4:59 pm
• aisin 55-50 volvo renault thesis opel? by agusthesis » Tue Mar 17, 2015 8:50 pm 7 Replies 8571 Views Last post by cavaradossi Mon Apr 20, 2020 7:43 am
• Thesis 2.4 mjtd gearbox support options by alaala » Sun Apr 19, 2020 7:59 pm 0 Replies 3686 Views Last post by alaala Sun Apr 19, 2020 7:59 pm
• Clutch Master Cylinder by Chops130 » Wed Mar 18, 2020 10:35 pm 0 Replies 4870 Views Last post by Chops130 Wed Mar 18, 2020 10:35 pm
• lancia thesis rear boot (trunk) problem by Tono92 » Thu Nov 14, 2019 11:00 pm 0 Replies 4287 Views Last post by Tono92 Thu Nov 14, 2019 11:00 pm
• Turbo pressure by alfaulf » Wed Aug 07, 2019 10:30 am 2 Replies 4914 Views Last post by alfaulf Mon Aug 12, 2019 6:41 am
• Fensterheber und servoleitung by Klaus Kurve » Mon Mar 25, 2019 4:01 pm 1 Replies 4481 Views Last post by Koen Mon Mar 25, 2019 7:27 pm
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• Looking for ACC Radar sensor by 1608cc » Sun Jan 27, 2019 12:56 pm 0 Replies 4536 Views Last post by 1608cc Sun Jan 27, 2019 12:56 pm
• Air Conditioning - Rear Button Problem by Teza » Wed Apr 11, 2018 11:24 pm 6 Replies 5964 Views Last post by Teza Mon Oct 29, 2018 11:38 pm
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• ↳   Altri Marchi
• ↳   MERCATINI
• ↳   Flavia e "2000" : il Mercatino
• ↳   Delta Integrali/S4 : il Mercatino
• ↳   Fulvia : il Mercatino
• ↳   Beta : il Mercatino
• ↳   Altri Marchi : il Mercatino
• ↳   Lybra : il Mercatino
• ↳   Thema : il Mercatino
• ↳   K : il Mercatino
• ↳   Thesis : il Mercatino
• ↳   Z e Phedra: il mercatino
• ↳   Musa: il mercatino
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• ↳   GALLERIES
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• ↳   Delta "3" Gallery
• ↳   Dal 1906 alle Appia Gallery
• ↳   K Gallery
• ↳   Altri Marchi Gallery
• ↳   Flaminia Gallery
• ↳   Gamma Gallery
• ↳   Y10, Y, Ypsilon, Ypsilon 5p Gallery
• ↳   Musa Gallery
• ↳   Dedra e Delta "2" Gallery
• ↳   Flavia e "2000" Gallery
• ↳   Delta e Prisma Gallery
• ↳   ALTRI ARGOMENTI
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• Lancia Foren auf Deutsch
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• ↳   D20 Delta 3. Serie (2008)
• ↳   D25 Musa
• ↳   D30 Thesis
• ↳   D35 Phedra, Zeta
• ↳   D40 Lybra
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• ↳   D50 Thema, Dedra
• ↳   D55 Ypsilon, Y10, A112
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• ↳   D70 Fulvia, Flavia, Flaminia, Stratos
• ↳   D90 Die A-Lancia's und alter
• Lancia fora in het Nederlands
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• ↳   NL05 Lancia in Nederland
• ↳   NL10 Lancia in Belgie
• ↳   NL11 Lancia Café
• ↳   NL12 Historische Rallies op Lancia
• ↳   NL25 Delta 3 (vanaf 2008)
• ↳   NL30 Musa
• ↳   NL35 Thesis
• ↳   NL40 Phedra, Zeta
• ↳   NL45 Lybra
• ↳   NL50 Kappa. Technische zaken.
• ↳   NL51 Kappa. Wetenswaardigheden en meetings.
• ↳   NL52 Kappa. Te koop / gevraagd.
• ↳   NL60 Thema, Dedra
• ↳   NL65 Ypsilon, Y10, A112
• ↳   NL70 Delta, Integrale, Prisma
• ↳   NL80 Beta, Gamma, Monte Carlo
• ↳   NL85 Fulvia, Flavia, Flaminia, Stratos
• ↳   NL86 Fulvia, Flavia, Flaminia te koop / gevraagd
• ↳   NL90 De A- Lancia's en ouder
• Phedra 's Piazza
• ↳   Phedra 's Piazza
• Lancia forums in English
• ↳   01 General Lancia discussions and forum messages
• ↳   20 Historic Rallies on Lancia
• ↳   40 Thesis
• ↳   43 Phedra
• ↳   45 Lybra
• ↳   47 Kappa
• ↳   49 Ypsilon, Y10
• ↳   51 Thema
• ↳   53 Gamma
• ↳   55 Dedra
• ↳   57 Delta, Prisma, Delta Integrale
• ↳   59 Montecarlo, Scorpion
• ↳   61 Beta, Beta spider, Beta Zagato, Trevi
• ↳   63 Stratos
• ↳   65 Fulvia
• ↳   68 Flavia, Lancia 2000
• ↳   70 Flaminia
• ↳   75 Early Cars
• ↳   80 Other Lancia passenger, rally and F1 cars
• ↳   85 Lancia trucks and busses
• ↳   90 Books / Pictures / Video's on Lancia
• Forum Lancia en Français
• ↳   F01 Discussion générale sur Lancia
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• ↳   F40 Thesis
• ↳   F45 Phedra
• ↳   F50 Lybra - >elta 3 - Musa
• ↳   F55 Kappa
• ↳   F65 Thema, Dedra
• ↳   F70 Ypsilon, Y10, A112
• ↳   F75 Delta, Integrale, Prisma
• ↳   F80 Beta, Gamma, Monte Carlo
• ↳   F85 Fulvia, Flavia, Flaminia, Stratos
• ↳   F90 A- Lancia's et avant

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202206 - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Specifications of the 55-50 sn automatic transmission, five speed compact automatic transmission with front wheel drive.

Addition of new functions

Adoption of built in oil cooling device.

• Reduction in the number of parts on the vehicle (thanks to the simplification of the cooling circuit).
• Stabilization of the fluid level by adopting a differential unit supplied together with the automatic transmission fluid.
• Possibility of controlling the temperature of the automatic transmission fluid.
• Improved reliability, in terms of fluid leaks, thanks to the automatic transmission having no fluid circuit.

ELECTRONIC CONTROL SYSTEM (CONTROL MODULE FOR TRANSMISSION AND ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS)

Specifications.

• Up hill: when driving uphill, the control unit compares the actual acceleration of the vehicle with the theoretical acceleration on a flat road, thereby determining the gradient of the road. It selects the change law and the most suitable ratio according to the gradient.
• Down hill: when the control unit detects that the vehicle is accelerating with the throttle closed (descent) and is capable of estimating that by changing down a gear the vehicle will no longer be accelerating, it changes down a gear the first time the brake is operated.
• the sensors/actuators fitted on the gearbox for acquiring the operating conditions and the operation of the clutches and brakes;
• the injection/ignition control unit for the exchange of information relating to the engine;
• the instrument panel for displaying the operating conditions.

ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

Switch for starting in neutral (nsw).

Gearbox solenoids 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5)

Input and output speed sensor (active sensors)

Differences between active sensor and impulse sensor

• this sensor has an integrated Hall circuit that manages the rectangular wave signal producing energy and transmitting the signal to the automatic transmission control unit exploiting the Hall effect. The automatic transmission control unit recognizes the signal in relation to the speed of the vehicle. The specifications of the output signal are fixed and do not therefore depend on the number of revs.
• strong signal for noise
• there may also be a low number of revs (10 rpm).
• as a result of the rotation of the gear, a sinusoidal wave with an induction electro-motive force is produced, in relation to the speed of the vehicle, which is then sent to the automatic transmission control unit. The control unit converts the wave signal into an impulse signal and recognizes it in relation to the speed of the vehicle. The specifications of the output signal depend on the number of revs.
• the minimum number of revs that can be detected is 50 rpm.

Oil temperature sensor

Linear pressure control solenoid (SLT)

Lock-up clutch control solenoid (SLU)

• Engine brake: Brake B3
• Control of neutral (N): Brake B2.

Gearbox pressure control solenoid (SLS)

• control of 2nd, 3rd, 4th speeds and neutral (N): brake B1
• control of 5th speed and reverse gear: clutch C2

Transmission drive gear

Automatic transmission control unit control functions

Adaptive control of gear change by the driver (economy, regular and sports modes), uphill modes 1, 2, downhill mode.

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Immerse yourself in the classic design of our accommodations, a unique sanctuary in Sunnyvale, CA. Immerse yourself in the classic design of our accommodations, a unique sanctuary in Sunnyvale, CA. Every aspect of our accommodations is carefully crafted to provide a frictionless experience. See More Those visiting the Silicon Valley area for work can utilize our free Wi-Fi and USB charging ports. Stretch out in front of your in room HDTV and stream favorite programs directly from your phone. Cap off a productive day in Sunnyvale with a restful night's sleep on our ultra-plush bedding. See Less

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