Lancia Delta - My test drive and opinion

Hi there, I've been out for a couple of weeks and now I return with a test drive... The Delta. My opinion is that it's an excellent product.

I've done a couple of 100 kms with a new Delta. The engine was a 1.6JTD, with 120bhp, with the equipment Oro and 17" wheels.
The engine is very responsive and progressive and takes the Delta to forbidden speeds very easily. The gearbox selector is very precise and quite soft and the clutch has a good feeling, being easy with your left leg. Without being worried with the fuel I've achieved averages of 5.8l/100kms very easily (this Delta as done only 1000kms)

Very easy to drive, it showed a good "U turn" angle and even being quite big, it's very easy to drive in the city. The exterior mirrors are good but the interior rear view mirror is just sufficient due to the small rear window - no problem there's the reverse sensors to help.

Even with the 17" wheels, this Delta feels quite comfortable. The suspension is not soft at all, but it's not arsh in anyway, and I've drove in bad roads...
We can drive this Delta in a sporty way if we want, it wont loose it's good behavior and start to feel as a boat. Correct and without any surprises that's how I can describe it.
The steering wheel felt a bit thin except in the position 10/10 where it has a good feeling. The steering... it's electric. Nothing as a good hydraulic Alfa steering. It lakes a bit of feeling but it's easy to understand the connection steering/road and it looked precise enough.

The interior: what a living room! Especially the rear seats!! The rear seat can slid a bit, giving more space to the boot or to the passengers legs. Even so, the boot is very good.
About the seats... I'm a bit disappointed and so is my wife. The front seats should have more lateral support and a bigger seat (it feels short for our legs and I'm only 1,75cm). And the head rest is hard as a rock.
About the interior quality I think it's quite good. This one had leather with Alcantara. There are soft plastics around but there's also some hard ones that might get scratched. The radio and climate control have a silver coat that might also get scratched. The silver coat should be darker in my opinion. It's a bit flashy (I'm being friendly) .

This Delta was well builded, without any "strange noise" even with 17" wheels and quite bad roads (typical in Portugal). Everything well aligned and fixed but I've found some noises, from the aerodynamics, on the top of the wind shield to the A pillar.

Overall, an excellent product!
We might not get it after all and only because of the front seats.

Sounds ok. Any pictures??

Great to hear Pics Be cool to see it as we won't ever get it over here I think.

And designed by a drunk Korean.... Too much Soju

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/.../09/mflan1.jpg


Lancia Delta: Dare to be different - Telegraph

Ohh god that's nota pretttya cara.

Thanks for the review TM

Quite surprised to hear it's actually a good car to drive in as some of the BMW Press Corp usual UK car mags slated it.

ugly duckling....

Originally Posted by BigFoot

Thanks for the review TM

Quite surprised to hear it's actually a good car to drive in as some of the BMW Press Corp usual UK car mags slated it.

Perhaps they've more experience and have driven a far wider range of machinery and can more adequately and correctly review the car, in comparison to it's rivals?



And regardless of how it drives, it looks like a wart on a baboons bottom.

Originally Posted by dpat

Sounds ok. Any pictures??

I haven't made any pics but only a small video with my phone. I'll post it in a few minutes.

Originally Posted by Damien_C

Great to hear Pics Be cool to see it as we won't ever get it over here I think.

Pity that you wont get it but from what I know Lancia is about to cross the channel again, so you might get it after all.

Originally Posted by Stori

And designed by a drunk Korean.... Too much Soju

You'll be surprised when you see it in flesh, Stori. It looks quite good, specially in dark. White or silver are terrible colors. In blue or black looks fantastic.

Originally Posted by BigFoot

Thanks for the review TM

Quite surprised to hear it's actually a good car to drive in as some of the BMW Press Corp usual UK car mags slated it.

It's a good car to drive but not a sporty car tho. As I said, it's very controllable and balanced without giving us many surprises.

As you, I'm surprised too, after reading some of that mags I thought it would go like a boat. But no, and the only thing I can remember to say is that it only lakes a bit of precision.

Originally Posted by HSTDriver

Perhaps they've more experience and have driven a far wider range of machinery and can more adequately and correctly review the car, in comparison to it's rivals?

And perhaps... not.

Just to let you all know, the rivals or targets defined are: Audi A3 (5 doors), Volvo V50, Ford Focus sw and the Peugeot 308 sw.

I do have all the information about the Delta, prices, equipment list, everything. This information is official but only a few people have it.

well its good to read a decent review of the Delta, as most reviews (excluding Car & Viva Lancia) are lukewarm at best. I really want it to do well, I'll have to wait & see what i think about it in the flesh when Lancia finally come back to Ireland in mid 2009

Originally Posted by THROTTLEMAN

You'll be surprised when you see it in flesh, Stori. It looks quite good, specially in dark. White or silver are terrible colors. In blue or black looks fantastic.

Dark colours tend to hide design defects .....
Will be interesting to see if they bother to try and sell these cars in Australia. I remember having a good laugh at the crazy interior colours of the Lancia Beta way back
c1980.....If I remember correctly that was the last series of Lancia ever sold in Australia.