Autoblog

Lancia has orchestrated the return of the Delta name in the form of the new Lancia Delta HPE concept car, which is being unveiled at the Venice Film Festival. Inspiration for the car is said to be drawn from the Lancia Beta HPE, but this is a lot better looking than that car ever was.

The new Delta evolves Lancia's current styling trends into a look that is both modern and attractive (a combination that proved to be elusive in products like the Thesis sedan). While we do like the look overall, we would be remiss if we didn't point out that the side glass and taillights are extremely Murano-like. In fairness, that taillamp style is also found on the Thesis and the swanky little Ypsilon, so Lancia is being consistent.

While the automaker didn't release any interior photos, they do state that the car incorporates sliding and tilting second-row seating, Bose audio, dual-zone climate control, and Fiat's new Blue&Me system, which incorporates Bluetooth and a USB port to allow the driver to play his or her own digital music from a variety of mobile devices. The cabin itself should be a very pleasant place to be, as Lancia does interiors very well. They tend to err on the side of luxury, which benefits driver and passengers alike.

Lancia only states that the car is set up to accomodate a number of different gasoline and diesel engines, which can be mated to either a six-speed manual or an automatic transmission. Sounds to us like this concept's destined for showrooms in the not-so-distant future. If that's the case, we hope Lancia takes this thing racing, too. We're particularly interested in seeing it in full rally garb -- Martini Racing livery to be precise. After all, it's a Lancia Delta. These's a little history there.

(Rear view, press release after the jump)

[Source: Lancia]