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Napolitano has presented a 10-year plan to Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares to relaunch Lancia, based on three new models: the new Ypsilon in 2024, both hybrid and battery electric, and a compact crossover expected in 2026 followed by a compact hatchback in 2028, both full-electric models.

“Clearly volumes are important, but our targets are about profitability,” Napolitano said in an interview on Friday.

Lancia, which alongside Alfa Romeo and DS was grouped in the pool of Stellantis brands cooperating in the premium market, needed to continue on this high-end path, he added.

“We still need to work and need to look at a benchmark … which for us is Mercedes,” Napolitano said. “I don’t mean we want to fight against Mercedes, that would be naive, but that is an example of what we look at.”

While Alfa Romeo and DS are global brands, Lancia’s target is to move to Europe, initially targeting Germany and France, where electrification is moving faster, then adding countries including Spain, Belgium, Austria and the Nordics, he said.