Lancia Thesis
Encyclopedia
The Lancia Thesis is an executive car
produced by Italian automaker Lancia
between 2002 and 2009. It was available with naturally aspirated and turbocharged
engines ranging between 2.0 and 3.2 litres, in both straight-5
or V6 configurations. Its appearance was based on the 1999 Lancia Dialogos prototype. The production car premiered at the Geneva Motorshow in March 2001 and its interior was displayed for first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Sales started in June 2002 in Italy, with export markets following shortly after.
Lancia invested heavily in the Thesis and, unlike the predecessor the Kappa which shared a platform with the Alfa Romeo 166, the Thesis was designed with its own chassis. The car was fitted with a "complicated multi-arm aluminium-intensive suspension at both ends, augmented by 'Skyhook' adaptive dampers" which were also used on the Maserati Spyder.
Describing the driving quality, Horrell wrote: "You can tell it´s a heavy car, but there´s no distress in letting this [test car with the V6 engine]build up a gentle sweat. Its autobox is attentive and smooth. The engine, though quieter than in any Alfa, is all you hear because road and wind noise have been quashed. Ditto rattles. This is a tight ship.". "The Thesis´ ride is just terrific. It swallows big lumps, whatever your speed. Yet there´s no heaving in distress; the adjustable dampers keep body motion in check. They´re even better when the stress is lateral; considering the pillowy straight-line character, cornering roll is amazingly well-controlled.". The main criticism was the steering which was considered by Horrell to be too light, and the slight tendency to understeer leading to intrusion of the ESP system. In conclusion, CAR´s Horrell summed up the Thesis as being "far more accurate and even agile than it has any right to be."
CAR´s view was that the Thesis was a dignified expression of Lancia´s brand values, then. "Imagine a Rover 95 and you would be spookily close. It´s a scary thought: two brands that refuse to be youthful or sporty, two brands that have underperformed."
The Thesis is equipped with 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic "Comfortronic" (not for 2.0) gearboxes. The interior was trimmed with leather or the suede-like Alcantara
material long favoured by Lancia.
CAR´s verdict was that "If Lancia can be turned around this is the car for the job." Despite its very comprehensive equipment level and the improved fit and finish, sales remained well behind its predecessor, the Kappa
, quite far behind the competition and finally the model was discontinued at the beginning of 2009, after only 16,000 units built. A new flagship sedan, based on the next-generation Chrysler 300
, will replace the recently discontinued Thesis.
At the 2004 Geneva Motor Show, a 60 centimetres (23.6 in) stretched limousine
version (5.49 m (216.1 in)) prototype was shown, made by Stola S.p.A. and named as the "Stola S85" to celebrate the Stola company's 85 years. The car is equipped with beige leather interior and electrically adjustable rear seats. The car has also a minibar with refrigerator
, multimedia system with GPS navigation system, internet access, fax machine and a DVD player. With 230 PS and all these extra features the converted car weight 2030 kilograms (4,475.4 lb) and can accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometre per hour in 9.2 seconds, while its top speed is 230 km/h (142.9 mph).
Executive car
Executive car is a British term that refers to a car's size and is used to describe an automobile larger than a large family car. In official use, the term is adopted by EuroNCAP, a European organisation founded to test car safety.- History :...
produced by Italian automaker Lancia
Lancia
Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...
between 2002 and 2009. It was available with naturally aspirated and turbocharged
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
engines ranging between 2.0 and 3.2 litres, in both straight-5
Straight-5
The straight-five engine or inline-five engine is an internal combustion engine with five cylinders aligned in one row or plane, sharing a single engine block and crankcase...
or V6 configurations. Its appearance was based on the 1999 Lancia Dialogos prototype. The production car premiered at the Geneva Motorshow in March 2001 and its interior was displayed for first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Sales started in June 2002 in Italy, with export markets following shortly after.
History
Concerning the design, Lancia´s chief designer said "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." To that end the car was intended to match the substance of the Audi A6 and Mercedes E-class. It was fitted with more technology and "more style". To convince buyers it was also priced to be 15% cheaper than the competition. In the view of motoring writer Paul Horrell of UK´s CAR magazine the shape was "controversial, but certainly regenerates an authentic Italian alternative to the po-faced approach" of the competition. "Look at that extravagant front end, like a row of chrome-decorated sand dunes. The whole form is plump and carries telling details of bi-xenon headlights and multi-LED blades of tail-lamp - a comfortably fed and well-jewelled car like the folk who´ll drive it." Discussing the interior, Horrell went on to say: "The effect is redoubled within. 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.". A notable feature of the interior was the use of high quality, lightly varnished wood trim and cast magnesium for the centre console."I can´t tell you," wrote Horrell "how much more satisfying it is to use a cupholder or ashtray that glides out of solid metal than some clacky plastic lid." After describing the engraved glassware of the instruments which were notable for their needles "floating at depth" CAR concluded that "it felt expensive."Lancia invested heavily in the Thesis and, unlike the predecessor the Kappa which shared a platform with the Alfa Romeo 166, the Thesis was designed with its own chassis. The car was fitted with a "complicated multi-arm aluminium-intensive suspension at both ends, augmented by 'Skyhook' adaptive dampers" which were also used on the Maserati Spyder.
Describing the driving quality, Horrell wrote: "You can tell it´s a heavy car, but there´s no distress in letting this [test car with the V6 engine]build up a gentle sweat. Its autobox is attentive and smooth. The engine, though quieter than in any Alfa, is all you hear because road and wind noise have been quashed. Ditto rattles. This is a tight ship.". "The Thesis´ ride is just terrific. It swallows big lumps, whatever your speed. Yet there´s no heaving in distress; the adjustable dampers keep body motion in check. They´re even better when the stress is lateral; considering the pillowy straight-line character, cornering roll is amazingly well-controlled.". The main criticism was the steering which was considered by Horrell to be too light, and the slight tendency to understeer leading to intrusion of the ESP system. In conclusion, CAR´s Horrell summed up the Thesis as being "far more accurate and even agile than it has any right to be."
CAR´s view was that the Thesis was a dignified expression of Lancia´s brand values, then. "Imagine a Rover 95 and you would be spookily close. It´s a scary thought: two brands that refuse to be youthful or sporty, two brands that have underperformed."
The Thesis is equipped with 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic "Comfortronic" (not for 2.0) gearboxes. The interior was trimmed with leather or the suede-like Alcantara
Alcantara (material)
Alcantara is a tradename given to a composite material used to cover surfaces and forms in a variety of applications. The material was developed in the early 1970s by Miyoshi Okamoto, a scientist working for the Japanese chemical company Toray Industries, as a variation of their other product...
material long favoured by Lancia.
CAR´s verdict was that "If Lancia can be turned around this is the car for the job." Despite its very comprehensive equipment level and the improved fit and finish, sales remained well behind its predecessor, the Kappa
Lancia Kappa
The Lancia Kappa is an executive car produced by Italian automaker Lancia. It replaced the Thema as Lancia's flagship model in 1994 and was itself replaced by Lancia Thesis in 2001. It shared its platform with the Alfa Romeo 166 and was available as a saloon, estate or coupé...
, quite far behind the competition and finally the model was discontinued at the beginning of 2009, after only 16,000 units built. A new flagship sedan, based on the next-generation Chrysler 300
Chrysler 300
The Chrysler 300 is a full-size upscale car first shown at the 2003 New York Auto Show as a concept car. Sales in the U.S. began in the spring of 2004 as an early 2005 model year car. Designed by Ralph Gilles, the new 300 was built as a high-end sedan while the SRT-8 model was designed to be the...
, will replace the recently discontinued Thesis.
Versions
| Model | Power | Torque | Displacement | Engine | Top speed | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 Turbo 20V manual | 185 PS @ 5500 rpm | 308 newton metre @2200 rpm | 1998 cc | straight-5 | 224 km/h (139.2 mph) | |
| 2.4 20V manual | 170 PS @ 6000 rpm | 226 newton metre @3500 rpm | 2446 cc | straight-5 | 217 km/h (134.8 mph) | |
| 2.4 20V automatic | 170 PS @ 6000 rpm | 226 newton metre @3500 rpm | 2446 cc | straight-5 | 215 km/h (133.6 mph) | |
| 3.0 V6 24V automatic | 215 PS @ 6300 rpm | 263 newton metre @5000 rpm | 2959 cc | V6 | 234 km/h (145.4 mph) | |
| 3.2 V6 24V automatic | 230 PS @ 6200 rpm | 289 newton metre @4800 rpm | 3179 cc | V6 | 240 km/h (149.1 mph) | |
| 2.4 10V JTD | 150 PS @ 4000 rpm | 305 newton metre @1800 rpm | 2387 cc | straight-5 | 206 km/h (128 mph) | |
| 2.4 Multijet automatic | 175 PS @ 4000 rpm | 330 newton metre @2000 rpm | 2387 cc | straight-5 | 220 km/h (136.7 mph) | |
| 2.4 Multijet manual | 175 PS @ 4000 rpm | 380 newton metre @2000 rpm | 2387 cc | straight-5 | 225 km/h (139.8 mph) | |
| 2.4 Multijet automatic | 185 PS @ 4000 rpm | 330 newton metre @1750 rpm | 2387 cc | straight-5 | 222 km/h (137.9 mph) |
Lancia Thesis Stola S85
Limousine
A limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
version (5.49 m (216.1 in)) prototype was shown, made by Stola S.p.A. and named as the "Stola S85" to celebrate the Stola company's 85 years. The car is equipped with beige leather interior and electrically adjustable rear seats. The car has also a minibar with refrigerator
Refrigerator
A refrigerator is a common household appliance that consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of the fridge to its external environment so that the inside of the fridge is cooled to a temperature below the ambient temperature of the room...
, multimedia system with GPS navigation system, internet access, fax machine and a DVD player. With 230 PS and all these extra features the converted car weight 2030 kilograms (4,475.4 lb) and can accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometre per hour in 9.2 seconds, while its top speed is 230 km/h (142.9 mph).