The
Lancia Kappa is an
executive carExecutive 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 organization founded to test car safety.- History :...
produced by
ItalianItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
automakerThe automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells the world's motor vehicles. In 2008, more than 70 million motor vehicles, including cars and commercial vehicles were produced worldwide....
LanciaLancia 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. Modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...
. It replaced the
ThemaThe Lancia Thema was an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Lancia between 1984 and 1994, and was one of four cars to share the "Type Four" chassis alongside the Alfa Romeo 164, Fiat Croma and Saab 9000...
as Lancia's flagship model in 1994 and was itself replaced by
Lancia ThesisThe Lancia Thesis is an executive car produced by Italian automaker Lancia since 2002 and designed by Mike Vernon Robinson. It is available with naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines ranging from 2.0 lt to 3.2lt, in both straight-5 or V6 configurations. Its appearance is based on the 1999...
in 2001. It shared its
platformAn automobile platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of automobiles, often from different, but related marques....
with the
Alfa Romeo 166The Alfa Romeo 166 is an executive car that was produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1998 and 2007.The car was designed by Centro Stile Alfa Romeo under the control of Walter de'Silva, and was facelifted in 2003....
and was available as a saloon,
estateA station wagon is a passenger automobile with a body style similar to a sedan, or saloon, but with the roofline following the full, sometimes extended rear cargo area and sometimes an extra row of sometimes rear-facing seats, ending with a more vertical door than on a hatchback.Also sometimes...
or
coupéA coupé or coupe is a closed car body style, the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
. The Kappa was only available in left-hand drive, as Lancia pulled out of right-hand drive markets after the demise of the Thema.
KappaKappa is the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet, used to represent the voiceless velar stop, or "k", sound in Ancient and Modern Greek. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 20. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Kaph...
is the tenth letter of the
Greek alphabetThe Greek alphabet is a set of twenty-four letters that has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early 8th century BCE. It is the first and oldest alphabet in the narrow sense that it notes each vowel and consonant with a separate symbol. It is as such in continuous use to...
.
The
Lancia Kappa is an
executive carExecutive 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 organization founded to test car safety.- History :...
produced by
ItalianItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
automakerThe automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells the world's motor vehicles. In 2008, more than 70 million motor vehicles, including cars and commercial vehicles were produced worldwide....
LanciaLancia 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. Modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...
. It replaced the
ThemaThe Lancia Thema was an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Lancia between 1984 and 1994, and was one of four cars to share the "Type Four" chassis alongside the Alfa Romeo 164, Fiat Croma and Saab 9000...
as Lancia's flagship model in 1994 and was itself replaced by
Lancia ThesisThe Lancia Thesis is an executive car produced by Italian automaker Lancia since 2002 and designed by Mike Vernon Robinson. It is available with naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines ranging from 2.0 lt to 3.2lt, in both straight-5 or V6 configurations. Its appearance is based on the 1999...
in 2001. It shared its
platformAn automobile platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of automobiles, often from different, but related marques....
with the
Alfa Romeo 166The Alfa Romeo 166 is an executive car that was produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1998 and 2007.The car was designed by Centro Stile Alfa Romeo under the control of Walter de'Silva, and was facelifted in 2003....
and was available as a saloon,
estateA station wagon is a passenger automobile with a body style similar to a sedan, or saloon, but with the roofline following the full, sometimes extended rear cargo area and sometimes an extra row of sometimes rear-facing seats, ending with a more vertical door than on a hatchback.Also sometimes...
or
coupéA coupé or coupe is a closed car body style, the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
. The Kappa was only available in left-hand drive, as Lancia pulled out of right-hand drive markets after the demise of the Thema.
KappaKappa is the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet, used to represent the voiceless velar stop, or "k", sound in Ancient and Modern Greek. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 20. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Kaph...
is the tenth letter of the
Greek alphabetThe Greek alphabet is a set of twenty-four letters that has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early 8th century BCE. It is the first and oldest alphabet in the narrow sense that it notes each vowel and consonant with a separate symbol. It is as such in continuous use to...
. Greek letters have frequently been used to denote Lancia models. Back in 1919, Lancia had already produced a Kappa (and its later evolutions called
Dikappa and
Trikappa), but these are far less known nowadays than the 1990s Kappa. In writing, Lancia often referred to the Kappa simply as the
k (lower case "k"), which is fairly similar to the original Greek letter.
The Kappa was not particularly popular, with only 80,000 made in total. Italy remained Kappa's most important market, absorbing the bulk of sales. It is also worth noting that in
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, where Fiat Auto is the biggest domestic car manufacturer, Kappas served as official government cars (replacing Themas). This boosted the Kappa's profile in that country and gave it a peculiar cachet, which is why the Kappa enjoys a solid enthusiast base there.
Model history
- 1994 - Kappa production begins.
- 1996 - An estate car joins the lineup. The naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre gasoline engine is fitted with a variable geometry inlet manifold
In mathematics, more specifically in differential geometry and topology, a manifold is a mathematical space that on a small enough scale resembles the Euclidean space of a certain dimension, called the dimension of the manifold....
. Inside the cabin, the seats are replaced by a new design, including new upholstery patterns.
- 1997 - The coupé is launched, while at the same time, some changes are made to the interior, trunk, suspension and engine bay, as well as new alloy wheels. Coupe production begins.
- 1998 - The 2.0 L turbocharged four-cylinder engine gets replaced by the five-cylinder, while the turbodiesel
Turbodiesel refers to any diesel engine with a turbocharger. Turbocharging is the norm rather than the exception in modern car and truck diesel engines...
was upgraded to a JTD engine. The bumper guards, previously black, are changed to body-coloured, and the base trim level, LE, is dropped, leaving only the more lavish LS and LX. At the same time, a special trim level is introduced for the turbocharged gasoline engine, called simply the "Turbo", distinguished by the lack of chrome decals around the window frames. The interior materials are also upgraded across the lineup, including the addition of a leather-wrapped steering wheel and front central armrest.
- 1999 - The other two five-cylinder engines are modified along with the air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area, or provide heat to an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
unit.
- 2000 - The Kappa gains xenon HID headlamps. Production ceased in mid-2000 (Coupé's earlier in the year).
Kappa SW and Coupé
The station wagon version of the Kappa, designated "
SW" by Lancia, was designed and built by the famous
PininfarinaPininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
and did not differ from the saloon exterior dimensions - the focus was clearly on presentation rather than cargo space.
The
Coupé was designed and built by
MaggioraMaggiora was an Italian coachbuilder from Moncalieri near Turin. They produced the Fiat Barchetta and the rareLancia Kappa Coupé which was designed by Gianna Maggiora. In 2003 the company was closed....
and technically quite different from the saloon, having a shorter wheelbase, wider rear track and a distinctive profile with frameless doors. Despite that the front until the window screen remained identical to that of the other Kappas. It was Lancia's first coupé since 1984, when the
BetaThe Lancia Beta is a car produced by Lancia. It was the first new model introduced by Lancia after it had been taken over by Fiat in 1969.- Berlina :...
and
GammaThe Lancia Gamma was an executive car from Italian Fiat Auto's up-scale Lancia marque. Presented in 1976 at the Geneva Motor Show as Lancia's new flagship, it filled the void in Lancia's lineup left by the demise of the Flavia. The Gamma was made until 1984 as a 4-door fastback and 2-door coupé ,...
coupés were discontinued, and remains the last Lancia to feature this body style to this day. The small capacities for this hand made car at the Maggiora factory and the relatively high price made it from first time one a rare vehicle, so only 3620 coupes were manufactured from April 1997 to March 2000, making this model a true rarity.
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| Lancia Kappa SW front side |
Lancia Kappa SW rear side |
Lancia Kappa Coupé front side |
Lancia Kappa Coupé rear side |
Engines
The Kappa had engines fitted
transverselyA transverse engine is an engine in which the crankshaft is oriented side-to-side relative to the length of the vehicle. This is also sometimes called an east-west engine...
, all
powering only the front wheelsFront-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
. They were available with either a five-speed
manualA manual transmission, or manual gearbox is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
or four-speed
automatic transmissionAn automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
, unless otherwise indicated.
2.0 20V
- 1998 cc, 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...
, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinderIn automotive engineering, an engine is referred to as multi-valve when each cylinder has more than two valves. Such designs have been around since at least 1912 and perhaps earlier....
, @ 6100 rpm & @4500 rpm
- 1998 cc, 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...
, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder, @ 6500 rpm & @4000 rpm
- uprated to 155 PS in 1996, after the addition of a variable geometry inlet manifold
In mathematics, more specifically in differential geometry and topology, a manifold is a mathematical space that on a small enough scale resembles the Euclidean space of a certain dimension, called the dimension of the manifold....
, called the Variable Intake System (V.I.S) by Lancia
- modified again in 1999
- there were two versions of the manual transmission available for this engine, called Power Drive and Comfort Drive, with gear ratio
The gear ratio is the relationship between the number of teeth on two gears that are meshed or two sprockets connected with a common roller chain, or the circumferences of two pulleys connected with a drive belt.- General description :...
s optimized towards the former or the latter, respectively
- this engine was not available in the Coupé
2.4 20V
- 2446 cc, 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...
, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinderIn automotive engineering, an engine is referred to as multi-valve when each cylinder has more than two valves. Such designs have been around since at least 1912 and perhaps earlier....
, @ 6100 rpm & @3750 rpm
- fitted with V.I.S
- slightly modified in 1999
3.0 V6 24V
- 2959 cc, V6, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder
In automotive engineering, an engine is referred to as multi-valve when each cylinder has more than two valves. Such designs have been around since at least 1912 and perhaps earlier....
, @ 6300 rpm & @4500 rpm
- not fitted with V.I.S
- slightly modified in 1999
2.0 16V Turbo
- 1995 cc, turbo
A turbocharger, or turbo, is a gas compressor that is used for forced-induction of an internal combustion engine. A form of supercharger, the purpose of a turbocharger is to increase the density of air entering the engine to create more power...
straight-4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is a four-cylinder internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a...
, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinderIn automotive engineering, an engine is referred to as multi-valve when each cylinder has more than two valves. Such designs have been around since at least 1912 and perhaps earlier....
, @ 5600 rpm & @2750 rpm
- superseded by the 5-cylinder turbo in 1998
- 5-speed manual transmission
A manual transmission, or manual gearbox is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
only
2.0 20V Turbo
- 1998 cc, turbo
A turbocharger, or turbo, is a gas compressor that is used for forced-induction of an internal combustion engine. A form of supercharger, the purpose of a turbocharger is to increase the density of air entering the engine to create more power...
straight-5The 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...
, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinderIn automotive engineering, an engine is referred to as multi-valve when each cylinder has more than two valves. Such designs have been around since at least 1912 and perhaps earlier....
, @ 6000 rpm & @2750 rpm
- superseded the 4-cylinder turbo in 1998
- 5-speed manual transmission
A manual transmission, or manual gearbox is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
only
2.4 Turbo DS/JTD
- originally a distributor-pump turbodiesel
Turbodiesel refers to any diesel engine with a turbocharger. Turbocharging is the norm rather than the exception in modern car and truck diesel engines...
refitted with common railCommon rail direct fuel injection is a modern variant of direct fuel injection system for petrol and diesel engines.On diesel engines, it features a high-pressure fuel rail feeding individual solenoid valves, as opposed to low-pressure fuel pump feeding unit injectors...
in 1998 and hence referred to as JTD engineJTD is Fiat Group's term for its current common rail turbodiesel engine range. The MultiJet name is used in the second generation JTD common rail units. Most of the Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Lancia range has JTD engines. Ownership of some Fiat JTD designs is shared with General Motors as part of a...
- TDI - 2387 cc, turbodiesel
Turbodiesel refers to any diesel engine with a turbocharger. Turbocharging is the norm rather than the exception in modern car and truck diesel engines...
straight-5The 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...
, SOHC, 2 valves per cylinder, @ 4250 rpm & @2250 rpm
- JTD - 2387 cc common rail
Common rail direct fuel injection is a modern variant of direct fuel injection system for petrol and diesel engines.On diesel engines, it features a high-pressure fuel rail feeding individual solenoid valves, as opposed to low-pressure fuel pump feeding unit injectors...
turbodieselTurbodiesel refers to any diesel engine with a turbocharger. Turbocharging is the norm rather than the exception in modern car and truck diesel engines...
straight-5The 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...
, SOHC, 2 valves per cylinder, @ 4250 rpm & @2000 rpm
- not available with automatic transmission or in the Coupé
External links