Citroen designer to lead Lancia renaissance

Stellantis has appointed former Citroen stylist Jean-Pierre Ploue to spearhead the revival of its famous Lancia brand.

Ploue is already well respected within the 14-brand car-making group following his spell as design boss of the struggling Citroen brand, where he led the transformation of its image with striking models like the Citroen C4, C5, C6 and DS 3.

Later on, he repeated the same feat with Peugeot, overseeing the design of the SR1 concept that helped signpost the future styling direction of the fellow French brand's future products.

Currently serving as a chief design officer for Stellantis, Ploue's new gig could be his toughest yet as Lancia – once seen as a BMW rival – has in recent years had its line-up slashed to just one model: the decade-old Fiat 500-based Ypsilon supermini.

Commenting on his appointment, Ploue said: "Lancia’s renaissance is a truly exciting challenge. Lancia is an iconic brand which will be restored to its central historical position in Europe, leveraging on its huge potential."

Helping Ploue turn around Lancia will be a "lean and focused" team that is claimed to consist of young designers.

No further plans have been made public, but it's thought future Lancias will be based on Alfa Romeo platforms and powertrains, with some commentators suggesting that Lancia will mirror the DS/Citroen positioning that already exists in the Stellantis group.