Detroit 2010: Chrysler Lancia

You are looking at... well, no one at the Chrysler booth seemed to know exactly what this is. They didn't even have a proper name for it. But that tiny little fact will not be stopping us. You are looking at what they call a Chrysler Lancia, or more correctly, a Chrysler-badged Lanica. Specifically, a Lancia Delta with Pentastar badges. All of which begs the question: what makes a Lancia Delta?

Ah, well, we are happy you asked. On the surface it's a small crossover/tall wagon-type people mover/MPV with some fancy electronic driving aids. But that sells the Delta short, as Lancia's website is loaded with the sort of florid PR language that will warm the cockles of the most jaded car-hack's heart.

Here's a sample, "Luxury that is never flaunted: an originality that avoids useless overstatements, that always preserves elegance." Sounds keen, huh? But wait, there's more, "A concentrate of evolution, a hyperbolic expression of technology." Ooh! Good stuff. Is this car for real? Will there actually be a Chrysler-badged Lancia? Probably, but we just don't know. However, we are certain that Chrysler could really use, "A concentrate of evolution."