The Y10 after all, is a dynamic, nippy little car that dashes through the city traffic, zips along the motorway and scampers up narrow, twisty mountain roads.

The adoption of four wheel drive is designed to preserve the Y10's characteristic mobility even in extreme conditions. Bad weather, a sudden snowfall, an icy uphill road, a storm that suddenly makes the road surface slippery: none of this presents a problem any more.

For this purpose and in view of the Y10's (low) power output, permanent four wheel drive seemed superfluous. After all, it takes up space, adds weight, absorbs power and costs more. So Lancia opted for engageable 4x4 but with some advanced technical features in the Lancia tradition.

In fact traditional 4x4 engagement presents one major disadvantage. When the rear wheels are disengaged the half shafts, differential and drive shaft together remain engaged. This 'passive' movement generates friction hence extra fuel consumption, vibration and noise.

Something quite new amongst small cars, the system designed by Lancia for the Y10 4WD eliminates all such problems. The driver just presses a button on the dashboard to isolate half shafts, differential and drive shaft from the power take off on the gearbox and the rear wheels, bringing them to a halt. In this way the connections are not interuppted and the car converts back into a front wheel drive car. This type of drive offers advantages such as better fuel economy, less vibration, less noise and less wear of transmission components.