Geneva Show 2011 Highlights: 2012 Lancia Thema

The new 300 gains some leather interior upgrades, a Lancia-branded clock, and a new grille to become the Lancia Thema, a name that company used throughout the 80s and 90s. It’s a handsome car, but the Italians have Chrysler to thank for that. The big 300/Thema fills a gap left by the exit of Lancia’s range-topping Thesis sedan in 2009, which sold about as quickly as yesterday’s newspaper. The Thema will be offered with the 292-hp Pentastar V-6, as well as a new 3.0-liter turbo-diesel making either 190 or 224 hp. While the previous-gen Chrysler 300 had been available as a wagon in Europe (it was a Dodge Magnum with a Chrysler face), the Lancia version is going to be sold exclusively as a sedan. For a wagon-loving continent, that’s going to impede sales.
Thanks to: Car and Driver