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Lancia introduces the Musa

The Lancia Musa, world-premiered at the Geneva Show, is a vehicle that was never intended to fit into any specific category - its ideal position is between the Ypsilon and the Phedra in the Lancia range. The three vehicles share a common stylistic layout and also a leaning toward unconventional architecture and a contemporary take on the Lancia character.

The Lancia Musa measures just under four metres in length, 1.70 in width, 1.66 in height and offers a wheelbase of 2.51 metres.
Despite its compact overall dimensions, the Musa offers quite a large amount of front passenger space

The same distinctive exterior features (the large chrome-plated shield, triangular bonnet and characteristic tail-lights) are also to be found in the Lancia flagship, the Thesis, and the medium-sized Lybra saloon and station wagon, together with the unmistakable Lancia selection of colours and trim.

From a design viewpoint, the Lancia Musa continues the work of reinterpreting and renewing the brand tradition developed by the Lancia Style Centre from the Dialogos concept car. All the features that typify the latest brand vehicles are present: strong, consistent family feeling, stylish retro suggestions of classic Lancia motifs, yet all combined with an up-to-the-minute reading of car styling trends in premium segments.

The Lancia Musa offers unique, harmonious good looks with all the lines converging on the front to create an effect of great dynamism. The front end is strong and opulent with a top-quality grille embedded between tapering headlights. The chrome-plated friezes converge on the central logo, situated, as always, high up in the centre. The front bumper is a horizontal feature that blends in perfectly with the rest of the car.

The rear end also displays consistency and harmony. The generous tailgate is enclosed between upright tail-lights. The play of light on chrome-plated parts reflects the same appealing language as the front.

The side surface is extremely elegant and uncluttered. Two profiles run parallel to the waistline to create a faceted effect that accentuates the car's dynamism. The lower profile is underscored and embellished by a mirror-finished moulding. The rounded lines and lack of sharp edges emphasise the welcoming and protective aspect of the passenger compartment, a shell that promises great safety and the greatest comfort packed into small dimensions: the car measures just under four metres in length, 1.70 in width, 1.66 in height and offers a wheelbase of 2.51 metres.

The balance between the body and extensive glazed areas is the key to a well-lit and relaxing environment. The Musa's passengers will enjoy perfect continuity of vision under all circumstances through the windscreen, side windows and rear window.

The Lancia Musa is a sunny car: the windows are huge and it also comes with a 'GranLuce' panoramic sunroof consisting of two glass panels (one of which opens) and two sun blinds that run independently towards the rear of the car. When both blinds are open, the transparent surface area extends to 70% of the roof.

In the front seats, the ideal layout makes it available to people of all shapes and sizes: from 1.50 to approximately 2 metres. Even if the driver is very tall, an equally tall passenger seated in the back will enjoy a good level of comfort. The shoulder room is excellent at the front (1402 mm) and also at the back (1365 mm). The sliding rear seats ensure that the passenger compartment size can be extended to 390 litres. The overall interior volume is one of the best in its segment in absolute terms and also in relation to ground clearance.

The Lancia Musa's suspension has been designed to ensure control and comfort at the same time: the front system is a MacPherson configuration while the rear suspension features interconnected wheels with a torsion beam. A combination of both layouts adopted offers handling standards comparable with higher category cars.

It will be powered by three engines and two types of gearboxes: the 1.4 16v petrol Fire; 1.3 Multijet 16v; and the common-rail 1.9 Multijet and two five-speed manual gearboxes and the Dolce Far Niente (DFN) gearbox, a autmated manual device that can operate in sequential and also automatic mode.

95 bhp 1.4 16v Fire
This is the latest addition to the Fire range. It is a 4 cylinder inline unit with a cylinder capacity of 1368 cc, bore of 72 mm and stroke of 84 mm. The four valves per cylinder are driven directly by a twin overhead camshaft.

The power unit was developed with particular attention to performance and fuel consumption, an area where the Lancia Musa excels in its category. This is due to the fact that the volumetric efficiency has been optimised throughout the service range due to painstaking fluid dynamic development studies on the entire intake and timing system. The result is a power output of 70 kW (95 bhp) at 5800 rpm and a maximum torque of 13.0 kgm at 4500 rpm. A Lancia Musa with this engine exceeds a top speed of 175 km/h, accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 11.5 seconds and covers one kilometre from a standing start in 33.0 seconds. The fuel consumption figures are amongst the best in the segment: 8.5 l/100 km over an urban cycle, 5.5 I/100 km over the extraurban cycle and 6.6 l/100 km over mixed routes.
In other words, a vigorous yet frugal engine. This performance is enhanced by a drive by wire electronic throttle control system. The system also guarantees maximum integration with all the other devices such as ESP and cruise control.

The 1.4 16v Fire unit offers outstanding torque levels at low speeds that allow fuel consumption to be minimised. The emission levels are inline with the forthcoming Euro 4 standard: this has been achieved by means of a catalytic converter positioned in the engine compartment that reaches high temperatures in very short times and can thus reduce emissions even while the power unit is warming up. To minimise the environmental effect, the new engine is also equipped with a returnless fuel system that eliminates fuel recirculation within the tank and thus reduces vapour formation.

High-performing, thrifty and clean: the 95 bhp 1.4 16v Fire unit backs these qualities with outstanding acoustic comfort. Firstly, a barycentric power unit mounting system has been adopted to achieve reaction forces with zero offset and thus minimise the transfer of engine vibrations to the body.

70 bhp 1.3 Multijet 16v
The new Lancia Musa is fitted with the the smallest and most advanced of the multiple injection Common Rail diesel engines that can be combined with the Dolce Far Niente (D.F.N.) robotised manual gearbox.

The 1.3 Multijet 16v is a 1251 cc 4 cylinder in line power unit with a bore of just 69.6 mm and an 82 mm 'long' stroke. The four valves per cylinder are driven directly by a twin overhead camshaft. Maximum power output is 51 kW at 4000 rpm (70 bhp) and the torque delivered is 180 Nm at just 1750 rpm.

The 1.3 Multijet 16v is a true masterpiece of miniaturised technology: when clad with all its accessories, it weighs in at just 130 kg. Its size is small at less than 50 centimetres in length and 65 in height. The component layout has been designed to ensure it takes up the smallest possible space. Yet it guarantees the same advantages as bigger engines because it has not been reduced but miniaturised.

The power unit has thus been built to ensure the greatest rationalism, efficiency and reliability and is the smallest Common Rail four-cylinder diesel on the market. The only one able to enclose no fewer than six normal-sized components into a space of less that 70 millimetres: four valves, one injector and one glow plug.

The new engine also adds another record to this major feat of miniaturisation: it is the most powerful. Despite a truly miniscule cylinder capacity of 1248 cc, the pocket Multijet comes out top when compared with all the small diesels with fixed geometry turbines currently present on the market. Even the most vaunted. Suffice it to say that it offers the best specific performance of any diesel engine with 800 to 1500 cc of cylinder capacity. Power output of 41 kW/l and torque of 144 Nm/l.
This compact, technologically sophisticated new engine also offers outstanding efficiency and is practically guaranteed for life. The 1.3 Multijet 16v is designed to last for 250,000 km instead of the usual 150,000. During this long lifetime, it does not require any maintenance to mechanical parts (and the fan belt need not be changed religiously at 80,000 km). And more: the oil change intervals have been extended from 20 to 30,000 km (the 1.3 Multijet 16v uses low viscosity oil. It is therefore thrifty with fuel and also respectful of the environment).

The 1.3 Multijet 16v is also environmentally friendly because it already meets Euro 4 emission limits. It is also one of the very few cars in the world that has been able to achieve this result without the need for a sophisticated exhaust post-treatment device such as a particulate trap. Altogether an intrinsically clean car: the particulate emission level (responsible for dust and fine dust) is even lower than that established by the forthcoming Euro 4 standard.

Last but not least, the performance figures for a Lancia Musa equipped with the 1.3 Multijet are outstanding: top speed is 159 km/h while the car takes just 15.4 seconds to speed from 0 to 100 km/h and 36.6 seconds to cover a kilometre from a standing start. The fuel consumption figures are also amongst the best in the segment: 6.2 l/100 km over an urban cycle, 4.5 l/100 km for an extraurban cycle and 5.1 l/100 km over mixed routes.
The 1.3 Multijet 16v therefore represents a true technological leap that translates into a reduction in fuel consumption and emissions for the customer. All this comes with:

• lower noise levels (due to the multiple combustion);
• improved comfort (fewer alternating masses means less vibration);
• smooth, gentle drive due to outstanding torque progression (in turn guaranteed by the possibility of greater control of combustion, moment by moment);
• the flexibility and prompt responses of a diesel engine that resembles a petrol engine more and more due to its wide rpm range (e.g. you no longer feel the fuel cut-off at just over 4000 rpm);
• environmentally-friendly features that allow this engine to improve on the greenest feature of a diesel (fuel consumption) by minimising its main defect (particulate emissions).