The Chrysler Delta is one of those cars that’ll be forever painted as a terrible car, because it was a sales disaster in the UK. But actually it wasn’t all that bad. Many of the car’s woes centred on apathetic dealers, although the car’s build quality was never going to trouble the Germans. Already largely forgotten, Delta values are on the floor which is why these quirky hatches can now be a top-value buy. The biggest problem will be finding one, as just a handful of cars were sold here.
Key dates
03/08: The third-generation Lancia Delta is unveiled at the Geneva motor show.
09/11: The Lancia Delta goes on sale in the UK – badged as a Chrysler. There are 1.4 petrol (120 T-Jet or 140bhp MultiAir) along with 120bhp 1.6 or 165bhp 2.0 MultiJet diesels. All engines are turbocharged and only the 1.6 MultiJet is offered with an automatic gearbox; all Delta transmissions have six gears. There are four trim levels: S, SE, SR and Limited. All Deltas come with air-con, ESP, electric windows all round and keyless entry; range-toppers also feature leather trim, navigation and a multi-function steering wheel.
01/14: Chrysler announces that the Delta has been axed in the UK. In March 2015, Chrysler announces the whole brand will be canned in the UK in 2017.
Checklist
- With so few Deltas sold in the UK, problem patterns aren’t easy to establish – but these are some of the issues that owners have had to deal with:
- Electrical and electronics glitches aren’t unusual, especially items such as the hill hold assist and cruise control.
- The LED rear light clusters can be temperamental. They’re expensive and hard to find in the UK.
- The stop/start function can go on the blink, usually because of battery voltage problems.
- If you’re buying a car with any parts that are missing or damaged, you’ll probably struggle to find some replacement bits already.
- The Delta doesn’t come with a spare wheel; there’s a tyre inflation kit instead.
We like
- Sliding rear seat
- Interior build quality
- Strong performance
- Good value
We don’t like
- Too much road noise
- Uncertain parts supply
- So-so dynamics
Richard Dredge