The Autobianchi Y10 is a supermini economy car manufactured from 1985 to 1996 and marketed as the Lancia Y10 in most export markets. It was built at Fiat's Autobianchi plant in Desio, Milan, until 1992, and subsequently in Arese and Pomigliano d'Arco, near Alfa Romeo's facilities. Despite its placement in the economy segment, the Y10 offered a relatively high level of standard equipment. It also introduced a new rear rigid axle suspension design (known as the Omega axle), which was later adopted by the facelifted Fiat Panda. With a drag coefficient of just 0.31, the Y10 achieved impressive aerodynamic efficiency for its compact dimensions.
The model sold reasonably well, with approximately 667,000 units produced in its first seven years, It was a runner-up for the 1986 European Car of the Year award, losing to the Ford Scorpio.
The A112 remained on sale alongside the Y10 almost to the end of 1986. The Y10 was marketed under the Autobianchi badge in Italy, France, Portugal, and Japan, and as a Lancia in most other markets. Lancia's British importer, Lancar Ltd., was concerned that the British motoring public would pronounce the name as "white hen" and considered renaming it. When the Y10 name had been settled on, Lancar declined to use the Autobianchi brand. After discussions with Lancia headquarters, it was agreed that the car was to be marketed as the Lancia Y10 in the United Kingdom. In Portugal and in France, the Y10 retained Autobianchi badging until 1989, after which it was rebadged as a Lancia.
Design
thumb|left|Rear end of Y10 with black tailgate
The Y10's most distinctive design feature was its truncated rear end, with a vertically cut-off tailgate finished in matte black regardless of body colour. The car's pronounced wedge-shaped profile contributed to its excellent aerodynamics (),
Interior
The interior was fully carpeted and featured cloth-upholstered seats. Higher trim levels offered optional Alcantara trim on the dashboard, seats, and door panels. Available options included electric windows, central locking, a split-folding rear bench seat, power-operated rear windows, a glass sunroof, and an advanced climate control system with electronic controls and an LED display similar to the unit introduced on the Fiat Regata. In response, the range was restructured: a more affordable entry-level Y10 Fire model was introduced, while higher trims received additional standard equipment.
The Y10 Touring was powered by a four-cylinder engine built in Brazil to the FIASA design. Originally developed by Aurelio Lampredi for models such as the Fiat 147 and 127 (and later used in the Brazilian Fiat Uno), it produced at 5,850 rpm and of torque at 2,850 rpm. Externally identical to the Y10 Fire except for trunk badging, the Touring featured Alcantara upholstery in place of cloth on the seats and door panels. It achieved a top speed of and accelerated from in 14.5 seconds.
The Y10 Turbo used the same Brazilian-built FIASA engine as the Touring, It produced at 5,750 rpm and of torque at 2,750 rpm. Compared with the naturally aspirated version, it featured sodium-filled exhaust valves, The GT's engine was equipped with Bosch LE-Jetronic multi-point electronic fuel injection and derived from the earlier 1,049 cc unit. It developed at 5,750 rpm and of torque at 3,250 rpm. offered extensive personalisation options, allowing buyers to choose from four Alcantara colour schemes for the dashboard, door panels, and upholstery: ice (light grey), camel beige, turquoise, or carmine red. This high degree of customisation proved extremely popular, with the Mia accounting for nearly 40% of total Y10 production in 1991–1992.
The Y10 Ego, launched in September 1991 and based on the Fire LX i.e., was available exclusively in Black Mica paint, with the tailgate painted to match. The interior was fully trimmed in premium "Bulgarian Red" leather supplied by Poltrona Frau, extending to the dashboard, steering wheel, gear lever, door panels, and seats. Additional features included perforated front headrests and upgraded tyres.
The Y10 Avenue, released in early 1992 and capitalising on the success of the Mia, the Avenue featured a body-coloured tailgate in place of the standard matte black finish. It was offered with the standard manual transmission or the optional Selectronic CVT.
The Y10 Marazzi Certa, which was presented at the 1992 Turin Motor Show, was a security-focused variant developed by Carrozzeria Marazzi and based on the Y10 Avenue variant. Dubbed by the press as an "anti-abduction utilitarian," it was specifically aimed at female buyers concerned about personal safety. The car featured reinforced door structures and locks, along with shatterproof glass. An optional small interior safe was available for carrying valuables.
Production was limited to 300 units per year, with a launch price of 24 million lire.
Third series (1992–1996)
In mid-1992, the Y10 received its final facelift, marking the third series. Junior, and the Selectronic-equipped Ville; the updated form of the 4WD, which was later renamed sestrieres, joined the range in 1994.
Mechanically, the catalysed FIRE engine remained the standard powerplant, producing at 5,250 rpm across manual, Selectronic, and 4WD variants. In 1995, output was increased to at 5,500 rpm with of torque at 3,250 rpm, raising top speed to for manual versions and for the Selectronic.
Between 1992 and 1994, the Elite was optionally available with the Brazilian FIASA engine, developing at 5,750 rpm and of torque at 3,250 rpm. This version achieved a top speed of and could be specified with air conditioning.