The torque distribution between axles varies slightly between different Integrale versions. The first series of cars (Delta 4WD and Integrale 8V) use a 56/44 distribution favoring the front wheels. This undelrines the car's front wheel drive heritage. The next series (Integrale 16V and evoluzione) use a 47/53 distribution favoring the rear wheels. The new torque distribution in 16V and evoluzione models was barely noticeable in every day driving conditions.

The Integrale's short wheelbase, as compared to an Audi Coupé Quattro or other similarly architectured cars, made it extremely versatile but also a bit nervous when above 180Km/h. Although some of the typical 4WD turbo charged car characteristics were still present (heavy understeer when entering corners followed by extreme oversteer when leaving the corner) the car had a huge potential, somewhat moderated by its soft, deformation prone chassis. Racing cars were prepared by Abarth (Fiat's usual competition partner) who managed to produce rally cars that were light, reliable and powerful enough not to fear any opposition.

The street and competition versions of all the Delta Integrale series suffered a common weakness. The suspension travel was very limited and the cars behaved nervously on tarmac and not very efficiently on gravel. Unfortunately Lancia has never been able to fix this, mainly because the Integrale was based on an everyday car (the normal Delta) and FIA regulations prohibit radical suspension layout modifications. The Integrale's suspension layout is a heritage of the rest of the Lancia Delta line. The front suspension is composed of a classic McPherson strut and lower wishbones. The rear suspension, pictured below, was not as sophisticated as on some more recent cars, is a very cleverly designed McPherson layout with double parallel transversal lower arms and a longitudinal track control arm.

The Delta Integrale Evoluzione rear suspension

Although the general suspension layout did not change over the years and different Integrale models it did evolve with wider and stronger lower wishbones and longer rear control arms in the Evoluzione models. On all Integrale models Lancia managed to keep the unsprung weight to very low levels and this fact greatly contributes to the car's exceptional handling abilities.

Most of all, the Delta Integrale arguably has the best steering feedback of any car ever produced. The car's steering wheel is so communicative of what's going on and what the car intends to do, so perfectly weighted and quick that almost anyone with a minimum experience is able to drive it at an extremely fast pace.

The street version of the Integrale has the typical road behavior of most 4 wheel drive supercharged cars. It understeers heavily when entering corners and oversteers when exiting. This behavior is, partly, due to the turbo lag phenomenon. When entering corners you normally have finished braking and the turbo is running in low revs. You have to accelerate heavily inside the corner while the car understeers and wait for the turbo to come in a more favorable rotational speed. When this happens a huge amount of torque hits the wheels, the front wheels cannot handle it, the center differential locks and sends torque to the rear wheels. This causes heavy oversteering when exiting a corner.
One has to get used to this "strange" and brutal road behavior. You must be especially brave not to fear the understeering phase of corner handling. When entering corners you really get the impression the car is heading straight out. Its at about halfway through the corner, provided your right foot is squeezing the gas pedal against the floor, that the turbo starts doing its thing. Then you are catapulted out of the curve at an unbelievable speed.

The Lancia Integrale 16V engine

The competition versions were equipped with bang-bang (A.L.S.) systems that dramatically reduce the turbo lag time and hence are able to render the car's cornering abilities closer to those of, other, non-turbocharged cars. There have even been attempts of mounting such systems in street versions. Toyota had a system called Fresh Air Intake System mounted in the street version of the Celica GT4 but the system was deactivated in commercial vehicles due to excessive exhaust tube damages.

Once used to the road behavior of the Integrale, or any other 4WD turbocharged car for that matter, you realize there is no other type of vehicle that can corner faster.  Especially impressive is the speed at which these cars are able to extract themselves from a corner. Unfortunately this type of vehicle is an endangered species heading straight to extinction for ecological and other obscure marketing reasons. If you've never driven a car using this architecture, and you are a  car enthusiast, it is strongly recommended that you try one. One cannot really put into words the excitement and feeling of invulnerability these cars provide.

Speaking of invulnerability there is a catch however. The fact that these turbocharged cars are full time four wheel drive prohibits any action of the brake pedal, or even a sudden lift-off while in a corner. If , by misjudgment, one enters a corner too fast and decides to brake or even stop pushing the gas pedal then bad things are likely to happen. These actions almost always end in head to tail figures and damages. What happens when you brake a 4WD in a corner is that, since the front and rear axles are linked by differentials, engine torque  transfers are operated at the first sign of wheel lock or spin. Depending on many parameters, such as suddenness or  degree, this torque transfer can be difficult to manage. Rally drivers use this phenomenon to reduce the amount of understeering and thus ease cornering. An every day driver, even a very competent one, will have much more trouble dealing with the situation.

All versions of the Lancia Integrale, including the Delta 4WD, are equipped with a dynamic brake force proportioning device to counter the above mentioned behavior and avoid head to tail figures. The cars are fitted with a brake proportioning valve which is operated in real time and has the effect of adjusting the rear brake force bias depending on the angular position of the rear suspension's trailing arms. The valve reduces the rear brake bias if the rear suspension arms present a negative angle (i.e. the car is braked hard enough to have the front suspension dive and the rear suspension rise) and amplifies it if the rear trailing arms angle is positive. The system is very efficient in the straight and avoids difficult to control figures in most braking situations. It is not very efficient inside corners, since in corners suspension angles vary rapidly and in opposite directions, and the driver must take care not to apply too much braking in those situations. The Integrale's brake propositioning system was, of course, not mounted in the competition cars.