Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Dacia has revealed a back-to-basics concept EV that it hopes is the future of affordable electric mobility. Unveiled alongside an update to the rest of the Dacia range, the new Hipster Concept is an ultra-compact four-seater city car that bucks the industry’s obsession with mid-size electric SUVs by focusing on only the most essential needs.
With a boxy hipster concept, the brand announces all-electric dacia spring Two are getting new and more powerful motors, while the best-selling Dacia Sandero, Stepway and Jogger get a facelift and new hybrid powertrains.
At just three meters long – shorter than a Fiat 500 – the hipster concept still manages to offer four proper seats and a versatile boot that can expand from 70 to 500 litres. This is quite remarkable packaging for such a compact footprint.
Range isn’t given, although Dacia says the Hipster Concept is enough for daily commutes with twice-weekly recharging, given that 94 percent of drivers in France drive less than 24 miles per day – so that could mean a range of around 85 miles.
Romain Gauvin, Dacia’s head of advanced design, says, “This is the most Dacia-esque project I have ever worked on. It has the same social impact as Logan did 20 years ago, and it involves inventing something that doesn’t exist today.”
Dacia’s “eco-smart” philosophy is at the core of the concept’s design. The Hipster is 20 percent lighter than the already lightweight Dacia Spring, and uses fewer raw materials and less energy in its production. Dacia says its ambition is to halve the car’s overall life-cycle carbon footprint compared to the best EVs currently available.
The design is simple, described by Dacia itself as “a block sitting firmly on four wheels”, with cost-saving details such as strap door handles and side protection made from an innovative material called “Starkel”, which consists of recycled plastic.
Inside, things become a bit of a budget airline. Dacia has ditched the expensive built-in screen in favor of a smartphone docking station, meaning your phone becomes the car’s digital key, multimedia screen and audio system, connected to a portable Bluetooth speaker. The interior uses Dacia’s YouClip system of modular mounts, offering 11 anchor points around the cabin that you can customize to your heart’s desire with cup holders, hooks and lights.
While the hipster looks to the future, the concept’s eco-minded philosophy has filtered into a real-world update for the Dacia Spring, one of the UK’s cheapest EVs. The Spring is getting a completely redesigned chassis, which for the first time includes an anti-roll bar and two more powerful electric motors – 70hp and 100hp, replacing the previous 45hp and 65hp units. Dacia’s small EV already receives annual updates outside the UK, so this year’s refresh will be a major upgrade for the right-hand drive spring.
Get your charger and tariff now.
Save EV happily for later.
Terms and conditions apply
Advertisement
Get your charger and tariff now.
Save EV happily for later.
Terms and conditions apply
Advertisement
The Jogger, meanwhile, will get Dacia’s new hybrid 155 powertrain alongside the Stepway in late 2026, giving the crossover an electrified option for the first time.