Dacia Unveils Hipster Concept and Updates Spring and Sandero Lineup

Dacia unveiled a minimalist city car concept and a wide-ranging update to several of its best-selling models this week, pitching a lower-cost path for electric and hybrid mobility across Europe. The highlight is the Hipster Concept, an ultracompact, four-seat electric city car that measures about three metres long and, the company says, can expand its boot from roughly 70 litres to 500 litres with the rear seats folded. Alongside the concept, Dacia announced more powerful motors and a renewed chassis for the Spring city EV, midcycle facelifts and equipment updates for the Sandero, Sandero Stepway, Jogger and Logan, and wider deployment of a new Hybrid 155 powertrain.

Dacia described the Hipster as a back-to-basics proposition focused on essential mobility and low lifecycle emissions. The concept is packaged tightly: it is relatively narrow and low, seats four adults, and is claimed to weigh under 800 kilograms and be about 20 percent lighter than the Spring. The company said the Hipster uses less raw material and energy in production, includes simple cost-saving details such as strap door handles and unpainted recycled-plastic body protection called starkle, and centres digital...