Dacia Hipster: this could be the next urban electric car under 15,000 euros from the Romanian brand

Alongside other news we have already referred to in a previous post, Dacia surprised us all at the start of October with the Hipster, a concept vehicle that reinterprets the spirit of Japanese kei cars, famous for their compact size and surprisingly spacious interiors.

With this city car, which for now is nothing more than a prototype and it remains to be seen whether it will ever reach series production, the Romanian manufacturer has sought to offer an accessible electric mobility solution adapted to the particularities of the European market. The continuous rise in vehicle prices is a constant complaint among consumers, and this is pushing some manufacturers to opt for imaginative solutions to this problem, with the ultimate aim of meeting the demands of their customers.

At Dacia they believe that solution could come from creating a new category of vehicles, in which the Hipster is placed, with some limitations compared to segment A city cars in order to reduce costs, but with capabilities superior to the electric quadricycles that some manufacturers offer today, even below 10,000 euros.

A new category of vehicle

The Dacia Hipster thus positions itself as an alternative to the former, which tend to be loaded with advanced technology that makes them too expensive, and which are not particularly efficient either. With a weight roughly 20 percent lower than that of the Dacia Spring, which barely exceeds one tonne, the Hipster eliminates superfluous features to reduce both price and weight, thus adapting to the budget of a larger number of customers and reducing its carbon footprint through the greater efficiency resulting from its lightness.

According to the Romanian brand, this model could generate only half the environmental impact of the most efficient urban electric cars currently on the market, thereby making a difference in terms of sustainability.

Only what is really necessary

As with the exterior, the Hipster’s interior design embraces simplicity. Instead of large touchscreens, the cabin adopts a minimalist approach. Dacia reinforces the concept of “bring your own device“, with the driver’s smartphone acting as the key, navigation system and infotainment hub when connected to an integrated dock. Likewise, the audio system is reduced to a Bluetooth speaker, with the driver’s mobile device also responsible for playing music or podcasts during journeys.

The simplicity of the interior goes so far that the windows do not go up and down via a crank handle to reduce costs, thereby eliminating an electronic component; instead they slide from left to right and, of course, are entirely manual. Even the door pulls have been replaced by handles, prioritising functionality and economy.

The front seats, designed as a bench with a visible structure and fabric upholstery, offer space and comfort comparable to those of the Dacia Sandero, even though the Hipster is a metre shorter. This efficient design also maximises interior space without sacrificing practicality.

Nevertheless, despite all these limitations and unlike some light quadricycles, such as the Citroen Ami or the Opel Rocks, the Hipster includes airbags as standard, guaranteeing a basic level of safety, although these are front airbags only, for driver and passenger.

Will we see the Hipster on the roads?

Finally, it should be noted that Dacia says that for this prototype to become a production model one day, some changes to European regulations will first be necessary, as these are raising production costs and consequently the final price paid by the customer. All of this considering that, in the brand’s opinion, those regulations should be somewhat more flexible for vehicles such as the Hipster, intended exclusively for urban use, where speeds are lower and the risk of accidents is smaller.