Since the beginning of this century, the automotive market has evolved, driven at least in part by regulations and electrification, towards cars that are bigger, heavier – some near 3 tons! – more sophisticated, faster accelerating (even as traffic density renders this somewhere between moot and hazardous)…and therefore ever more expensive.
Dacia goes against this trend and introduces a solution to enable as many people as possible to access electric essential mobility, with less carbon footprint than the competition.
The Dacia team started by determining the real needs of users and how they use their cars in real life. The Hipster is designed and configured as an agile, practical and economical transporter for everyday life.
It’s 3 meters long, 1.53 meters high, and 1.55 meters wide, with four real seats and cargo space adjustable from 70 to 500 liters – and it weighs less than 800 kg.
The interior is very interesting too. The boxy exterior caters for a very spacious interior despite the tiny dimensions. It’s more of a tiny house with wheels (look at the upright, planar windows) than a car!
Dacia has continued their approach with BYOD (bring your own device). Your smartphone becomes a digital key to unlock and start the car. Once the driver is seated, the smartphone, placed in its docking station, acts as a multimedia screen and displays their favorite navigation app.
It also serves as the vehicle’s audio system, connected to a portable Bluetooth speaker compatible with YouClip, the system of interior-customization accessories developed by Dacia such as cup holders, armrests, ceiling lights, and more. 11 anchor points are distributed across the dashboard, door panels and cargo area interior.
As to the seats: focus has been on reducing weight while still offering good comfort. There’s a front bench seat covered in a meshlike textile with a warm feeling, supported by a visible frame structure, as on vintage French cars like the 2CV. The head restraints are stretched-mesh, to keep weight low.
The rear seat folds to expand cargo and storage space from 70 to 500 liters. All in all, the material choices look very practical, and very well balanced. It’s all very cost-effective and lightweight to keep the car to an affordable level.
Maybe the Hipster would have been the preferred vehicle for inspector Clouseau if a film with him was made today? (for those of you remembering his adventures in a 2CV, ending up in a pool) For the matter of that, perhaps the Polestar 5 should be James Bond’s next car, as they are suggesting in their latest ad.
Interior design by: Raphaël Lemasson/Christina Stoianov
Exterior design: Maxim Shershnev
CMF: Cristina Sfiazof
