Dacia Hipster Concept
Meet the Dacia Hipster Concept — a minimalist, clever, and refreshingly honest take on urban mobility from the Renault-owned Romanian brand that once gave Europe its first truly affordable electric car, the Dacia Spring.
The Hipster Concept is all about doing more with less. Measuring just 3 meters in length, 1.53 meters in height, and 1.55 meters in width, it’s about the size of a Fiat 500e — only shorter and narrower. Yet despite its compact footprint, Dacia claims it can comfortably seat four adults thanks to smart packaging and the complete absence of unnecessary features.
The concept’s design follows a pure, functional philosophy. The wheels sit almost at the very corners of the car, eliminating overhangs and maximizing cabin space — while promising a playful, go-kart-like driving feel. There’s just one body color and three painted sections: the front panel and the door sills. Instead of conventional handles, there are textile pull straps; the taillights are neatly integrated behind the glass of the upper tailgate, which opens separately from the lower section.
Inside, simplicity reigns. Ultra-thin mesh seats take up minimal space, there’s no infotainment display, and no built-in speakers — drivers can simply connect their smartphone and a Bluetooth speaker.
Storage is modest: a 2.4-cubic-foot (68-liter) trunk expands to 17.6 cubic feet (500 liters) with the rear seats folded. Clever touches include headrests that swing out from the C-pillars, allowing the bench to fold flat, and a pair of Isofix mounts for a child seat.
All this minimalism makes the Hipster remarkably light — about 20% lighter than the Spring, which weighs 984 kilograms. The result is lower energy consumption, both in production and on the road, allowing Dacia to use a smaller, cheaper battery without compromising practicality.
While range figures haven’t been announced, the company notes that 94% of French drivers travel less than 25 miles (40 kilometers) per day — suggesting that efficiency and affordability, not record-breaking range, are the priorities here.
Dacia says the Hipster Concept previews an upcoming production model. It may not look exactly the same when it reaches showrooms, but it clearly signals the brand’s continued commitment to low-cost, efficient electric mobility.
Following the success of the Spring, this next-generation city EV — built on the same platform as the retro-styled Renault Twingo EV — aims to push that philosophy even further.
