PARIS -- The Dacia Manifesto concept, a full-electric off-roader, is meant to be a "living lab” to showcase ideas for future production models as well as reinforce the brand’s core messages of affordability and sustainability.
Manifesto is not a preview of a future model, Dacia says, but reflects a desire for customers of the Renault Group brand to live a sustainable, outdoor-focused lifestyle. It will be shown to the public starting Oct. 17 at the Paris auto show.
"It’s a concept that expresses all of our values,” Dacia design director David Durand said at a media event outside Paris on Tuesday.
Durand said some of innovations on the Manifesto, including a clip system for attaching objects such as a water bottle to the dashboard, would appear on future models.
The 4-wheel-drive buggy has no doors nor windows. Oversize, puncture-proof "airless” tires can handle the roughest terrain, and an array of built-in features such as seats that convert to sleeping bags mean it can be used as a portable camp or multitool.
For example, the rear area unfolds into a powered workbench with a removable battery that provides power through a household outlet. The single headlight can be detached to be used as a powerful flashlight, and the seat coverings can be converted to sleeping bags.
Interior materials can be washed out with a hose. As with other Dacia models, the driver’s smartphone can be attached to the dashboard to provide mapping and infotainment.
Environmental credibility is reinforced with the use of partly recycled materials, including Starkle, a plastic that uses 20 percent recycled polypropylene, for the wheel arches and other body panels.