With the reveal of Manifesto Concept, Dacia is emphatically reaffirming its unrivalled vision of an essential, cool, robust, affordable and environmentally efficient car. Although it does not prefigure an upcoming model, Manifesto is a lab for ideas with some of its innovative features available on future vehicles in the Dacia range.
Manifesto explores a connection to nature by being environmentally friendly, robust and by demonstrating usefulness in the outdoors. It is a bold statement about the brand’s aim to stand by customers as they become ever keener to try outdoor pursuits, while expanding on the values and qualities that have helped to build Dacia’s success.
ESSENTIAL BUT COOL
Manifesto Concept is redefining the essentials, offering an ever simpler and more genuine experience. There are no barriers between the passengers and the environment – no doors, no windows, no windshield. The driver and passenger are therefore fully immersed in nature. As you prepare for your open-air activities, there’s nothing quite as convenient as a hard-wearing work surface that serves a variety of purposes instead of a tailgate.
Passengers can also be close to nature and at the same time remain connected with the services available on their smartphone: Dacia’s simple, effective and economical Bring-Your-Own-Device approach makes it possible to fully integrate a smartphone into the dashboard and on-board computer. This ingenious system is already available on several of the brand’s current models and will evolve in the future.
Manifesto Concept demonstrates another piece of smart thinking by Dacia with YouClip, a very simple system to secure a variety of handy and modular accessories. This pioneering idea will be built into future Dacia models.
Lastly, as cool often overlaps with useful at Dacia, Manifesto offers a single headlamp – why use two if one provides all the light you need? – this can also be detached to be used as a powerful torchlight!
ROBUST AND GEARED FOR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Dacia cars are famed for being sturdy and dependable. Duster, Jogger and Sandero Stepway stand out as cars that customers can count on for their outdoor pursuits. Manifesto Concept pushes the limits even further, turning a car into a go-between by connecting people and nature.
Manifesto Concept comes with all the off-road hallmarks, including 4-wheel drive, very generous ride height, large wheels and a body built to withstand the toughest terrain.
It is waterproof: you can clean the inside with a jet washer.
What’s more, the removable seat coverings become sleeping bags in seconds.
For extra practicality, the roof rack can carry all sorts of loads as the carrier bars can shift into a variety of configurations. Dacia has already demonstrated excellence in this area with innovative modular roof bars available on Sandero Stepway and Jogger, soon coming to Duster.
A dedicated and removable battery supplies power through a household outlet, turning Manifesto Concept into an energy source for any outdoor activities requiring power.
ECO-SMART
With Manifesto Concept, the brand is proudly showing its vision for a vehicle with a minimal environmental footprint. As it is compact and lightweight, it consumes less energy. This quest for efficiency goes back a long way in the Dacia range - Jogger, for instance, is 300kg lighter than its 7-seat rivals.
Manifesto Concept’s main plastic body parts contain a significant portion of recycled material. Called Starkle®, it is made from already processed polypropylene, with a flecked effect.
The interior is fitted with natural materials such as the cork covering the dashboard. As with the latest Dacia models, the decorative chrome plating is gone.
The concept airless tyres are another innovative feature, as they aim for environmental friendliness as well as savings. The underlying principle is durability as tyres are puncture-proof and last for as long as the vehicle.
Commenting on Manifesto, David Durand, Dacia Design Director said: “At Dacia, we like to keep it real. As we were developing and exploring new ideas, we felt we needed to push them past 3D simulations and see what they look like in real life! As well as being a designer object, Manifesto Concept encapsulates our vision and combines a wide range of innovation – some involve extreme implementation, but they are still affordable for customers. We will be using a few of them on future Dacia models.”
Lionel Jaillet, Dacia Product Performance Director, said: “We want to build a range of products that strengthens our brand promise, focusing on the essentials and adapting our vehicles for outdoor activities. Beyond our models, we are also working on innovative features that match our customers’ need and lifestyles even more closely. Manifesto Concept is a “lab” to try out and mock up new ideas. The version you can see today will keep on evolving as we keep on exploring! So don’t miss the next models: they will be ever smarter, ever more tailored to outdoor activities and ever more Dacia!”
