Dacia Hasn't Signed Off. But This $12,700 Tiny EV Might Be Real

Dacia Hipster could reach UK showrooms in 2027 at about £9,500, with Chinese production and Renault Group approval still to be finalized.

Dacia Hipster concept

Photo by: Dacia

Brian Potter

By: Brian Potter

Sep 29, at 5:49am ET

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Dacia's tiny Hipster concept, all three meters of it, might not stay a concept much longer. A production version could reach UK showrooms in 2027 priced around £9,500 (about $12,700), according to a report that Dacia has yet to confirm.

The car would slot in as an ultra-cheap urban EV, built to L7e light-vehicle rules. Final sign-off from Renault Group management reportedly still hasn't arrived. Nothing about the programme is official yet.

Dacia Hipster Production And 2027 Showroom Timing

Dacia Hipster concept

Dacia Hipster concept

Photo by: Dacia

Dacia unveiled the Hipster concept on October 6, 2025, as a four-seat electric city car measuring three meters (9.8 feet) long, 1.55 meters (5.1 feet) wide and 1.53 meters (5.0 feet) tall. At the time, Dacia described it strictly as a concept with no production plans.

That's reportedly changing. The production version would fall under the L7e vehicle category, which caps weight at 450 kilograms (992 pounds) excluding the battery. Continuous rated power tops out at 15 kilowatts, and top speed at 90 kph (56 mph), well below a standard EV's output.

David Durand, Dacia's design director, expects the final production version to debut sometime in 2027. He said the project still needs approval from company leadership before it moves forward, and that approval hasn't landed yet.

Durand also flagged a cost hurdle. Plastic body panels, like those on the Citroën Ami, would suit the concept's boxy shape best, but he called them "expensive" next to conventional steel panels, a tension that could shape the final design.

Dacia Hipster Price Target And Reported Chinese Production

Dacia Hipster concept

Dacia Hipster concept

Photo by: Dacia

The reported £9,500 price converts to roughly €11,000. That would put the Hipster below even the redesigned 2027 Dacia Spring, the brand's current entry-level EV that now moves to European production in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, with a new platform and updated design.

Production is reportedly slated for Shiyan, China, the same plant that built the first-generation Spring. Frank Marotte, Dacia's senior vice-president of global sales, marketing and operations, wants Renault Group to keep that site running.

Marotte praised the Shiyan plant for "competitive production costs and its innovation capabilities," with annual capacity for 45,000 vehicles across the Renault Group. He added that a plan is being prepared with joint-venture partners Dongfeng and Nissan to protect activity there.

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Battery capacity is reported at roughly 15 kWh, small even by city-EV standards. Cargo space measures 70 liters (2.5 cubic feet) with all four seats up, expanding to 500 liters (17.7 cubic feet) when the rear bench folds. None of those figures carry Dacia's official sign-off yet.

If Renault Group leadership approves the project and the reported plan holds, the Hipster would give Dacia one of the cheapest electric city cars on sale, with Chinese production underpinning both volume and price.