Dacia: Taking the Sandrider to the Dakar Rally 🎥

The Dacia Sandrider was specially designed for rally use. It is inspired by the minimalist Manifesto concept car presented in 2022, which serves Dacia as a test vehicle and laboratory for ideas. In developing the new rally car, Dacia was able to draw on the motorsport expertise of the Renault Group and the British racing and sports car specialist Prodrive. In keeping with the brand philosophy, the layout of the Sandrider has been reduced to the essentials. High agility and low weight were particularly important.

Striking purist design

Drivers and passengers were also involved in the development process and supported the vehicle developers with their experience. The no-frills exterior of the Sandrider comes from the Dacia design studio. All body parts are absolutely essential, there are no decorative parts. Another focus was on aerodynamics.

When designing the interior, the Dacia design and engineering teams placed particular emphasis on the needs and habits of the driving crews.

Optimized for tough use

The Dakar and other rally raids are particularly tough motorsport events. The concept therefore includes a reinforced subframe and strong bumpers, a carbon body, wheel suspensions with double wishbones and an adapted 4×4 drive. The spare wheels are not covered to make them easier to change. The crew can also quickly access the on-board tools without having to open a box. Another feature is the Sabelt seats upholstered with antibacterial fabric, which quickly wick moisture away to the outside.

3-liter V6 turbo engine with 360 hp

It is powered by a 3-liter V6 turbo engine (540 Nm, 360 hp) that runs on e-fuel. The synthetic fuel supplied by Aramco is made from hydrogen and CO₂ should also provide Dacia with important insights into this technology. The Sandrider will first undergo a series of tests before making its debut at the Rallye du Maroc in October.

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