Renault group’s low-cost brand Dacia, known for its affordable and robust vehicles, has announced its entry into the World Rally-Raid Championship in 2025, with the Dakar Rally as its ultimate goal.
The Dakar Rally is one of the most challenging and diverse motorsport events in the world, attracting more than 60 nationalities and 500 adventurers every year. Dacia says the rally is a perfect fit for its brand DNA, which balances rationality and emotion.
Dacia will compete with a four-wheel drive prototype that will run on synthetic fuel supplied by oil giant Saudi Aramco. This synthetic fuel is claimed to be produced by combining renewable hydrogen with captured CO2, resulting in a lower-carbon alternative to conventional fuels.
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Interestingly, Renault and Saudi Aramco, along with Chinese carmaker Geely, are also teamed in a company set up to produce internal combustion as well as hybrid engines. The company was spun off from Renault as the French carmaker focuses on the transition to electric vehicles.
The prototype will be developed and managed by Prodrive, a British motorsport and engineering group which has a long history of success in rally-raid and other disciplines. Prodrive has been involved in the Dakar Rally since 2020, finishing second in 2022 and 2023 with French driver Sébastien Loeb.
Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutierrez HerreroLoeb, a nine-time world rally champion, will be joining Dacia as one of its drivers, along with Spanish rally driver Cristina Gutierrez Herrero, who became the first Spanish woman to finish the Dakar Rally in the car category in 2017.
According to Dacia, the Dakar Rally will be a testing ground and a laboratory of ideas for the brand, allowing it to experiment with new solutions for outdoor functionalities and energy choices. The brand will make its debut in rally-raid at the Rallye du Maroc in 2024, before tackling the Dakar Rally in 2025.
First Published: Jul 3, 2023 6:26 PM IST
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