Dacia announced it starting in 2025 it will compete in the World Rally-Raid Championship and enter the Dakar Rally with the help of Prodrive. The yet-unnamed Dacia prototype will compete in the T1+ category, with WRC legend Sebastian Loeb sitting behind the wheel.
The Romanian automaker didn’t reveal any details about the rally car, other than describing it as a “4-wheel drive prototype developed to cope with the most extreme conditions”. Chances are that the styling will take inspiration from last year’s Manifesto concept, although it could also serve as a rolling advertisement for the upcoming next-gen Duster and Bigster production SUVs. Dacia said it will test new solutions in terms of “outdoor functionalities”.
Dacia’s entry will run on synthetic fuel supplied by Aramco, using Dakar as a testing ground for the eco-friendly fuel made from renewable hydrogen and captured CO2. This likely means that we could see it being used in production vehicles in the future, alongside the existing petrol, hybrid, and bi-fuel (petrol/LPG) options in Dacia’s range.
More: Badass Ford Ranger T1+ To Compete At The 2024 Dakar Rally
For its first involvement with the Rally Raid, Dacia will rely “on the skills of Renault Group” while teaming up with Prodrive. The British firm has 40 years’ worth of motorsports experience and has been involved with Rally Raids and Dakar since 2020.
As for the drivers, 9-time WRC champion Sebastian Loeb is no stranger to Dakar. The Frenchman competed with Peugeot between 2016 and 2019, before driving for Prodrive between 2021 and 2023. His best result is the second place overall achieved in 2017, 2022, and 2023, narrowly missing the title. The second driver, Cristina Gutiérrez Herrero, is an all-terrain rally champion from Spain. She has been taking part in every Dakar Rally since 2017 when she became the first female driver to ever finish the race.
The testing phase for the Dacia-branded Dakar prototypes will commence in 2024 at the Rallye du Maroc. Dacia CEO, Denis Le Vot said they have “the best team and drivers in the game” adding that they are “serious contenders for the rally”.
