CONTEMPlATIONS

We need to get back to basics about what we need in cars

Dacia’s Media Control uses smartphone instead of multimedia screen

Listening to Denis Le Vot, the CEO of Dacia speaking at the Dacia Manifesto event in Paris (see story on page 81), it struck me that his points about getting back to basics make a lot of sense. Of course he’s speaking on behalf a brand that has made its reputation on cost effective, back-to-basic products. However, in our current world, faced with rising inflation and fuel costs, the lingering impacts of Covid-19, plus the need to address climate issues, there’s a case to be made that cars have become over-engineered and laden with features and gadgets that are superfluous to what motoring essentially should be - transporting people and goods safely.

Here’s some of what Denis had to say: “Car manufacturers face growing challenges. Commodity prices, fuel, aluminium, energy, rising CO2 emission taxes, and stringent regulatory constraints with an ever increasing number of standards starting with equipment and anti-pollution standards - Euro 4, Euro 5, Euro 6, soon to become Euro 7 in 2026. All this impacts the cost of cars, and therefore household budgets. In the near future, access to mobility is going to become an issue for many people in Europe due to the price of electric vehicles and charging stations accessibility. So against such a backdrop, Dacia’s unique business model embodies the new form of modernity that is perfectly in tune with the era. Market trends are favouring us, as new wealthier customers are also opting for essentials. They are pragmatic, they want to spend wisely by turning away from uncontrolled consumerism. They want to combine freedom and life’s simple pleasures.”

Whether there really is a desire to move away from uncontrolled consumerism is open to debate, but what is clear is that cars are getting more expensive by the day. The list of models you can purchase from under €30,000 is depressingly small - and decreasing. And if you want to purchase an electric vehicle, you have to pay a considerable premium over equivalent petrol or diesel models, even after government grants.

Combine that with the current inflationary environment which is impacting on the spending capabilities even of people who would consider themselves reasonably well off, and it’s not hard to see that those manufacturers perceived as offering better value for money could start to appear more attractive to purchasers than heretofore.

Not least if it means that buyers might not have to wait as long after placing an order for their new car to arrive. The global chip shortage is well documented and even now, months on, production continues to be severely impacted. With around one thousand plus chips in a typical modern car (and many more in an electric vehicle) some brands have been offering shortened production waits by removing some of the non-essential items, thereby reducing the number of chips needed.

Whether that will impact on the resale value of the car, it’s worth considering that for years premium brands have been successfully selling models with a lot less features available as standard compared to that offered on more mainstream brands. At the end of the day, a badge and perceived image will count for more than having all the toys on board.

It was easy, when Dacia launched its Media Control system on the Sandero (whereby your smartphone replaces a built in multimedia screen), to dismiss it as Dacia being cheap. But think about what most us do when we sit in our cars. We plug our phones in and connect to the car’s multimedia system through Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. Which brings up the same screen as on our phone. So why the need for a separate screen that probably needs dozens of chips to operate and adds significantly to the cost of the car?

That’s only one example but ask your average driver and the chances are they will say that they either don’t use all the technology in their car, or will admit they are not even aware what is there. So why pay extra for it?

Those of a certain vintage may recall the switch found on some Saabs that would kill all the interior lights and dials when driving at night other than the speedometer. Because that was the only information a driver had to have - anything else was a distraction. Maybe it’s time to get back to basics again.