Wheels Dacia Manifesto

Dacia Manifesto MANI RIVERS TO CROSS

The Manifesto can be cleaned inside and out using a jet-washer. You’ll want to remove the seat covers first, because they double as sleeping bags.

£N/A (concept) / dacia.co.uk NEWS DASHBOARD

GLAD ALL ROVER

Range Rover’s Sport 3.0 Autobiography P510e blends premium looks and luxury with plug-in power. A six-cylinder petrol engine gets it from 0-62mph in 5.4secs and ultimately up to 150mph. It’ll go just about anywhere off-road thanks to a wealth of smart tech, but head into town and it switches automatically into EV mode. YAY TRIPPER

Short-haul flights? Forget ’em. The Gen.Travel is how VW reckons we’ll take trips in a few decades’ time. This self-driving electric taxi concept has room for four (or two once the seats unfold into lay-flat beds) and could run multiple cars in convoy to manage 700 miles between charges. As long as the gullwing doors stay, we’re sold. MILD HORSES?

Ferrari’s new baby the Purosangue has four doors and four seats… but the Italian maker is keen to point out it’s not an SUV. It features a front/mid V12 with eight-speed transmission and has four-wheel drive to boot. An all-new active suspension system helps with handling, and we’re promised a 0-62mph figure of 3.3secs.

Bit weird. Slightly, yes, but good too. The Manifesto is a concept vehicle that aims to showcase lots of Dacia’s most innovative ideas, some of which might make it to production vehicles. The somewhat spartan design has been developed with the great outdoors in mind, so that rugged exterior is matched by a hardy waterproof interior and supplemented by lots of go-anywhere accessories.

What’s the point? Carmakers use concept vehicles like this to raise interest in their brand and try out new things, even if some of those things are a little bit ‘out there’. So this one has no doors, windscreen… or any other glass, for that matter. Meanwhile, the few body panels that are in evidence are made from a new material called Starkle. This funky-sounding product is a composite produced using lots of recycled plastic to give an unusual finish.

What’s the tech like? This is a minimalist, utilitarian dream, but Dacia has covered all bases with the in-vehicle tech. There’s a chunky steering wheel with buttons to control core functions and a cool-looking digital dash. But the main thinking here is that drivers could hook up their phone in a pop-up integral compartment and tap into the computing power of that instead.

How does that work? This being a concept, it doesn’t. However, Dacia suggests the Manifesto could be an EV and feature four-wheel drive, aided by airless tyres that look like something you’d get on a child’s toy. And you’ll certainly be able to see where you’re going thanks to the super-bright single headlamp.

Pad medicine XBOX ELITE SERIES 2 CORE

Not all of us can be pro gamers, but some like to at least pretend. Rather than making us all shell out the full £160 to cosplay with Xbox’s Elite Series 2 controller, Microsoft has launched a cheaper Core version that looks almost identical but leaves out a few of the more customisable features. You can still adjust the tension on the thumbsticks, change how much you have to pull the triggers before they engage, and swap between button layouts using the Xbox app, but you don’t get the rear paddles or additional stick and D-pad options. There’s also no charging dock or carry-case. Forgoing those will save you a full £45, though… which you can spend on some Fortnite lessons from your nephew. £115 / xbox.com

Livin’ on repair FRAMEWORK LAPTOP CHROMEBOOK EDITION

They say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – but too often we don’t try to mend stuff even when it is. Framework’s modular laptops are designed to be easily reparable by their owners, with how-to guides on the website. This 13.5in Chromebook comes with a 12th-gen Intel Core i5-1240, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, but you also get a screwdriver in the box that’ll allow you to upgrade or replace any bits you want. Expansion cards even let you choose which ports it has, including USB-C, HDMI and Ethernet, or you can use the slots to add extra storage. Good news for clumsy people, the planet and your bank balance alike. £tba / frame.work

NEWS FEED

B&W’S PX8 HEADPHONES ARE EAR AT LAST

Hot on the heels of the five-star PX7 S2s come Bowers & Wilkins’ PX8 cans, promising “reference-quality audio” from their bespoke carbon cones. Available in black or tan leather, they feature cast aluminium arms and memory-foam cushions, with a no-not-a-typo asking price of £599.

LOGITECH IS LIVING LIFE TO THE MACS

Logitech has come over all Mac-friendly, with new Apple-specific versions of its MX Mechanical Mini (£150) and K380 (£45) keyboards, along with the MX Master 3S (£120) and Lift (£70) mice. As well as easy switching between macOS, iPadOS and iOS, they promise Apple-specific layouts and colours.

REDMI’S BARGAIN SLATE IS ONE TO KEEP TABS ON

The temptingly priced Redmi Pad, a 10.6in Android tablet with a 2000x1200 screen, is heading to the UK. Its 90Hz refresh rate should deliver slicker scrolling than most cut-price tabs, while the MediaTek Helio G99 CPU and 6GB of RAM should keep it running smoothly. It’s available for £269.

AND FINALLY… GOOGLE STADIA GETS FADIER

Yes, Google is pulling the plug on its game-streaming service. Stadia, which allows users to play games from the cloud on almost any device with an internet connection, will shut on 18 January, with anyone who bought hardware or games from the Google Store eligible for a refund.