5 ugliest cars ever made: Dacia Hipster Concept unveiled and its design rivals these eyesores from years gone by

Perhaps unlike anything you have seen before, Dacia has revealed its new compact urban electric city car - the Hipster Concept. Resembling a six-year-old’s attempt at sketching a car, rather than an actual vehicle you might really see on the road, it is sure to raise some eyebrows.

The Hipster measures in at just three metres in length, but is able to seat up to four passengers. Underneath, the car will use an electric powertrain; however, the firm has not revealed any technical details at this stage.

The car’s exterior design has a boxy body shell, while the horizontal front end features U-shaped pixel LED daytime running lights. Meanwhile, at the back, there is a split-folding tailgate and embossed brand-specific lettering.

Inside, there are lots of cubic shapes, which match certain parts of the car’s exterior design. There are two airbags, for the driver and front passenger, and 11 of Dacia’s ‘YouClips’, which are little anchor points that are located on the dashboard, door cards and boot area, to hook larger accessories on, such as cupholders, an armrest and ceiling lights.

But is it actually just ugly? Who’s to say. Beauty is, after all, in the eye of the beholder. The Hipster is just a concept for now, but it has put us in mind of some cars which did make it through to production, to mixed reviews for their aesthetic credentials.

Ugliest cars ever made

Fiat Multipla

As car launches go, few, surely, will have turned more stomachs than the 1998 Fiat Multipla. Named the ugliest car of all time by readers of Car Throttle in January 2014, it also placed second in The Telegraph's list of the 100 Ugliest Cars in August 2008, with the report saying: "Derided for the blandness of its output during the 1980s and early 1990s, Fiat dared to start thinking outside the box. In this case, however, it simply added wheels to the box."

In 2018, it also appeared in the The Sunday Times list of ugliest cars, with the report pulling no punches, saying: "The tragedy of the Multipla is that its Elephant Man-esque exterior enclosed a genuinely clever and spacious interior, and it wasn't bad to drive, either. It's a shame, then, that you'd rather walk than be seen in it."

In it's defence, the exterior and interior design of the Multipla were displayed at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York during its "Different Roads – Automobiles for the Next Century" exhibition in 1999. It also won the Top Gear Car of the Year in 2000 and was voted Top Gear Magazine's Family Car of the Year for four years in a row, from 2001 to 2004.

However, it's clear its looks were holding it back and the Multipla underwent a major facelift in March 2004, with designers going for a more middle-of-the-road look, which I'm not sure wasn't worse than the original.

Chrysler PT Cruiser

The 'retro' styling of the Chrysler PT Cruiser left car fans divided. While initial reaction towards the design, inspired by 1930s classic cars, was that it made a novel change, it quickly dated and was considered a poor attempt at mimicking the hot rod aesthetic.

Released in 2000, its image declined further and has frequently appeared in 'ugliest car' lists with motoring enthusiasts citing its poorly integrated grille and bulbous wheel arches as giving the motor an ungainly appearance.

Nissan Cube

The Nissan Cube certainly lived up to its name resembling a box on wheels. While its basic shape made for a more spacious interior, from the outside it looked like the concept was imagined by a five-year-old.

The mini MPV sold in the UK 2009 to 2011 and, according to the Nissan website, its looks were "inspired by a bulldog wearing shades". It was perhaps fitting then that it should be named among AAA's top vehicle picks for dog owners.

Again, over in the US, Kelley Blue Book also had good things to say about it, naming the Nissan Cube one of its Top 10 Coolest Cars Under $18,000 and it even picked up the Automobile Design of the Year Award. However, buyers were not convinced and while it had a cult following, most car buyers thought the canine influenced bodywork was very much barking up the wrong tree.

Smart Car

There's no denying the popularity of the smartcar, first known as the Smart City-Coupé and later renamed the Smart ForTwo. It became a hit with eco-conscious motorists along with hip city dwellers, as, thanks to its compact size, it made driving in an urban environment that much easier.

Design-wise it was a bold choice - yet another box on wheels - but since its arrival in the UK in 1998, the Swatch and Daimler-Benz designed micro motor has become a familiar sight. Having said that, this can never be described as an attractive vehicle, in fact, it's just downright ugly. I said what I said.

Tesla Cybertruck

It wants to be futuristic and if it was 1981, Tesla might have a case, but as it is, the Cybertruck was dated before it was even conceived. As with the other vehicles in the list, of course this is completely subjective but as someone who grew up in the 80s, I can confirm the majority of pictures of 'futuristic vehicles' drawn by children at that time would have resembled this car.

While designers of the tank of a vehicle clearly going all out to create something especially unique on the outside, the interior seems to have been overlooked, described as "spartan" with limited storage. Its stainless steel bodywork also makes it a pain to keep clean.

Under the bonnet of the Cybertruck, first unveiled in 2019, it seems it is a similar story, with the vehicle having already had numerous recalls with issues involving the drive unit, pedals, inverters, steering, and tailgate being reported.