Even though it wears a name that seemingly never went before a focus group, the Darc Mono is no sinister viral disease: It’s actually an off-road RV/overland rig with the capabilities to take you anywhere and a level of opulence that ensure you’ll be comfortable wherever you end up. Using an Iveco Daily 4×4 as […]
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Even though it wears a name that seemingly never went before a focus group, the Darc Mono is no sinister viral disease: It’s actually an off-road RV/overland rig with the capabilities to take you anywhere and a level of opulence that ensure you’ll be comfortable wherever you end up. Using an Iveco Daily 4×4 as its base, the Darc Mono is fitted with 37-inch Hankook Dynapro all-terrain tires wrapped around 17-inch wheels, and available features include an adaptive suspension system sourced from KW Automotive, a carbon-fiber intake snorkel, and a front-mounted bull bar that serves as a mounting point for an LED light bar and a winch with 22,000 pounds of brute strength.
The Darc Mono’s ability to forge new paths is only a part of its appeal, though, as its chic rear living quarters are its killer app. Made of carbon fiber, the rear box, which offers 86 square feet of living space, tips the scales at a mere 1,320 pounds. That’s less than half the weight of the 2022 Subaru BRZ.
The Darc Mono doesn’t skimp on grandeur, either, as its airy living quarters incorporate plenty of window openings, a full bathroom (no wet bath here), a queen-size bed that lowers from the ceiling, and a kitchen that looks worthy of a Michelin-star restaurant. With the bed stowed, there’s even a formal dining space for enjoying whatever meals you make. Plus, the truck’s capable of stowing enough energy, water, and the like to allow two passengers to travel up to two weeks without needing to stop for supplies.
Despite the Darc Mono’s additional off-road kit and associated living area, it still relies on the same 3.0-liter four-cylinder diesel engine that makes approximately 180 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque as your run-of-the-mill Iveco Daily 4×4. In addition, the Darc Mono sends the engine’s grunt to all four wheels by way of an eight-speed automatic gearbox. In other words, while this rig won’t win you any street drag races, it’ll still probably win any over tough terrain simply by virtue of its off-road ability—all the while offering a comfortable and luxurious space to temporarily call home.
The Darc Mono isn’t cheap, although that isn’t surprising. It starts at $355,000 at current exchange rates, and if you opt for the “Adventure” package—the adaptive suspension, front bull bar, winch, and carbon-fiber snorkel, as well as carbon-fiber headlight protectors, an exterior grill, and a more powerful battery—you’re looking at an approximately $380,000 bill. On the plus side, the Darc Mono is available to consumers in the United States, as a representative for the company informed us the Iveco Daily 4×4 upon which it’s based “meets all DOT regulations.”
We get it. You have overlanding fever, and if you have the means, your only prescription is exposure to Darc Mono. Look for deliveries of the first Darc Monos to begin in August of this year, while preordering begins this month.
The post The Darc Mono RV Is Giving Us Overland Fever appeared first on MotorTrend.
