Dacia: Generous and Clever

March 4, 2008 -- Four years after the launch of Logan, the Dacia success story continues with Dacia Sandero, an affordable, spacious, robust, five-door hatchback.

Depending on market, Dacia's 2008 line-up features five vehicles: Logan, Logan MCV, Sandero, Logan Van and Logan Pick-up.

Dacia sales are enjoying consistent growth and increased by 17.2 per cent in 2007, notably in western Europe (up 67.9 per cent) thanks to the success of Dacia Logan MCV.

With a range of five modern, affordable, rugged and reliable vehicles, Dacia stands out as a brand that is both generous and clever. Generous because all its products deliver record cabin space at an affordable price. Clever because, thanks to its appealing range of low-priced vehicles, it foresaw the demand of a pragmatic clientele looking for peace of mind. And not only is Dacia in tune with the times and ahead of its competitors but it has also succeeded in taking the initiative by seizing numerous new market opportunities.

The launch of Dacia Sandero means that 2008 will stand out as a strategic watershed in terms of the brand's development. Like the vehicles it produces, the new Dacia logo unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show expresses modernity, simplicity and robustness. The brand's emblematic blue has been carried over but has switched to a deeper hue.

… AND THE DACIA SUCCESS STORY CONTINUES…

From 2008, the Dacia range will feature five vehicles, namely the Dacia Logan (saloon), Dacia Logan MCV (estate) and the Dacia Sandero (hatchback), plus two utility vehicles, Dacia Logan Van and Dacia Logan Pick-up.

Dacia Sandero, which is the fifth body-type to use the B0 platform (Logan) and which goes on sale from the middle of the year, opens the range up to a whole new clientele, that of the compact hatchback segment. As is the case with Logan, Dacia Sandero is positioned in its segment as an entry-level vehicle which offers unrivalled performance and equipment for its price. Depending on market type and opportunities, Dacia will seek to sell the models that are the most suited to the characteristics of each country.

MATURE MARKETS, HIGH GROWTH MARKETS: THE LOGAN RECIPE WORKS EVERYWHERE Thanks to this new model, Dacia is set to extend the exceptional success it first encountered with Logan, its emblematic model since 2004. Founded in 1966, the Romanian carmaker remained an essentially national company at first until becoming a Renault subsidiary in 1999. Since 2004, the Dacia Logan family has formed a new range of vehicles which deliver unbeatable performance and features for their price. This fresh approach has produced a level of success that has significantly outstripped initial expectations, and sales continue to grow, more than tripling from 68,738 cars in 2003 to 230,164 in 2007. Between 2006 and 2007, the brand grew by 17.2 per cent.

Today, Dacia is present in 51 markets, extending from Europe to Africa, the Maghreb countries and Turkey. This Spring will see its introduction in Portugal, and then in Scandinavia (Sweden, Denmark, Finland) at the end of the current year.

Dacia recorded its biggest growth in 2007 in western Europe where sales increased by 67.9 per cent to 79,740 vehicles. The principal increases were noted in France (73.9 per cent, 32,684 vehicles) and in Germany (174.8 per cent, 17,517 vehicles) in the wake of the success enjoyed by Dacia Logan MCV. Meanwhile, in January, Dacia was classified France's ninth best-selling brand (from 38), just three years after its launch.

Meanwhile, in 2007, with the sale of 102,000 vehicles, Dacia successfully defended its lead in its home market, Romania. Two special edition Logans introduced in the course of the year proved extremely popular, namely the ABS+, which comes with additional safety features (accounting for between 20 and 25 per cent of sales from April to December), and the Kiss FM (16 per cent of sales since its launch in April), which is equipped with a radio/CD/MP3 and appeals to a younger clientele. In Morocco, Dacia currently ranks in second place with a market share of 12.4 per cent, just behind Renault. Logan is the market's best-selling vehicle, ahead of Kangoo.

Dacia continues to make headway in Ukraine, too, with sales up to 9,350 vehicles in 2007, an increase of 58 per cent on 2006. The Ukrainian market is expanding rapidly (plus 35 per cent) and the release of Logan MCV in July echoed the tremendous welcome given to the model at the Kiev Show in May, enabling Dacia to emerge as a durable brand in the country's car market.

A BUSINESS MODEL AS ROBUST AS THE CAR

The Dacia brand has every intention of pursuing its strategy which is based on a brand new, low-cost business model. Each and every decision taken in relation to the design, production and sale of its models is thought with a view to enhancing customer value. As a consequence, so long as the principle of giving customers what they want with no unnecessary frills is adhered to, costs can be kept in check. Dacia Sandero has adhered to this strategy to the letter and will go on sale at a very attractive price.

AN EXPANDING NETWORK: GUARANTEED SERVICE FOR ALL

The Dacia brand benefits from an extensive sales network in all the markets where it has a presence. In Romania, it boasts more than 100 sales outlets, 17 of which were opened in 2007. Elsewhere, the Dacia brand is able to count on existing, extensive and highly professional Renault networks. In total, the Dacia range is sold by more than 1,100 dealers in western Europe, while in France two dealers opted to open separate Dacia showrooms in 2007. This sort of initiative promises to gain ground as the range expands in the coming years.

THE PITESTI PLANT: AT THE HEART OF PERFORMANCE

Dacia's historic base in its factory in Pitesti, Romania continues to stand out as the brand's main production site for vehicles based on the B0 platform (Logan). Thanks to extensive sharing of parts between different body types, the five Dacia models are all produced on a single assembly line. In 2007, the factory upped its annual capacity to 350,000 vehicles (60 vehicles/hour) in order to incorporate the production of Dacia Sandero and the brand's continued growth.

Dacia vehicles are also manufactured in Casablanca, Morocco. In response to demand, a third production site, also in Morocco (Tangiers), will build Dacia vehicles alongside Renault and Nissan models from 2010.

Source: Dacia