Dacia started out as a cheap brand. For its 18th birthday this summer, i.e. when it comes of age, the Renault subsidiary wants to be perceived very differently. To do this, it is expanding and rejuvenating its model range all around. What does the interested clientele expect?
With just 2000 registrations and one model, the Logan, Dacia started its success story in Germany in 2005. In 2022 there were already four model series and more than 60,000 new registrations. And that's not the end of the story: by 2025, the range is to be expanded to five models and further rejuvenated.
When breaking down the registration figures for the past year, Dacia manager Thilo Schmidt identified a number of positive developments. The brand's market share climbed to a new high of 2.3 percent. On the private market, Dacia has moved up to sixth place, overtaking Audi and Skoda. 79 percent of all Dacia buyers are private individuals, January 2023 delivered even higher values.
A total of 847,000 Logan, Sandero, Duster, Jogger and Spring have been sold in Germany to date, and the Renault subsidiary wants to crack the first million by 2025 at the latest. According to Marketing Manager Frederik Monnet, the signs are good. Because the concept of affordable mobility for everyone is well received: they started with pure price positioning. But now Dacia is perceived as cool.
The recipe for success: good value for money and concentration on the essentials. What is not needed is simply left out, but without wanting to preach disdainful renunciation. Details such as the Dacia roof rails are just as much a part of the overall package as the robustness expected by customers and the ecological compatibility of the models. All combustion vehicles, for example, are also available with LPG drive - this is now a unique selling point. What also distinguishes Dacias: there are no discount battles - and therefore a high resale value. Private customers are also happy about this.
In the future, the brand's cars will be designed more for outdoor activities and leisure activities. The move away from purely rational car scenarios can also be seen visually: instead of the not particularly attractive "bottle opener" logo, the brand's vehicles have had a more stylish and modern lettering since the beginning of the year.
After this all-round facelift, the new Duster is on the agenda for 2024. And a year later it can also be one size larger: Dacia is entering the highly competitive and lucrative C-segment SUV market with the Bigster. There aren't too many details yet, but a clear message: Even the then largest Dacia should transport the basic virtues of the brand, be affordable and modern.
The enlargement of the range is flanked by a number of special models that reflect Dacia's self-confidence well: The Duster, as a limited special model "Mat Edition", should become a collector's item. In the Extreme version, the Spring benefits from a more powerful 65 hp engine. They are proud of the fact that Green NCAP voted the mini-electric vehicle the most environmentally friendly of all the cars tested in 2022. And that the Jogger is now also available with a hybrid drive.
However, Dacia cannot detach itself from the general price development. The times when starting prices around 6000 euros lured customers in droves to the car dealership are long gone. The Sandero now starts at 10,750 euros. But only again from the beginning of March. The small car with a 65 hp petrol engine cannot currently be ordered.
