The Russians from Avtovaz have presented at the Moscow Motor Show a Lada version of Dacia Logan MCV. The model is still called "Project R90" and is the first car to be built at the factory in Togliatti on the B0 platform, the one that the Romanian model is built. Clearly, this model is only a slightly modified version of Dacia Logan MCV, but there are no problems of copying a model because Nissan owns 25% of AvtoVAZ and decided to introduce this unique model on the Russian market under the Lada logo.

The Project R90 standard version will be powered by an 1.6 liter petrol engine and will have two airbags and a ISOFIX system for attaching child seats. Optionally, the model can be equipped with an ABS, a Radio CD with MP3 and side airbags. As in Romania, the third row of seats is optional. Once launched on the Russian market, the Lada R90 will have a starting price around 350,000 rubles (equivalent to 8.946 euros). For example, a Lada Priora Wagon has a starting price of 320,000 rubles (about 8179 euros), while the Renault Logan model equipped with 1.6 liter engine has a starting price of 365,000 rubles (equivalent to 9.329 euros).

"We have new projects with Volkswagen and Renault. For the future X52 model we will have basically the same engines with small changes. They became more efficient and with lower carbon emissions and lower fuel consumption," said Catalin Tischer, the General Director of Mahle, the supplier of air filters for Dacia and other major European car manufacturers.

The Logan’s successor will have to compete in 2012 with new models that will be launched by Citroen and Peugeot. Besides these, Skoda promises for some time a low cost model that will rival Logan and other major car manufacturers also have in plan to launch a low cost model. It remains to be seen whether the Dacia-Renault will be able to apply the new recipe for success that characterized the Logan model in the case of the second generation. This time, the Romanian car manufacturer has all eyes of the European market fixed on it.

In the next two years, the Russian car manufacturer could launch a B-segment vehicle, developed on a Renault platform and that will be scheduled to sell 300.000 units per year. Also, the Eastern conglomerate could stop producing cars under the Lada brand, and could introduce a new low cost model, estimated at 5000-6000 EUR.

In these circumstances, if all goes according to plan, AvtoVaz could produce by 2015 a total of 900.000 vehicles per year, a figure that will allow to retain its current market share of 25%.

Renault and other shareholders of the AvtoVaz promised that will invest in the Russian car manufacturer approximately one billion euros: 310 million will come from the Russian government and 240 million from the French car manufacturer. Renault will provide also the available technology, the information materials and the production equipment.

The Logan MCV unit number 300.000 has a red color, is powered by an 1.5 dCi engine, it is a version with five seats and will be delivered to a customer in Italy.

In Romania the cheapest Logan MCV cost 8.400 euros with all taxes included. The most expensive version of Dacia Logan MCV is a Prestige version and has a price starting from 12.900 euros, has seven seats and an 1.5 dCi engine.

Dacia and BMW were surpassed by Mercedes with 838  points in the study that measured the levels of customer satisfaction based on four key criteria: vehicle attractiveness (performance, design, comfort), quality and reliability, the maintenance cost (consumption, insurance policies, costs of repair) and the quality of services by  approved repairers.

Dacia Logan was ranked second in the small class models category with 839 point. In the first place of this top was Nissan Note with 846 points and on the third place was Toyota Yaris with 833 points.

The study was conducted during January and March 2010 and was based by 16.330 online interviews by customers who have owned a car for about two years. The models evaluated came from 25 brands and covered all car classes.

Since the launch on the German market in 2005, Dacia sold 150.000 vehicles in Germany until may 2010.

The importance of the Lada factory was underlined by Putin himself, the Russian prime minister, who has approved a loan of 930 million euros and bought a Lada Niva model to show his support. He then made pressure on the Renault-Nissan alliance, who reached an agreement with the local government to produce a new model in the Togliatti factory. It is the low-cost Dacia Logan which will be assembled under the Nissan logo.

Currently, the Logan is sold under the Nissan brand in Mexico, where it is sold as the Nissan Aprio.

The Logan Tourer has bicolor leather seats cover, wood imitation on the console, a better carpet and a better audio system with MP3 and Bluetooth connectivity. The Logan Tourer will be powered by petrol and diesel engines and will be available in three colors: java brown, mist silver and diamond white.

The success of the Logan MCV in undeniable, and it is at the same level as the other models built on the Logan platform. Over 82% of the Logan MCV cars produced by the Mioveni Factory were exported. The Logan MCV is exported in 60 countries on four continents.

The most interesting feature of the new Logan MCV Van Young Activity III is the trunk located on the roof. Once opened, the trunk offers for the customers of the MCV’s Activity Van Young III, a tent for two people, a technique solution used on some versions of Volkswagen Transporter.

Unlike Duster, Dacia will create a production version of Logan MCV Van Young Activity III, with a starting price 15.900 euros.

While all auto sites write about the latest models that will be launched at the Auto Motor Show in Frankfurt, some french blogs write about the first Dacia coupe since Renault bought Dacia.  A young Romanian, Alexandru Bogdan Maris, tried to imagine how the new Dacia Logan coupe would look like, in some digital processed photos.

Dacia announced some time ago that Logan range will be extended for the public in Romania and in Europe with a variety of low-cost models. Dacia sales grew in the first half of this year with 28.6% on the European Market.