Dacia News

Dacia cars got for the first time in the top 3 of the most reliable cars in France according to an analysis of the UFC- Que-Chiosir quoted by Le Figaro.

On the first positions were the Japanese brand Toyota with a reliability index of 96.2% and Lexus wit a reliability index of 94.13%. Dacia got a reliability index of 92.61%.

Dacia was also placed first among the cars with the lowest costs of maintenance and repair, 130 euros per year, compared Mazda (229 euros per year) and Ford (230 euros per year).

The Romanian car manufacturer, Dacia, presented the first official details of Duster, a compact SUV, that will be launched next year in march in Geneva. Dacia Duster is based on the Logan platform, has dimensions close to the Dacia MCV (4.31 meters long) and uses the Nissan 4×4 technology. Although prices were not yet communicate it is thought that the starting price will be about 12.000 to 13.000 euros.

The new model, which measures 4.31 meters long and 1.82 meters wide, will be available in 4X2 and 4X4 versions with a gasoline engine of 1.6 liters and 110 horsepower, and two diesel engines of 1.5 liters and 85 horsepower respectively 1.5 liters and 105 horsepower.

Duster has a global ambition and the launch will take place gradually in different regions of the world, after the Logan and Sandero launched plan.

Dacia Duster will be launched in the spring of 201dacia Jordan, dacia Siria, Dacia Lebanon0 in Europe, in Turkey and in Algeria and Morocco. From June 2010, Duster will be launched under the Renault brand in Ukraine, the Middle East (Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon), Egypt and some African countries. The Mioveni factory will produce vehicles for all these markets, both under the Dacia brand, and under the Renault brand. The factory with a current production capacity of 350.000 vehicles per year, will continue to produce other models of the mark.

The Duster expansion will continue in 2011. In the countries of the Persian Gulf will be available under the Renault brand from 2011. Dacia Duster will be produced in Brazil, in the Curitiba factory, along with Sandero, Logan and Stepway models. Vehicles manufactured here will be sold in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Chile.
Renault is also studying to return in the U.S. market after 23 year absence.

"We analyse the re-launching opportunities in the U.S., and the model that might influence this decision is the new SUV from Dacia" said Gerard Detourbet, charge entry-level division at Renault.

Although there are few good months until the Geneva Motor Show, Dacia decided to surprise the fans with an absolute world premiere. The Romanian car manufacturer presented in Paris at a conference held in Renault Square Communication, details about the newest member in the Dacia family. It’s the long-awaited SUV, which the international press waited since the middle of the summer.

The first pictures offered for the public present an extreme version of the Romanian model, ready for competition. The competition version of Dacia Duster, anticipates the release of the series model, which will launched in the spring at the Geneva Motor Show.

The Dacia Duster presented in Paris will participate in the famous competition Trophee Andros known for the difficulty of the routs performed on mountain roads covered with snow. The surprise prepared by Dacia is that the famous french driver Alain Prost will drive the Duster in the Trophee Andros. The version driven by Prost will be equipped with an V6 engine capable to develop over 300 horsepower.

The Duster presented in Paris was prepared by Renault Sport Technologies.  The series version of Dacia Duster will have a tubular chassis which houses a three liter engine with  24 valve from the Renault-Nissan range.

The registrations of Dacia cars in France in October, took the biggest advance on the local market by 86% compared to same period of 2008 with 6.895 units, according to the French Auto manufacturer Committee.

In January-October the registration of Dacia cars in France advanced by 38%, compared to same period last year to 48.743 units, reports Mediafax.

Dacia passenger car sales increased by 75% in October, to 6.481 units and at 10 months advanced by 27% to 44.802 cars. 
Dacia  market share increased from 1.7% in October 2008 from 2.8% in the same period this year, and from 1.6% in the first 10 months of 2008 from 2.3% in same period in 2009.
France is one of the largest markets for Dacia, along with Germany and Italy.
In October, the French car market increased by 12% to 242.044 cars registered in November.

Dacia Logan will be sold in Ukraine under the Renault brand from September. This is to get more reputation in the market, cars will be delivered from Romania, announced the general director of Renault Ukraine, Marc Le Gratiet.  However, the French group examines the possibility to import Logan from Russia. 

Renault aims 3.9% of the Ukrainian market for Logan in 2009, and 4.9% in 2010. In the first eight months of the year, Renault’s market share in Ukraine was 1.6% and Dacia had a market share of 2.3%. The Ukrainian car market is estimated at about 180.000 units in 2009 and will increase by 17% in 2010, according to the general director of Renault.
The Dacia exports reached 130.668 vehicles in the first six months of the year. The most important export market of Dacia is Germany, followed by France and Spain.

Dacia celebrates the production of 250.000 units of Logan MCV. The model has passed the 250.000 boundary of production in less than three years from its official launch. Dacia Logan MCV is the second model in Logan range and has received a face lift in October 2008. Dacia Logan MCV model has four equipment versions and is available in two configurations – with five and seven seats.

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.

Dacia hasn’t presented any surprises at the Auto Show in Frankfurt. The Romanian car manufacturer preferred to present the new models at the Auto Show in Geneva, in the spring of the next year. At the Dacia stand were exposed only the Duster and the Sandero Stepway.

Dacia has still presented a new prototype: YAV Prototype, a new concept based on the Logan MCV that  proposes an ingenious approach to the interior space. The new Dacia prototype was created by the Hymer, a company specialized in production of vehicles for camping, and the German division of Dacia.

According to the officials of both parties involved in the project, YAV will have a series version, with a prices between 15.000 and 20.000 euros.

Dacia will present a new concept car at the Auto Motor Show in Dusseldorf. If Dacia Duster was a futuristic concept, the new Dacia Logan MCV Young Activity Van III is based solely on the Logan MCV phase II. The new concept of the Romanian car manufacturer promises more, with an attractive design and announcing a versatile interior. The interior has been designed so that two adults can sleep comfortably seated.

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.

The french Automobile Magazine announces in the online edition that the name of the new Dacia SUV could be Kanjara or Duster. Obviously, in the absence of some official information, the new name was received with reserves.

Kanjara is an Indian name with Sanskrit origin meaning as the word "mild".

Besides the future Dacia SUV name, Automobile Magazine announces that the new Romanian SUV will have a version with seven seats, like Quashquai/Quashquai +2. According to information provided by Automobile Magazine, the long version of the SUV will have a length of 20 centimeters than the classical model, and the price of the final model – around 18.000 euros – will be half of the next SUV that can host the same number of passengers.