François Fourmont, General Director Dacia

Since it was not a long-term solution for us, we indicated that, should sales not pick up in the spring of 2009, we would be forced to lay off one of the three shifts.

Some measures taken in certain states and especially the old car bonus (in France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Romania…) have slowed down the fall. We are confronted to a particular situation on the German market: the 2,5000-euro scrapping bonus offered by the German states convinced many clients to buy one of our models. To be precise, 30,000 cars were ordered between January and February. All these cars will have to be delivered to our German clients by the end of May.

All this has prevented us from laying off one shifts and helped us increase our daily output. Unfortunately, it is only a short-term solution.

2.You have come with a special offer after the launch of the Remat programme – a new entry level Logan sedan, for 4995 euros, including the 3800-lei bonus. Is it right to say that Dacia currently has the best prices on the new car market?

It is true, as we promised before the Remat programme was launched in Romania, we have come with a new version of the Logan sedan that, with the 3,800-lei scrap bonus, should have the best price on the market: 4,995 euros. Outside the Remat programme, this new version is available at 5,900 euros.

Not only does Dacia have the most affordable models on the new car market, it also boasts the youngest range in Europe. Only last year we relaunched the Logan sedan, we launched our first two-volume car – the Sandero - as well as the facelift of the Logan MCV. All models and versions have the ABS and the AFU systems as standard equipment, starting with 2009. all this, plus the longer revision periods and the doubled guarantee period have not reflected in the price.

3.How do you comment what certain Romanian economy specialists have said: that France should be the one supporting Dacia, via the loans granted to the French national carmakers, Renault and Peugeot-Citroen ?

Dacia is a Romanian company, and our investments are made in Romania. The states support whatever investment is made on their national territory: the French state supports investments made in France, the Romanian state supports investments made in Romania. Except grants for investments given under the legal provision set by the European Union, Dacia has not asked for financial aid from the Romanian state.

4.What is the total amount of state grants received so far by Dacia from the Romanian state?

Dacia received 78-million euro worth of state grants, under four categories: exemption of customs taxes on imports of industrial machinery, grants for environment investments, delayed payment of VAT for Dacia sales on then internal market and a 21-million euro grant for the gearbox plant in Mioveni.

5.To how much amount the Group’s total investments for Dacia ?

Investments made for Dacia in Romania total more than 1.5 billion euros.

6.How many jobs has the Group created in Romania so far?

Dacia currently employs 13,845 people, to which add the employees of Renault Technologie Roumanie (RTR), the Titu Technical Centre, Renault Mécanique Roumanie (RMR) and Auto Châssis International (ACI). Overall, we are talking about 16,874 jobs at present.

7.What place does Dacia have in the Group’s strategy, during the current economical and the financial crisis?

Dacia holds a key-role in the Group’s development, both present and future. Dacia is Renault’s Entry range that we hope to adapt to the needs of specific markets, as is the case with Sandero Stepway, in Latin America.

8.Carlos Ghosn, the Group’s General Director, said that one of the post-crisis priorities is to make low emission cars. How does this idea deal with low-cost cars, such as Dacia?

In Romania, all diesel versions in the Dacia range have the eco2 signature. Eco2 guarantees that the car complies with certain conditions. First, it is important that the car have a CO2 emission lever inferior or equal to 140g/km; then, the car has to be manufactured in a ISO 14001 certified plant; last, but not least, 95% of the cars mass must be recycled at the end-of-life cycle, and at least 5% of the plastics used on the car has to come from recycled materials.

In France, the Dacia range has the eco2 signature on the new petrol and diesel engines; the bio-etanol and the LPG versions have recently joined the range. They will also be available on the Romanian market. All this supports the idea that an affordable car is environment-friendly.