DACIA: A CONTINUING SUCCESS STORY
In the space of just seven years, the Renault Group's Dacia brand has become a genuine global success story. Dacia has taken a fresh approach to the automobile by making sure it provides its customers with the basic essentials at an attractive price. This philosophy has seen the brand emerge as a mainstream player in today's market.
Consistently rising sales
In 2010 (passenger car market):
Across the world, Dacia sold 348,279 vehicles (an increase of 11.8 percent over 2009).
In Europe, Dacia achieved a market share of 1.6 percent thanks to the registration of 246,920 vehicles (up 15 percent compared with 2009).
In France, Dacia was the sixth best-selling brand, with a market share of 4.1 percent thanks to the registration of 110,075 vehicles (a gain of 65.6 percent over 2009). A high proportion of customers were passenger car buyers, making Dacia France's fourth best-selling passenger car brand.
Dacia's ongoing success can be explained by the brand's extensive range of products, including:
Dacia Sandero: 155,000 cars sold in 2010 (25 percent of these were Stepway versions),
Dacia Duster: since its launch one year ago, more than 100,000 orders have been placed.
Between now and 2013, the Sandero, Logan and Logan MCV models will be renewed, while the range will be further extended with the introduction of a new family model and a new small van in 2012.
A flying start to the career of Dacia Duster
Dacia's off-road model, Duster, has been a big hit in all the countries where it is marketed. A total of 67,000 Dacia Dusters were registered worldwide in 2010.
Dacia Duster has earned a long list of leading awards, including the "Autobest 2011" prize, the "Trophée de l’Argus" award in France, the "Vehicle of the Year" award in Romania and the "Residual Value Champion" title in Germany.
The model has also carved out an enviable record in the world of motorsport, with Alain Prost taking runner-up honours in France's 2010/2011 Trophée Andros ice-racing championship with a competition version of Dacia Duster.
Dacia Duster's competition career will continue on March 22 when it is due to contest the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles in the Moroccan Sahara for the second year running. Dacia's 4x4 won its class in this all-lady event in 2010.
DACIA: CONTINUING SUCCESS ON THE SALES FRONT
In the Maghreb region: Dacia passenger car sales increased by 5.2 percent to reach a total of 37,289 vehicles, despite a 2.6 percent fall in the market. The brand's market share increased by one percentage point to 8.2 percent in Algeria, and by one point to 17.5 percent in Morocco where it has become the country's number-one brand.
In Europe: Dacia passenger car and LCV sales increased by 15.2 percent to 246,920 units, equivalent to a market share of 1.6 percent. As of the end of 2010, Dacia's principal European markets were France (110,075 sales), Germany (40,327), Italy (21,941), Spain (21,753) and Belgium, where the brand's market share increased by 0.9 point, with the sale of 11,403 vehicles.
In Romania, Dacia is still the country's best-selling brand with a market share of 31.7 percent, up three percentage points.
A FLYING START TO DACIA DUSTER's CAREER
Since its launch in April 2010, Dacia's off-road model – the sixth model in the Dacia line-up – has enjoyed tremendous success in all the countries where it is marketed.
Dacia Duster is available with 4x4 or 4x2 transmission and combines unbeatable cabin space for its price with genuine off-road ability, while the model's diesel versions are particularly CO2-efficient.
Dacia Duster is as much a functional buy as it is a leisure purchase, and it lost no time carving out a real market for itself when it was introduced:
- 100,000 orders have been placed (up to the end of 2010)
- More than 67,000 Dacia Dusters have been registered worldwide
- In Europe, Dacia Duster sales exceed 56,249 units
- In France, 19,689 Dacia SUVs have been sold
Delivery times have been cut to less than three months in Europe.
Recognised success
Dacia Duster's success has been greeted by a number of industry awards:
The "Autobest 2011" award in Eastern Europe (for the market's best automobile package in 2010),
The "Trophée de l’Argus" (family car class) in France. This prize takes into account criteria such as new purchase price, running costs per kilometre, residual value, fuel consumption and driver- friendliness,
The "2011 Residual Value Champion" title (SUV class) in Germany,
"Car of the Year" in Romania. This prize is awarded to the vehicle which has the biggest impact on the Romanian automobile market and takes all segments into account.
Success in motorsport, too
Dacia Duster's success in the showrooms is echoed by its results in motorsport. The robustness and reliability of Dacia 4x4 has been put to a gruelling test on events ranging from the snowy ice-racing circuits of France's Trophée Andros to the dunes and trails of the Moroccan desert.
Trophée Andros:
The 2010/2011 Trophée Andros saw Alain Prost secure runner-up honours at the wheel of his Dacia Duster Glace1. Once again, the series demonstrated that strength and reliability are dialled into the genetic makeup of Dacia models.
1 Dacia Duster Glace is a version specifically prepared by Renault Sport Technologies to contest the Trophée Andros.
Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles:
- In the second half of March, Dacia Duster will take to the dunes of the Moroccan desert when it takes part in the 2011 Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles. Ten all-lady crews will start this annual fixture at the wheel of a Dacia Duster 4x4.
- The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles is motorsport's only all-lady event. It features an original format whereby crews must endeavour to cover the fewest number of kilometres possible. Smart strategy and on-the-feet thinking are vital ingredients as competitors take on the region's rocky trails and sand dunes.
The 2010 Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles saw Dacia Duster win the crossover class.
Duster: a truly international career
Duster's global calling means that it is marketed in different parts of the world either as a Dacia or a Renault model, like Logan and Sandero.
- Duster is marketed as a Dacia in Europe, Turkey and the Maghreb region.
- Duster is marketed as a Renault in Ukraine, the Middle East (see above) and Africa.
From this autumn, Renault Duster will be manufactured in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Chile. It will go on to be produced in Russia (Avtoframos plant, Moscow) and Colombia (Sofasa plant, Envigado). Renault Duster is also marketed in the Gulf States, with cars provided by the Pitesti factory, in Romania.