REPORT: Dacia could sell in UK after all... if Cash For Clunkers legislation passes
If Britain follows Germany's lead and adopts a scrap-your-old-car incentive, it looks like the first company to pounce will could be Romania's Dacia. Renault, which owns Dacia, had planned to launch its brand in the U.K. last summer, but then backtracked.
Thankfully, the bargain brand's fortunes improved when Germany's car scrapping incentive took effect yielding an industry-wide 21 percent jump in February sales. But Dacia didn't just manage to achieve that increase, their sales mushroomed by something like 900 percent, going from less than 100 Logans per week to more than 1000.
According to Autocar, the company thinks it may be able to realize similar results if Britain, making outsized returns on its plucky, cheap-as-chips Sandero – but only if Britain's politicians green-light the initiative.
[Source: Autocar]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
wkern 8:17AM (3/26/2009)
Logan & Sandero are sold as Renault in South Africa.
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asifgrkhan 1:24PM (3/26/2009)
I saw a Logan in the SF Bay Area last week (in Fremont). Did a double take and actually went round the block as I did not believe my eyes.
Saw that it was badged as a Nissan Aprio but with California Plates.
Little bit of research showed that it is sold as a Nissan Aprio in Mexico (http://www.nissanaprio.com.mx/). Some one must have brought it over. Dont know why though. Looks like it is made of cardboard and shipping pallets.
It is much worse in person than in pictures.
Dr. Nick 8:29AM (3/26/2009)
It's niiice, but it's no Tata.
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Mel. R 8:36AM (3/26/2009)
Great News!
The Dacia Sandero will be back on Top Gear as a running gag once again!
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ehisforadam 8:38AM (3/26/2009)
Moving on.
superman211 11:44AM (3/26/2009)
WOO HOO!
NOT!
Will 8:36AM (3/26/2009)
James May will be excited! Great News!
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Will 8:37AM (3/26/2009)
Damn you Mel R! haha
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superman211 11:46AM (3/26/2009)
Slow day for Auto Blog
Bloke 8:50AM (3/26/2009)
Renault sold Dacia models in the UK before some 25 years ago. Those were the odl R12-based cars which Dacia built for years, and badged Denim in the UK.
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Tzaje 9:16AM (3/26/2009)
Dacia says that this move couldn't be true: the Romanian officials say that a right handed car should be well prepared before a launch, And Sandero isn't.
Here are the official reactions:
http://www.automarket.ro/stiri/autocar-sandero-vine-in-anglia-dacia-raspunde-nu-se-pune-problema-19545.html
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Baskingshark 10:56AM (3/26/2009)
Mmm, yeah. Incentive or no, I will not be turning in my 14-year-old car for this POS.
Mattias 11:12AM (3/26/2009)
The right hand drive Dacia Logan is on sale since five months ore so:
http://www.autoworld.co.za/NewsArticle.aspx?Article=5997
Tzaje 11:14AM (3/26/2009)
Yea, but Dacia is not willing to enter the UK market with Logan, but with the Sandero hatchback.
Patrick 11:17AM (3/26/2009)
Do the existing Cash for Clunkers laws have special requirements for time of ownership before you can turn in the car for cash? I'm very curious because Cali is thinking about passing this and if I can just buy a POS for
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~D. 12:47PM (3/26/2009)
I was actually concerned about the same thing. I very much would like to see a Cash-For-Clunkers program in the US, and specifically it's windfall for local small autos, but being a former Cali resident I worry about all the ways in which this programs could be abused. It's sad that any attempt to help folks in the States is always met with the sort of ingenuity usually reserved for comic book supervillains. People need to stop devoting all of their creativity towards hustling.
As for the Dacias, having experienced both of them first hand, I can personally attest to their competitiveness in their segment. If only they were sold in the US...the Logan for example has all the cheer of a Jetta, but is cost competitive with the Kia Rio & Hyundai Accent. The South Korean marques would have stiff competition, just as they're getting a firmer hold on foreign consumers.
tomguptill 1:37PM (3/26/2009)
I think the Logan MCV could sell here. There's a whole market segment in Europe (Logan MCV, Renault Kangoo, Fiat Dobló, Citroën Berlingo) that basically doesn't exist over here - the Kia Rondo or the Ford Transit Connect come close, but they're not quite the same.
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