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| Dacia |
- Dacia is a Romanian automobile manufacturer created in 1966, a subsidiary of the French Renault group since 1999. Dacia is positioned on the automobile market as a manufacturer offering financially affordable models.
- The brand's head office is located in Mioveni, Romania.
- Dacia vehicles are sold in 44 countries in Europe, the Maghreb, Turkey, Israel and Lebanon. They are rebadged under the Renault brand elsewhere in the world.
- In April 2022, Dacia announced that it had reached ten million vehicles produced1.
- In the 1960s, the socialist countries of Eastern Europe began to want to develop their automobile industries. To do this, they must call on large groups in the West, which are much more technologically advanced. It is in this context that in Romania, the government chose Régie Renault, and in 1966 signed a contract with the French manufacturer providing for the production near Bucharest of the future diamond sedan: the Renault 12. These cars, built by the company UAP (“Uzina de Autoturisme Pitești”) in the town of Pitești, located about a hundred kilometers from the capital, will be called “Dacia”, in reference to the ancient name of Romania: Dacia. Production began on August 20, 1968 with the Dacia 1100, a derivative of the Renault 8. In 1969, while Renault presented its new R12 at the Paris Motor Show, the Dacia 1300 was unveiled at the Bucharest Fair: it was identical to the French sedan, with logos and hubcaps. Its serial production began on August 20, 1969.
- Between 1969 and 2006, 2,278,691 Dacia 1300s and derivatives were produced, including 1,716,660 four-door sedans, 203,107 station wagons, 318,969 pick-ups, 7,822 5-door sedans, and 5,141 1410 coupes. In the meantime, the 1300 and its derivatives are gradually modernized, while other models on the same basis are launched. The 1300 represents more than 90% of Dacias produced before the Logan.
- In 1999, Renault's choice to acquire Dacia, under the leadership of Louis Schweitzer, the CEO at the time, aroused a lot of mistrust given the dilapidation of the factory, the lack of reputation of the brand and the doubts about the feasibility of a vehicle announced at a price of five thousand euros2,3. The launch of the Logan in September 2004, however, proved to be a great commercial success in Romania, as in France from June 9, 20054 (even if the first Logan was imported into France by an automobile agent located near Dunkirk), even if the price will ultimately be higher than announced (6,280 euros in Romania for example). A success that is repeated in other West European countries, where its low price attracts customers looking for a simple and accessible vehicle. From the end of 2005, the factory was operating at maximum capacity, and Renault was even seeking to buy the Daewoo factory in Craiova to be able to produce more.
- After five years of losses since its takeover, Dacia made a profit of fifty-seven million euros in 2005. Production in 2005 reached 172,021 vehicles (+82%), including 146,056 Logans, for a turnover of 1.2 billion euros, including 348 million from exports.
- Production of the Logan was then launched in other countries by Renault, which, in 2006, enriched the range with a Diesel engine, and an estate version: the Dacia Logan MCV, produced in 2007, and offering up to with seven places. Utility derivatives (Logan pick-up and Logan Van) entered production the same year5.
- After the Logan, Renault continued its breakthrough into global markets with a five-door city car, the Sandero2, released in Brazil in 2007 and in Europe in 2008. In 2010, the Duster SUV was released which uses the chassis of the Dacia Logan. 2012 is the year of release of the first minivan with the Lodgy, as well as the arrival of the first MPV, the Dokker.
- The Dacia brand does not extend geographically, its models often being rebadged by Renault outside Europe. Some markets still see the late appearance of Dacia: this is the case of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Malta and Norway in 2013, then Israel in 20156,7,8 .
- In 2020, benefiting from the new platform of the fifth generation Renault Clio, the new Logan III and Sandero III appear. The Jogger crossover station wagon, which appeared in 2021, also inherits this platform.
- With the Spring available since fall 2021, Dacia is marketing its first electric vehicle. It is also the first Dacia produced outside of Romanian or Moroccan factories, since it is assembled in China at the DongFeng factory in Shiyan9.
- According to a study whose results will be published in February 2022, Dacia is the car manufacturer with the most loyal customers, with a loyalty rate of 52.1%. This means that out of 1,000 owners of a Dacia car, 521 stayed with the same manufacturer by purchasing a new or used Dacia10.
- In April 2022, Dacia announced that it had reached ten million vehicles produced1. In 2022, the brand's models are sold in 44 countries around the world8.
- On May 11, 2022, David Durand, 49 years old and graduate of the Strate Collège design school in Paris, became design director of the Dacia11 brand, replacing Miles Nürnberger. He reports to Laurens van den Acker, Renault Group design director and member of the Renault Group Board of Management (BOM).
- In June 2022, Dacia is rolling out its new brand identity across its entire range12. This new identity is accompanied by a new positioning strategy, slightly more upscale than in the past: prices are increasing and the vehicles are less basic than before. By developing the image of its brand and improving the level of performance of its vehicles, Dacia wishes to protect itself against the arrival of new competitors, particularly Chinese. Xavier Martinet, then sales director of the brand, declared "if price is the only value proposition, others can do less", meaning that in addition to its entry-level positioning, Dacia must provide value propositions that are more difficult to replicate by the competition13.
- Dacia announces in February 2023 that the brand will be at the start of the 2025 edition of the Dakar, with its Duster14 SUV.
