What makes Dacia the number one selling car in Romania?

In 1998 when Renault bought the loss making Dacia, no one expected the company to perform well. Today, Dacia Cars are the highest selling cars in Romania. The flagship model of the company is Dacia Logan which was launched after four years of extensive research. In 1999, the company announced the launch of Project X90 which planned to develop cars that could be used by the masses. Renault wanted to make a car that was modern, affordable and reliable.

When Renault launched Dacia Logan, the company wanted to offer its customers all the features that they wanted in a car at a reasonable price. The base model of the car was priced at 6,000 Euros which made it one of the cheapest cars in the segment. The company had simplified the features of the car to reduce the cost of the car. When Dacia Logan was launched it replaced the existing model of Dacia namely Romanian Dacia 1310. Initially Renault planned to sell the cars only in Romania but later changed its plans. The cars manufactured in Romania are being sold in most European countries. The company has also entered into a joint venture with Mahindra in India to manufacture and sell the popular Logan model. Apart from the popular Logan the company also makes Dacia Sandero, Logan Van and Logan MCV. In the Geneva Motor Show 2009 the company displayed it’s yet to be launched model Dacia Duster. All these models are priced competitively without compromising on their features.

The sales of Dacia cars have been rising at a rapid pace. The company which sold a mere 22,883 cars in 2004 sold over 500,000 cars in the year 2009. The main reason for steep rise in sales of Dacia cars in Romania and other countries is because Dacia cars offer excellent value for money. Another reason for rise in sale of Dacia cars is because these cars are considered to be one of the safest cars. In a recent survey conducted by a French magazine, most people considered Dacia cars one of the safest cars. The car came third losing the first two spots to Daihatsu and Lexus. Also most readers considered the Dacia cars the cheapest car to maintain and repair. According to the readers the average annual expense of maintaining a Dacia Car was about 130 Euros. This amount is far lower than what you have to spend on maintaining cars belonging to other brands. Renaults smart marketing tactics is another reason for rise in sale of Dacia cars. Renault has set up manufacturing plants in many European countries which help the company in reducing its manufacturing cost. In some countries, the company has tie-up with local car makers to make and market Dacia cars. Renault has also launched many new models to meet the requirements of their customers. The growth in sales of Dacia cars has forced many manufacturers to rework their business model. Companies like Skoda are planning to launch new models to compete with the popular Dacia Logan.