Dacia believes it is on the cusp of becoming one of the most relevant and popular car makers in Europe, as buyers switch towards seeking greater value for money in the ongoing cost of living crisis.
To that end, the firm has launched a new brand strategy hot on the heels of a new styling direction and logo earlier this year. It will focus on three mantras: making cars that are ‘essential but cool’, ‘robust and outdoor’, and ‘eco-smart’.
While perhaps rooted in marketing speak, the overall theme of the new strategy is clear: to ensure the brand focuses on making cars that are offered only with the equipment they need and no more, which in turn keeps down prices and ensures outstanding value for money.
“We are in a new economic environment,” said Dacia sales and marketing boss Xavier Martinet. “We have the same issues as other OEMs but we believe we have an interesting card to play. With inflation and many other areas of the economy, many customers don’t want to spend €30- 40,000 on a car. In crisis comes opportunity, and although we’re not looking for crisis, there could be alignment for us to move beyond our two pillars of Sandero and Duster.”
By the time it launches the Bigster (pictured below) in 2025, it will have five models (Spring, Sandero, Duster, Jogger, Bigster) that Martinet says will give Dacia 80% coverage of the European market. “We believe we will have a complete offer of strong models,” he said. “The idea is to give consistency, and with a brand positioning in-line with customer expectations of “essentials” in each segment.
Martinet also said that the Dacia Spring electric city car remains under consideration for a UK launch, but a final decision had yet to be taken – and if it was, a 2024 release would be the most likely.
However, Dacia is not immune to the challenges facing the industry around the rising costs of raw materials, a “part of the equation we can’t manage”, according to Martinet. “If the cost of steel doubles, there’s not much I can do,” he said.
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So, they plot to continue doing what they have successfully done for years? How surprising! Good for customers, though. Kudos to them for offering amazing value for money, and for being the only ones to come up with "simply clever" touches, such as roof bars that can be switched from longitudinal to transversal, and integrated smartphone holder. Let's see how they can maintain their value for money while embracing CO2 reduction.