Dacia announces higher sales

Dacia Automobile company sold last year 196,700 cars in Romania, 19.6 per cent up compared with 2005 but under the company’s self made estimates, because of the general exports increase and the lower sales registered in Romania.

The positive sales evolution was backed by the Logan vehicle, of which 247,000 units were sold at global level, both under the Dacia and the Renault brand.Jacques Daniel, Dacia-Renault Nissan Romania’s commercial director, said that the total sales reported in 2006 represent the best year Dacia ever had.

Of the total volume, 184,000 units were manufactured in Romania and 12,750 in Morocco. The company showed that it registered lower sales on the light commercial vehicles sector, from 20,750 units in 2005 to 11,733 units in 2006. This category’s Dacia Pick Up is not produced anymore, the company motivating that it had to focus more on the production of Logans.

“We had to make a decision between Logan and Pick Up. Logan is sold all around the world while the Pick Up model was sold only on the Romanian market, so we gave up the last model,” said Jacques Daniel.

Renault sold in Romania 23,549 units, placing the Romanian market on the sixth position as importance regarding sales. A number of 99,044 Logans were sold on the Romanian market while from the break version, called Logan MCV, were sold 3,600 units.

On the international markets the Dacia sales increased by 76 percent in 2006, to 88,931 units, the only exported mode being Logan. The main export destination was Western Europe, a region that holds 40 percent of the total sold units.

In Morocco, where Logan is manufactured starting with the second semester of 2005, a number of 12,750 units were sold, the result placing Dacia on the first place regarding the car sales on this market.

Regarding the CKD ((Completely Knocked Down) collections, in 2006 started the deliveries to new destinations such as Iran and India, where the assembly line activities will start this year.

Daniel did not offer any information regarding this year’s estimates but said that Renault-Nissan wants to launch a new Logan model and to expand the line of motors for Logan.

The company also wants to develop its logistics infrastructure in order to improve exports and will build a specialized terminal in the Constanta harbor.

The company made clear its intention of not acquiring any production facilities in Romania.

“For now, the factory in Pitesti corresponds very well to our needs but I cannot tell you what will happen in the near future,” said Daniel when referring to any further acquisition of factories.

Logan to be sold in Great Britain

Gerard Detourbet, a director within Renault, stated for Financial Times that Renault is thinking of launching the Logan model on the British market, in 2008.

If the mentioned model will be sold in Great Britain, it is very likely for the cars to be manufactured by the Renault-Mahindra, a mix company created in India by Renault and Mahindra & Mahindra.

Mahindra, India’s largest terrain vehicles, will start this year the production of Logans that will have the wheel on the right side. Automobile Dacia announced that will not increase the prices for its cars but, on a long term, higher prices are expected because of the changes occurred in the Fiscal Code, last year.

The company also saluted the Romanian government’s decision of introducing a tax for the licensing of new cars, considering it a wise decision.

Source: nineoclock.ro