Autoevolution
Because the Logan isn’t available throughout Europe, the Sandero is often referred to as the most affordable nameplate from Dacia’s roster. But very affordable cars present a few challenges, and the emphasis falls on costs.
The Sandero is currently built in Mioveni, Romania and at two plants in Morocco, but the third generation of the subcompact hatchback will be produced exclusively in the North African kingdom. As you may have guessed from the intro, Dacia intends to focus on more profitable nameplates at the Romanian assembly plant.
A factory worker’s wage is directly connected to the company’s profit margin, the amount of money by which sales revenue exceeds the costs of a business. Morocco is, therefore, the best solution within Groupe Renault for the lower-priced Sandero whereas Europe is perfect for more expensive and more profitable models like the Sandero Stepway, Duster, and a slew of other models that may include an all-new crossover.
Nicknamed the Grand Duster, a seven-seat utility vehicle would definitely help the Romanian automaker’s business in the Old Continent. Expected to replace the Lodgy people carrier and the Dokker utility and passenger vans, the newcomer hasn’t been confirmed for production despite the increasing number of reports on it, including from French publication L’argus. Lest we forget, commercial director Francois Mariotte said three years ago that a three-row crossover “is not on the plan. You can forget it.”
We’re in the dark about the Spring as well, the first-ever EV from the Romanian automaker controlled by Renault since 1999. The newcomer will be revealed tomorrow, and in the first instance, everyone expects the Spring to be made in China alongside the Renault K-ZE on which it is based.
The problem with Chinese production, however, is that the European Union enforces a 10-percent tariff on imported cars. If the Spring were to be manufactured in the Old Continent, Dacia would profit from these circumstances by pocketing those percentage points or by cutting the price to attract more customers, especially those who didn’t consider a Dacia before.
