Renault + Dacia in 2023 = Renault in 2005
- It was in 1999 that Renault bought the Romanian company Dacia (created in 1966), to make it a subsidiary producing low price cars based on simpler design and more basic equipment, a formula which gradually evolved towards vehicles being closer and closer to the latest generation of Renault models. It was in 2005 that Renault management decided to market Dacia models throughout Europe. First it was the Dacia Logan, then appeared the Sandero hatchback derivative of the Logan, then the Duster SUV and the Lodgy minivan. If the Lodgy was not a hit on the European market, the Sandero and Duster enjoyed great success throughout Europe, with the Sandero becoming one of the three best-selling models in Europe in the early 2020s.
- In terms of market share, has the Dacia brand contributed a lot to the Renault, meaning, have Dacia's sales added to those of Renault or has Dacia cannibalise the Renault customer base? The analysis of the market share in France and Europe shows that the market share of the Renault + Dacia group remained stable between 2005 and 2023, and therefore that the Dacia brand has taken part of the Renault customer base. Renault's market share has fallen significantly in France and Europe while Dacia has increased significantly, with the two market shares tending to converge.
- However, this assessment must be qualified because the decline in Renault's market share in France and Europe can also be explained by the fall in sales of its C (Megane) and D (Laguna, Talisman) segment sedans, and by the sales drop of its C (Scenic) and D (Espace) segment MPVs, models that do not compete with Dacia.