autoevolution
 

Romanian Automaker Dacia Coming to Australia With Renault-Badged SUVs

Australia is a tough market for many automakers. Toyota, Mazda, Hyundai, and Ford are presently ranked as the best-selling brands in the Land Down Under, but as you’d expect, Toyota dominates most segments due to the Japanese automaker’s world-class reliability. Come 2024, Renault intends to challenge these brands with low-cost vehicles.
Dacia Duster Extreme SE 13 photos
Photo: Dacia
Dacia Duster Extreme SEDacia Duster Extreme SEDacia Duster Extreme SEDacia Duster Extreme SEDacia Duster Extreme SEDacia Duster Extreme SEDacia Duster Extreme SEDacia Duster Extreme SEDacia Duster Extreme SEDacia Duster Extreme SEDacia Duster Extreme SEDacia Duster Extreme SE
Glen Sealey, general manager of Renault Australia, told Drive.com.au that “we see a terrific future for Dacia models.” He further noted that everything would be rebadged as Renault due to the French brand’s recognition in this part of the world. Outside of the Romanian automaker’s home country, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, most people associate Dacia with James May’s running gag about the Sandero on BBC Top Gear.

Speaking of the Sandero, it’s not coming to Australia. “Everything has to be a new-generation product,” revealed Mr. Sealey. “We would see it starting with the all-new Duster,” which is due in 2024. The Bigster three-row SUV is also considered. After it, who knows what else will follow?

The question is, why did Renault wait so long until it decided to bring Dacia to Australia? You could say that Renault wanted to see how it fared in the United Kingdom, and you’d be perfectly right. There are two more reasons that Glen shared with the cited motoring publication, starting with safety.

First and foremost, the Duster’s side-impact safety performance leaves much to be desired, as it did in the case of the Nissan GT-R following the introduction of ADR 85 (Australian Design Rule 85/00). Passenger vehicles are required to comply with this regulation since November 2021.

Secondly, do remember that Renault is going upmarket in terms of pricing with the likes of the Megane E-Tech, which is hideously expensive compared to its combustion-engined predecessor that ended production in July 2022, leaving a lot of room for Dacia in the Australian market.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)

Editor's note: 2022 Dacia Duster Extreme SE pictured in the gallery.

About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories