Dacia’s Affordable Revolution: Dominating European Markets with Moroccan-Made Cars

The third-largest brand in France, after Renault and Peugeot, Dacia, Renault’s low-cost subsidiary, has exceeded 9% market penetration in the first nine months of 2025. In the European Union, the Romanian firm is the seventh-largest brand with a 5.2% market share (over eight months), behind Volkswagen, Toyota, Skoda, BMW, Renault and Peugeot. As last year, the Dacia Sandero, the cheapest model on the market, "is the best-selling car in Europe," says Frank Marotte, Dacia’s sales and operations director, on Friday during the Dacia Days in Meudon (Hauts-de-Seine). "Dacia is one of the greatest success stories in Europe," he added.

The brand has recently launched two highly sought-after models. Sales are around "200,000 for the new Duster SUV over the past year and 50,000 in six months for the Bigster," says the executive. The affordable cost is the main reason for this enthusiasm for Dacia products. The Sandero is available from €12,990, while a Citroën C3 is sold at €15,850, a Renault Clio at €16,900. As for the Dacia Duster SUV, its price does not reach €20,000, while a Renault Symbioz is €29,900. The price of a Bigster is set at €24,990, compared to €41,800 for a Renault Austral. "The average price of new cars on the market has increased by 63% in twenty years, while the price of used vehicles has increased by 45% in fifteen years. Cars are therefore becoming inaccessible," explains Frank Marotte.

During the Dacia Days, the Romanian brand unveiled its new models, the raised Stepway version of the Sandero and the seven-seat Jogger station wagon derivative. Both will be equipped with 120-horsepower LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) engines, with even an automatic transmission option. They will retain their unleaded fuel tank and have a total range of more than 1,400 kilometers between two refills. LPG proves to be a more economical solution than hybrid. On a Jogger, the price difference between an LPG 120 version and the hybrid could be around €5,000.

The Romanian brand owes its success to four key factors. First, simple and lightweight models. "When we study a Dacia, we set a selling price. And it is based on that that we build the car. If a feature is too expensive, we remove it. Every part is looked at penny by penny," Gérard Detourbet, the father of the Dacia recipe, explained in the early days. Then, a technical platform (except for the electric Spring). "60% of the parts of the Bigster are common with the Duster," said Denis Le Vot, Dacia’s CEO. In addition, the low cost of production in Romania (€11 per hour) or in Morocco where the Sandero, Stepway and Jogger are produced (€5 or €6). Finally, the simplicity of the range. Distribution costs "are one-third or half lower compared to generalist manufacturers," Luca de Meo pointed out.