Romanian car manufacturer Dacia, part of the French group Renault, said its sales increased by 5.9% in the first half of 2022 compared to the same period last year, despite the pandemic and electronic components crises. A total of 277,885 Dacia vehicles were registered by the end of June 2022.

The company said in a press release that the results make Dacia "the only European brand among the 20 largest brands in the European PC and LCV market to experience growth."

Within the scope of its distribution coverage, Dacia increased its market share by 0.8 points to 3.9% despite a market drop of 14.6%.

The good H1 result was driven by the success of the bestselling models, Sandero (112,000 units, +1.8% vs H1 2021) and Duster (99,000 units, +5.5% vs H1 2021), and the two new models, Spring (20,000 units) and Jogger (21,700 units), the carmaker also said.

In Europe, the Romanian car brand shored up its position as the 3rd best-selling brand in the passenger car market with retail customers.

"To be specific, Dacia is on the podium for retail passenger car sales in France (2nd), Romania (1st), Italy (3rd), Portugal (1st), Poland (3rd), Croatia (3rd), Czech Republic (3rd), and Hungary (3rd). It is close to taking out a podium position in Spain (4th) and Belgium (4th). Compared to the first half of 2021, the brand gained 4 places in Germany (9th), boasting the 2nd best growth in the local retail passenger car market," the same press release reads.

Outside Europe, Dacia maintains its leadership in Morocco.

Xavier Martinet, SVP, Dacia, Marketing, Sales & Operations, commented: "The growth of Dacia's sales despite a steeply declining market confirms the relevance of its positioning built on the best value for money on the market. Electric and LPG ECO-G versions accounted for almost half of all orders in the first half of 2022, reflecting Dacia's push to advocate for a smarter way of consuming automobiles."

Dacia announced a new brand identity across all models on June 15, with orders starting on June 16 and the first vehicles reaching dealerships during the final quarter of 2022.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Dacia)