Renault’s Romanian budget brand Dacia is inching closer to Australia, but the first showroom arrivals are still years away – and we won’t get all models.
The Dacia Duster small SUV and Dacia Bigster mid-size SUV are creeping towards Australian showrooms at a glacial pace because the local distributor is waiting for new-generation models to go on sale in Europe.
Dacia is Renault’s Romanian-based budget brand, however the next generation of vehicles will be upgraded to higher safety and technical standards so they can be sold globally.
And they will wear Renault badges in Australia as part of a resurgence of the French marque.
Sales of Renault cars and vans in Australia rose by 25 per cent last year in a market that grew just 3 per cent.
The company claims Australia is now among the Top 10 international markets for Renault.
The local sales surge follows a switch to an independent distributor in Australia, which has streamlined the Renault range to three SUVs and three vans.
The distributor for Renault in Australia plans to launch the Megane E-Tech Electric hatchback and Kangoo small van (with petrol and electric power) by the end of this year, ahead of a rollout of more new models in 2024 and 2025.
At the centre of Renault’s growth plans in Australia are the next generation of the Dacia-sourced Duster small SUV, and the first Dacia Bigster mid-size SUV – both of which will wear Renault badges as part of a broader line-up.
When asked when the Duster and Bigster will arrive in Australian showrooms, the boss of Renault in Australia, Glen Sealey, told a recent media briefing: “We’re ready and waiting for (the factory) to say ‘let’s go’. They’ve given us positive indications, but you never know until a car is on a boat.”
However, not all Dacia models will make it to Australia because they either don’t meet the latest safety standards or would be prohibitively expensive due to the 5 per cent import tariff still imposed on vehicles imported from Europe.
“For Dacia, there’s a whole range of vehicles available,” said Mr Sealey. “We are most interested in the Duster and the Bigster.
“The problem with a broader rollout of Dacia vehicles in Australia … in the case of some cars, we can’t get the price where they need to be.
“When you look at Dacia in Europe, it’s excellent value against the backdrop of emerging Chinese brands.
“That’s because the Chinese brands are paying a 10 per cent tax to go into Europe, and Dacia is there for free, so to speak, because that’s where the company is based.
“For Dacia to come (to Australia), there’s a 5 per cent import tariff because they’re coming from Europe – because there is no Free Trade Agreement in place – and the Chinese cars are in Australia for free (without an import tariff), because there is a Free Trade Agreement in place.
“So when you look at that way, there’s a 15 per cent gap between the prices of Dacia cars in Europe to where they would be compared to competitors in Australia.
“And that’s why some Dacia models don’t add up for us. But for the vehicles that do make sense for Australia, we’re very excited about those.”
When asked about the prospects of a car-derived Dacia ute called the Oroch – based on the Duster SUV platform – Mr Sealey said: “For anything that we think will work in Australia, we’ve got our hand up for it. And we think that vehicle (Dacia Oroch) would work here.
“We are not sure yet if that vehicle will be made available in right-hand-drive.
“If it were to come to Australia, it would need to be the next-generation model to meet the latest safety standards and, of course, be manufactured in right-hand-drive.”
The Renault Oroch on sale in South America today is based on the first-generation Duster which dates back to 2010 – rather than the second generation on sale in Europe since 2017. New generations of the Oroch and Duster are believed to be in development.
When asked how Dacia models will fit into the refurbished Renault line-up – 70 per cent of sales of which are top-end, premium-priced models – Mr Sealey said: “Our Renault vehicles have moved upwards (in price and positioning).
“To bring in something like the Dacia Duster and Dacia Bigster as Renault vehicles, we know they won’t be the cheapest in their segment either, but we also know they are exceptional examples of industrial design.
“People love the look of those vehicles. So as well as the step up to premium content, those vehicles will also make a style statement and stand out from the rest of the SUV class.”
The post Dacia Duster and Bigster SUVs a step closer to Australia, with Renault badges appeared first on Drive.
0 Response to "Dacia Duster and Bigster SUVs a step closer to Australia, with Renault badges"
Post a Comment