The tag of 'Hottest Car in Europe' is usually associated with top notch luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW, which are known for producing highly stylish models. However, this title, for 2013, has been given to Renault’s low-cost brand Dacia. Interestingly, 2013 has been good for Dacia as compared to other car brands in Europe. According to the report published in New York Times, sales of Dacia increased by 21.1 per cent in November 2013, which is well above Mazda and Jaguar that saw a 15.6 per cent increase.
Arnaud Deboeuf, the Renault Executive who oversees the company’s entry level segment around the world, reportedly said, “Anyone can say we took advantage of the crisis. But there’s been a change in buying attitudes in Europe. People don’t want to spend so much money on a car now.” It would not be wrong to say that the most probable reason behind the emergence of Dacia is its low-cost models. Deboeuf indicated, “You can’t offer a car to your customers at an aggressive price if you don’t put pressure on your engineers, on sales, marketing, to control and reduce costs.”
There is also a news stating that Dacia Duster will now head towards India, being a facelift version of Renault Duster. Dacia Duster was first shwocased at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show and was recently unveiled by Romanian car maker at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show. Coming to the Indian market, the facelift variant is expected to be exhibited at the upcoming Auto Expo 2014.
Sources close to the development have hinted that Renault is more likely to consider the launch of an updated version pretty soon for the Indian market. The main reason can be seen from the fact that Duster is easily available at the dealerships with no waiting time. Evidently, the buzz around Duster (a compact utility vehicle) has declined and the same is reflected from its sales statistics, which have reduced to 4,657 units in October 2013 from 6,313 units in March 2013. The main impact on Duster's buzz came from its rivals Ford EcoSport and Mahindra Quanto. Thus, to get the momentum going, the company must bring in a updated version for domestic buyers. According to the industry experts, the facelift variant of Duster is more likely to attract new buyers and consequently, tumbling sales can be checked.
The facelift model of Duster is expected to include same engine options, namely 1.5-litre K9K diesel and 1.6-litre petrol along with an addition of a new 1.2-litre unit to reduce its cost. Both, exteriors and interiors look refreshed and various features that customers can expect in the new model are cruise control, speed limiter, electronic stability control, rear park assist, dual front airbags, new dual-toned honeycomb grille, reworked tail lights, restyled headlamps with double optic units and DRL, new scuff plate, chromed exhaust and roof rails. Apart from this, one can expect a spiced-up centre console with Renault's infotainment system. The addition of a new colour option, Cormete Grey, is also expected from the company.
