In the registrations of new cars in Portugal, in 2023, 4th position, only 7 units away from the 3rd. Among private customers, due to the popularity of Sandero and Duster, “champion”!
Dacia, surprisingly (or maybe not, considering the pragmatic way it approaches the market, combining emotion and rationality in a differentiated way), said goodbye to 2023 “at the doors” of the top 3 in new car sales in Portugal, only seven units away from the third place, Mercedes! The brand of the Renault consortium registered 14,803 units (compared to 2022, a growth of 45.2% and an increase in market share from 6.48% to 7.42%…), against the 14,810 registrations made by the Germans in our country. More, only Peugeot (20,698) and Renault (16,100). Globally, also compared to the previous year, a progress of “only” 26.9%, to 199,623 passenger cars, a result still 11.2% below the total of pre-COVID 2019.
The numbers are even more relevant because they position the Romanian brand at the top of sales to private customers, which account for approximately 20% of the market, with the rest being dominated by companies and fleets. Therefore, considering the money, the company founded in 1957 that Renault bought in 1999 and reintroduced to the market in 2004, is positioned at the top of Portuguese preferences, a fact that supports the statement of the Dacia director in Portugal, that “we are sweeping the automotive trash off our roads”! In our country, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), the average age of the vehicle fleet is 15 years (!), three years above the European average, considering the 27 member states of the European Union (EU).
LPG versions account for 57% of registrations in Portugal
Also in terms of models, Dacia is at the top of sales to private customers, with the Sandero in 1st position and the Duster in 2nd. This (exceptional) commercial performance accounted for a 17.67% market share. There is also a relevant change in the perception of the brand’s image, from cheap to smart, as demonstrated by the fact that 70% of customers buy the more equipped versions. And the Romanian brand is also accelerating in the field of electric vehicles, with the Spring ranking 4th in the table of best-selling electric cars in our country (1st among private customers), behind the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y and the BMW i4.
Finally, it is important to highlight the commercial success of the investment in LPG, with the Eco-G engine versions accounting for 57% of Dacia vehicles sold in the national market last year – in this case, compared to 2022, there was a 14% increase in demand, with the low cost of use, a characteristic that is associated with the minimal environmental impact, explaining the success of this formula. The Jogger is another phenomenon of popularity – more than 4700 units sold since 2022 – but the brand regrets the low demand for the hybrid version with a 1.6 gasoline engine and electric motor, due to the increasingly anachronistic Vehicle Tax (ISV) that hampers the commercial performance of the model.
Debut in the European “top-10” and many novelties in 2024
Portugal is the rule, not the exception, in Dacia’s journey. The final numbers of new car sales in Europe in 2023 are still unknown, but there is claimed progress of 14.6%, compared to 2022, as well as positioning among the top 10 best-selling brands in the region, which happened for the first time, with a record market share of 4.4% (8.3% considering only private customers, a figure surpassed only by VW!). Both abroad and in Portugal, Sandero and Duster are the most successful models.
For 2024, in Europe and in Portugal, the expectation is for further growth. This is fueled by the launch of the new Duster (orders open in March and first deliveries in May) and also by the updates to Sandero, Sandero Stepway, and Jogger, all scheduled for spring, as well as the reintroduction of the 4-door sedan Logan. Finally, there are promises of more hybrid and “bi-fuel” (gasoline and LPG) engine options, as well as the world premiere of the Bigster, an SUV positioned as the flagship model, with a presentation scheduled for the Paris Motor Show (October).
