Tuesday, 28 July 2015

Like locusts only Dacia's

Dacia, a budget car brand that after selling well in the developing world appears to have been taken to heart by the British. Whats gone on in the 12 months I've been away? Today I want to do a little bit of social commentary on this new trend for a brand that's only been available in the UK since 2013. Wow aren't my holidays at home fun.
A selection of Dacia's at one of the many many dealerships
 

Peebles, a small town in the Scottish Borders and also where my parents live. Last year their street featured a heady mixture of non descript suburban transport, Citroen's, Hyundai's and Fords if it was mildly dull it was up a driveway. But upon my return all had gone, replaced by Dacia's. In my 25 years I've been witness to many car buying trends but never one that changed the motoring landscape of a small town quite so quickly!
A shiny new Dacia Duster on the driveway to the left
Dacia's to the left of me

By using my mighty powers of deduction though it is easy to see why they are a hit. Owned and built by Renault, Dacia have the piece of mindedness behind them that buyers of ordinary A to B cars like. They are also wonderfully cheap, the Sandaro hatch starts at just £5,995, that's about AU$13000 for a brand new, safe, fully warrantied, full size car! Their popularity also comes down to the fact they are rather good. At this price point buyers probably don't expect much but Dacia actually offer a quality product, I mean don't expect VW levels of tactility but still they ain't bad. Finally there is the last reason they are so popular, the showrooms are everywhere, even in small Scottish Border towns. For people looking to buy cheap easy transport Dacia have positioned themselves right on everyone's doorstep. Why go to a big city for a Skoda when you can go out and get a Dacia before lunch time?
A shiny new Dacia Sandero on the driveway to the right
Dacia's to the right 

Unfortunately the Dacia brand isn't sold in Australia so it is unlikely I'll be driving one any time soon to find out if what I've deduced is true. However with a no frills range that is expanding and a UK public hungry for budget motoring (50,000 sold by May 2015) I wouldn't be surprised to see a Dacia adorning my parents driveway when I return home again next year.
The lucky owners of the 50,000th UK Dacia!
 

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