At the Brussels Motor Show, gaining in international importance, we were able to meet an increasing number of company representatives. One of them was Katrin Adt, the recently appointed new CEO of Dacia.
Her message was clear: “We want our offer to be simple and affordable. Expanding into the fleet/leasing market is certainly not one of our priorities. We don’t want more volume at a high cost.”
The new CEO has been with Dacia for approximately four months, having come from a very different environment: Mercedes-Benz. We reckon this transition has been quite a shock for her, but Adt doesn’t see it that way and is already totally absorbed in her new role.
“Being at Dacia is really fascinating. The brand’s recent history is amazing, and I was really pleasantly surprised by the enormous team spirit within the company. The engagement of everyone is huge. The consistency of our offer is our strength: we make reliable and affordable cars.”
Challenges
Dacia has been doing very well in recent years. Nevertheless, one has to be careful not to rest on one’s laurels.
“The whole automotive industry faces huge challenges. There’s no reason whatsoever that this shouldn’t count for Dacia. In 2035, we will have an entirely different landscape. The market is volatile, and the challenges are coming from the environment, competitors, and regulatory bodies. We want to keep offering this affordable mobility, whatever happens.”
Does affordable mobility also mean pure electric?
“Combining electric drive and affordability is still a serious challenge. Take, for example, the A-segment. One has to be small but also clever. Maybe the Hipster concept could be our answer, as it is also conceived around our priorities. We’ll see if we can find clients that want it and a regulation that makes it a valuable offer. The public’s initial reactions are clearly positive. If things sit right, we are ready to produce it.”
There have also been rumors for a while about an electric Sandero.
“Sandero has become an iconic car for us, and, of course, our all-time best-seller. Sandero sits in the B-segment, and we will see whether the Sandero client is interested in a pure-electric variant. The technology is, of course, available, being a daughter of Renault Group.”
“But our cars, whatever they will look like, will never be a copy-paste of something else, not even of Renault products. That’s why we won’t copy the Chinese either. We can learn from them, but we have to add our own European assets.”
No fleet policy
Dacia is almost the king in the market of individual buyers. Does it have any ambition to also go for the professional market?
“To be honest, the fleet and leasing business surely isn’t one of our priorities. The simplicity of our offer is our key value for the individual buyer. We won’t let that deteriorate due to residual-value issues. Right now, we have the best second-hand value on the market. After four years, most of our products still retain a 70% residual value. We won’t play with this invaluable quality. That’s why we will always be a little different.”
Don’t you still have to work on your image?
“Our image has progressed a lot over the last years. What’s wrong with being pragmatic and offering affordable cars that are also nice to drive? And we’re still the only ones to offer such a broad range of cars that can run on LPG (liquified petroleum gas). Clearly, an additional asset.”
How would you describe that image?
“Undoubtedly ‘value for money’. We will, of course, adapt to a changing market, but without making huge concessions. We don’t want a Nokia debacle. Dacia will always stay pragmatic and on the lookout for new but affordable solutions. What’s our dream car? An affordable Dacia. Now and in the future.”
