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“Internet sales will quickly become a reality. Many of our customers know what they want before they step into our showrooms, so an online sales channel makes sense,” said Gerard Detourbet, head of Renault's low-cost program.
But that isn't the only reason. Renault will be soon facing the threat of a low-cost rival coming from the French group PSA Peugeot-Citroen. Rumored to receive the abandoned Simca name, the new make could sell its vehicles exclusively through the Internet, as sales chief Jean-Marc Gales hinted at the Geneva Motor Show.
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This here commercial for Dacia's low-cost Duster SUV is the work of Dutch advertising company Artcore. We should warn you that the ad is a 1 minute and 46 second parade of almost continuous swearing. While we can appreciate some over-the-top creations, we just can’t see this ever airing, at least not during daytime hours. But even if the commercial somehow made it on your TV set, we doubt that this is what Dacia wants to promote.
The commercial has been labeled as “banned” by various internet sources, but it seems to have been produced to showcase a radical idea, rather than to be purpose driven advertisement. The foul-mouthed clip is available right after the break.
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However, the brand's models aren't exactly exciting, even more so when it comes to sheer performance with their mundane, small displacement petrol and diesel engines. But as always, for every problem there's a fix. This man's answer was to ditch the Logan sedan's four-cylinder and throw in a 2.8-liter VR6 Volkswagen engine.
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Our summary presents the remaining candidates in alphabetical order, with the winner set to be announced on November 29. We'd really like to know which of the seven cars would get your vote, though, so comment away below.
Enter the world of Auto K9, a tuning house based in Romania. The company has just presented its latest creation in the form of a one-off Dacia Logan Convertible study based on the sedan model.
Named "Adventure Kit", the first package adds a bull-bar to the front end and new protective side bars. The second package is more comprehensive and includes either 16-inch alloy wheels (18-inch rims are available as an option), LED daytime running lights up front, side skirts and a chrome piece for the tail pipe.
Here's a short clip from Dacia's Romanian factory (unless we're mistaken and it's from one of Renault's other plants that also produce Dacia models), showing a worker on the production line trying to fix a problem with the passenger-side doors on what looks to be a Sandero hatchback.
The poor guy tries everything; from repeatedly tapping the locks with a hammer and slamming the doors in numerous ways to even trying to pull the door down, but nothing seems to be working as the doors simply refuse to close properly. Watch the video after the break.
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The compact off-roader uses the firm's low-cost Logan platform that has spawned several car and small-van models over the past few years. At 4.31 meters long and 1.82 meters wide, the generic but somewhat tough-looking Duster is similar in size to the recently facelifted Nissan Qashqai crossover.
Dacia says that the Duster can comfortably seat up to five adults offering both front and rear occupants the same amount of space as the Logan saloon while the SUV's boot has a capacity of up to 475 liters (depending on version).
As you can see for yourselves in the gallery after the jump, the Duster's dashboard bears a strong resemblance to the Nissan Qashqai (albeit with previous generation Renault switchgear).
The five-seater model, which makes uses of the same platform found on the Dacia Logan, measures 4.31 metres in length and 1.82 metres in width.
Source: Daciaclub , Via: Vudu84
We were hoping to see some driving footage of the new Dacia Duster 4x4 in the first official video of the vehicle, but instead the Renault-Nissan Alliance bored us to death treated us with two-never-ending-minutes of static shots of the SUV's exterior... As a reminder, the Romanian brand's budget 4x4 will go on sale in Europe from spring 2010, followed shortly after by other international markets including, but not limited to, the Middle East, Russia, Brazil and the Gulf States. You can read more about the Duster 4x4 in our previous post here.
We don't know if the Renault - Nissan Alliance's new Dacia Duster 4x4 will be as capable as the Lada Niva when it comes to off-roading, but it appears that the Romanian firm is aiming to create a modern day successor to the Russian 4x4 with its latest model that was officially revealed today. In Renault's own words, the Duster is "an economical to buy and run, tough, reliable and easy-to-use 4x4, aimed at motorists looking for an everyday car with real off-road ability."The company says that while the Duster's price will be comparable to that of a city car (e.g. Ford Fiesta), its exterior and interior dimensions are more akin to those of a C-segment compact car (e.g. VW Golf VI) offering enough space for five passengers and their luggage.
Based on the B0/Logan platform, the Duster measures 4.31 meters in length and 1.82 meters in width meaning it's about the same size as the recently facelifted Nissan Qashqai crossover.
According to Dacia, the Duster's boot has a volume of up to 475 dm3, while with the rear benchseat folded and tipped forward, its carrying ability can exceed 1,600dm3.
The Duster will be offered with either a 1.6-liter petrol engine in 110hp and 85hp guises, or a 105hp dCi diesel powerplant, all available with two-wheel or four-wheel drive.
The 4x4 variants make use of Nissan's all-wheel drive system which allows the driver to choose from three different driving modes - Auto, in which the front/rear torque split is calculated automatically as a function of available grip, Lock, whereby 50 per cent of torque is consistently fed through the rear axle, and 4x2 where the transmission is locked into two-wheel drive for maximum fuel efficiency.
Renault / Dacia (take your pick) says that the Duster is a genuine off-roader offering a strengthened undercarriage, a high ground clearance (more than 200mm) and big clearance angles (approach angle: 30 degrees; departure angle: 35+ degrees).
Furthermore, the Duster also boasts a low unladen weight at 1,180kg or 2,601 lbs in 4x2 form, and 1,280kg or 2,822 lbs in 4x4 form.
The company said that depending on the market, the compact sized model will come equipped with ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution and emergency brake assist, and front and side airbags.
Sales of the Dacia Duster will begin in Europe, Turkey and the Maghreb region (Algeria, Morocco) from Spring 2010.
From June 2010, the Duster will also be available in Ukraine, the Middle East (Israel, Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon) and in some African countries badged as a Renault, while in 2011, it will be sold in the Gulf States.
For these markets, the Duster will be produced at Renault's Pitesti factory in Romania.
In 2011, Renault will begin production of the Duster at its Curitiba plant in Brazil for distribution in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Chile, while at a later date, the Duster will go on to be manufactured at the Avtoframos plant in Moscow, Russia.
For those that just can't wait until early December to see ex-F1 champion, Alain Prost, getting behind the wheel of the competition version of Dacia's forthcoming Duster crossover for the Trophée Andros racing series, here's a video with some action-packed footage from the test runs. We remind you that the competition Duster 4x4 gets a mid-mounted, 3.0-liter V6 engine that pumps out 350 horsepower. Click through to watch the videos.
