{"id":64054,"date":"2025-05-23T20:18:07","date_gmt":"2025-05-24T00:18:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/dacias-bold-move-affordable-mobility-and-the-game-changing-bigster-unveiled\/"},"modified":"2025-05-23T20:18:07","modified_gmt":"2025-05-24T00:18:07","slug":"dacias-bold-move-affordable-mobility-and-the-game-changing-bigster-unveiled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/dacias-bold-move-affordable-mobility-and-the-game-changing-bigster-unveiled\/","title":{"rendered":"Dacia&#8217;s Bold Move: Affordable Mobility and the Game-Changing Bigster Unveiled"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Dacia is on the verge of an exciting transformation, and CEO Denis Le Vot is at the helm of this journey. In a recent conversation on the My Week in Cars podcast, he shared insights into the brand&#8217;s growth, the upcoming Dacia Bigster, and the company&#8217;s commitment to affordable mobility. If you\u2019re curious about what\u2019s next for Dacia and how it plans to stand out in a competitive market, you\u2019re in the right place.<\/p>\n<p>### What\u2019s Driving Dacia\u2019s Growth?<\/p>\n<p>Dacia has carved out a unique niche in the automotive world by prioritizing affordability without compromising on essential features. Le Vot emphasizes that the brand&#8217;s success stems from its clear focus on delivering value. As he puts it, \u201cAffordable mobility is our job.\u201d This mantra resonates with consumers who are increasingly concerned about rising vehicle costs.<\/p>\n<p>The Dacia Bigster, set to launch soon, is a significant step in this direction. It marks the brand&#8217;s first foray into the C-segment, aiming to attract a broader audience while maintaining its commitment to affordability. The Bigster is not just another SUV; it\u2019s a carefully crafted response to consumer demand for practical, budget-friendly vehicles.<\/p>\n<p>### What\u2019s Next for Dacia?<\/p>\n<p>Later this year, Dacia will unveil a new five-year plan that promises to reshape its lineup. Among the exciting developments is an electric version of the popular Sandero, expected to hit the market around 2027\/2028. Le Vot is keen on ensuring that this model benefits from the latest advancements in electric vehicle technology, demonstrating a forward-thinking approach that aligns with global trends toward sustainability.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the brand is set to introduce a new entry-level electric car to replace the Spring. This model will be engineered in China but built in Europe, striking a balance between cost efficiency and quality. With a target price of around \u20ac18,000, it aims to keep electric mobility accessible for all.<\/p>\n<p>### How Is Dacia Redefining Affordability?<\/p>\n<p>Dacia\u2019s engineering philosophy is refreshingly straightforward: set a budget for components and design the vehicle to fit that cost. This contrasts sharply with the traditional approach of designing a car first and then trying to cut costs later. Le Vot explains that this method allows Dacia to avoid unnecessary features that can inflate prices. <\/p>\n<p>For instance, while competitors often share platforms across different models, leading to added weight and complexity, Dacia starts from the ground up. This means that when you buy a Dacia, you\u2019re getting a vehicle that\u2019s been designed with cost efficiency in mind, without the baggage of luxury features that drive up the price.<\/p>\n<p>### What Insights Went into the Bigster\u2019s Development?<\/p>\n<p>The development of the Bigster involved extensive market research, including conversations with 400 SUV owners in Germany. Dacia wanted to understand what features consumers deemed essential. This research led to the inclusion of desirable technologies like a powered tailgate and dual-zone air conditioning\u2014features that elevate the Bigster without straying from Dacia\u2019s affordability ethos.<\/p>\n<p>Interestingly, the pre-sales for the Bigster have been phenomenal, with a significant portion of buyers opting for higher trim levels. This suggests that consumers are not just looking for low prices; they also want value and quality. Dacia\u2019s ability to deliver on both fronts is clearly resonating with a new generation of buyers.<\/p>\n<p>### How Is Dacia Positioning Itself in the Market?<\/p>\n<p>Dacia\u2019s sales have more than doubled over the past seven years, with projections for 2024 nearing 700,000 units. This growth is accompanied by strong brand loyalty, with two-thirds of buyers returning for another Dacia. The average ownership duration is nearly eight years, indicating that once people experience Dacia, they tend to stick around.<\/p>\n<p>As the automotive landscape evolves, Dacia is adapting its offerings to meet changing consumer expectations. The brand is no longer just about being the low-cost option; it\u2019s about providing a well-rounded product that includes higher trims and more features. This shift reflects a broader understanding of what consumers consider essential in today\u2019s market.<\/p>\n<p>### The Road Ahead for Dacia<\/p>\n<p>Dacia is not just riding the wave of change; it\u2019s actively shaping its future. With a focus on affordable mobility and a commitment to electrification, the brand is poised to make a significant impact in the automotive industry. The Bigster is just the beginning of a new chapter that promises to blend practicality with modern technology.<\/p>\n<p>The big takeaway? Dacia isn\u2019t about perfection\u2014it\u2019s about smarter adjustments. Start with one change this week, and you\u2019ll likely spot the difference by month\u2019s end. As Dacia continues to innovate while keeping affordability at its core, it\u2019s clear that the brand is ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow\u2019s automotive landscape.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"\/car-news\/new-cars\/listen-dacia-ceo-previews-brands-next-steps-after-bigster\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dacias-bold-move-affordable-mobility-and-the-game-changing-bigster-unveiled.jpg\" width=\"190\" height=\"125\" alt=\"Denis Le Vot in front of Dacia logo\" title=\"Denis Le Vot in front of Dacia logo\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Affordable mobility is our job&#8221; says Denis Le Vot as the firm embarks on its next chapter<\/p>\n<div class=\"iframe-container-embed-acast-com\">\n<p>Dacia CEO Denis le Vot is the latest guest on the special Autocar Meets series on the My Week in Cars podcast feed.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to Autocar editor Mark Tisshaw, le Vot outlines what he thinks is behind the brand&#8217;s continued growth, the imminent launch of the new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/dacia\/bigster\">Dacia Bigster<\/a> and its significance for the brand, why <a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-news\/new-cars\/best-small-cars\">small cars<\/a> need to have a future to ensure mobility remains affordable to all, and teases a new five-year model plan that will be announced later this year.<\/p>\n<p>Le Vot continued the chat off mic &#8211; the podcast was recorded in the back of a Bigster on a drive through central London on the eve of its UK launch &#8211; and he goes into further detail below.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"wysiwyg-embed\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<h2>New model plans<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/new-car-reviews\/dacia\">Dacia<\/a> will reveal a new five-year plan later this year. Among the new models set to be confirmed are an electric <a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/dacia\/sandero\">Dacia Sandero<\/a> (due 2027\/2028), additional C-segment models to sit alongside the Bigster, and a new entry-level electric car to replace the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/dacia\/spring\">Spring<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Le Vot said the overarching theme of the plan will be a focus on Dacia coming back to &#8220;affordable mobility or very affordable mobility&#8221;, plus electrification of the range.<\/p>\n<p>The Sandero electric car will have a technical and design freeze at the end of the year, and le Vot is happy to push this as long as possible to ensure the model is able to benefit from cost reductions and technology breakthroughs in electric car technology.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We will come after the battle&#8221; on costs, he said. &#8220;The later you are, the better you choose.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>On the Spring replacement, le Vot said this would be engineered in China and use parts sourced from China, but be built in Europe, unlike the current model. It will be larger than the current Spring but won&#8217;t cost much more, with a target price of \u20ac18,000.<\/p>\n<p>At the other end of the range, Dacia has no plans to offer a model larger than the Bigster but it would be joined by additional body styles in the C-segment.<\/p>\n<h2>Rivals copying its approach<\/h2>\n<p>Dacia is unique in its engineering approach in the industry, setting the cost of its components, cars and projects first and then creating them to that cost, rather than designing the car and components first and sourcing them after, which can lead to a lack of cost control.<\/p>\n<p>Dacia said it was able to carry on doing this as, unlike other car groups and companies, it did not need to leverage components and platforms across multiple models with different positioning and market positioning, which always ends up with unnecessary weight and components engineered into a car.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We could take a Renault Australe and try and make it simpler to make a Dacia Bigster, but you would have all the spec still. We don&#8217;t have an &#8216;A&#8217; brand, and try and then make that car into a &#8216;B&#8217; brand.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If you look at the Jogger against its rivals, they are all 250kg heavier as they are carrying that higher spec. This has a cost.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re not rooted by a minimum spec. We come from the bottom up, and add the minimum technology we need. Rivals come from the top down as they have to platform share.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Bigster market research<\/h2>\n<p>The Bigster breaks new ground for Dacia in going into the C-segment for the first time. As part of its development, Dacia researchers went to Germany to speak to 400 owners of German SUVs to find out what they considered to be &#8216;essential&#8217; technology for a model in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-news\/best-cars\/best-family-suvs\">family SUV<\/a> segment.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s what has led to the likes of a powered tailgate, a powered driver&#8217;s seat and dual-zone air conditioning being offered on a Dacia for the first time.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We wanted to make sure that buyers here didn&#8217;t feel like they had downgraded, to get the right level of essential kit. We really talked to people, and played a game of to buy or not to buy based on different kit. It was hard to guess!<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We did a bit in the UK too but the &#8216;codes&#8217; between German and British buyers are very similar. The proportion of buyers from Germany versus France is much higher than with our other models.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Bigster has had the most successful pre-sales period in Dacia history and more than four in five had never had a Dacia before. More than 90% of buyers have gone for the top trim level, too.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We need to make sure people &#8216;cross the road&#8217; to come and check out Dacia. We have offered a \u20ac25,000 Bigster but most have bought a \u20ac30,000 one. They&#8217;re happy and we&#8217;re happy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Market positioning<\/h2>\n<p>Dacia has more than doubled its sales over the last seven years from around 300,000 to almost 700,000 in 2024, and the brand enjoys strong loyalty with more than two thirds of buyers staying with the brand.<\/p>\n<p>The average tenure of a Dacia buyer is almost eight years, which on the sales numbers makes around one third of Dacia buyers each year being those who have bought from the brand before.<\/p>\n<p>The other two thirds are &#8220;people who say cars have become too expensive&#8221; and typically are from people coming from &#8220;upstairs&#8221; in the industry and other brands.<\/p>\n<p>Yet the brand has been evolving with a new look, logo and styling, and adding equipment as the market matures and evolves.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We were cheap before but the curve of what is essential is changing. Maybe we were below the curve before, now we&#8217;ve stuck more things on it. There is no arrogance in the product. We used to be low cost only but now we offer higher trims with all you need.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":64055,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,137],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-64054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-featured","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64054"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64054\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}