The first images of the Dacia Lodgy have been released in view of its official unveiling at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show (March 8-18). The new MPV from the Romanian manufacturer (a Renault’s subsidiary since 1999) measures 4.5 meters in length and will be offered in both 5 and 7 seats configuration, while the engine range will the same as the Duster: a 1.6-litre petrol engine delivering 110 hp and a 1.5 dCi diesel unit, probably available in power steps of 90 and 110 hp. da 90 e 110 CV. As the name suggests, the strong points of the model will be the comfort for its passenger and a large luggage space.

According to the automaker, the Dacia Lodgy maintains the typical traits that made many recent model successful: generosity (which can be seen through its market leading cabin size for its price), simplicity, (thanks to equipment specifications focused on the essential) and reliability (thanks to technical solutions proven on other Renault Group vehicles). Still in the words of Dacia, “Families looking for a versatile vehicle for a contained price, who have traditionally turned to used vehicles, will now be able to purchase a new MPV complete with a three-year warranty.” The Lodgy will join the Duster, Logan, and Sandero as the fourth model in Dacia’s range, and will be assembled at their plant in Tangier, Morocco. No other technical details are currently available.

This is like no Dacia Duster we’ve seen before. The Duster No Limit rally car is a nasty version of the low-cost SUV, created specifically so that Dacia, or rather Tork Engineering, can tackle the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The car was built with the help of Renault Sport Technologies, but this time the Duster is equipped with the VR 38 DETT engine from the Nissan GT-R.

Obviously to make the Duster a rally goer, it gets heaps of updates, including a tubular chassis built to hold a lightweight body made from composite materials including fibre glass, and a very visible rear wing. As to the engine the 3.8-litre V6 normally produces 530 hp, but has been tuned up to 850 hp.

That could be matched to significant torque so the Duster can meet the mountain - apparently we could be looking at about 900 Nm. A six-speed Sadev transmission completes the technical profile, along with a weight which is estimated to be about 950 kg. The Dacia Duster No Limit will be driven by Jean-Philippe Dayraut.

Dacia Duster No Limit rally car

The Dacia Duster could get a slight restyling to freshen things up for next year, as seen in these Duster spy shots from the guys at Autosblog.fr. The Duster low-cost SUV is available in some European markets and it has been a modestly popular model, particularly for those wanting an SUV while on a budget.

The Dacia Duster looks like it will get a sportier and more aggressive trim with a larger front chrome grille, and more chrome on the rear. The interior will also be revisited with an updated central console and steering wheel. Word at the moment is this is either a special edition Duster, or a slight restyling across the range, which could also see the appearance of a new two-litre petrol powertrain with 140 hp.

Yes, you read that correctly: there is a special edition Dacia Duster and it is available only to ski instructors. We haven’t really delved into why the Renault brand would be offering something like this, but suffice to say the Dacia Duster ESF stands for the “École de Ski Français” and if you’re a French instructor, you get exclusive access to one of these for a purchase price of about €18,990.

The special edition Duster comes in white with special badging and has very accessories likely to appeal to someone spending time on the slopes while their car is parked in icy car parks. There is roof rack with space for four pairs of skis, a whole set of spare wheels already fitted with snow tyres and a reinforced aluminium sump guard. It doesn’t sound particularly exciting, but seems practical and if you’re a sensible ski instructor, you might just see the benefits in this.

Source | Autoblog.com

A new citycar is to hit the market by 2015 in the form of the Dacia Citadine. The low-cost car company is working on the citycar as part of its model line-up to be complete by 2015. The line-up will also include the restyled Dacia Duster, the Dacia Logan sedan in 2012 and a Logan MPV.

The low-cost citycar could appear with the 1.2-litre petrol engine of the Renault Twingo and could be a four-door, four-seater model. Pricing of the Citadine should be about 5,000 euros making it very competitive in the citycar segment. At the other end of the scale, Dacia is also working on the possibility of a larger sedan about 4.7 metres long, and currently known as the X52. It will most likely be based on the Renault Latitude and would allow Dacia to enter a new segment with a low-cost option under cutting pricing for other manufacturers.

In 2015 the Dacia Sandero should also get a brand new version. A new van and pick-up could also enter the Dacia product family, making for no less than eight new models by 2015. The models, particularly with the Duster SUV and a pick-up, show that Dacia is enjoying some success in overseas markets. It has been doing particularly well in South America where it’s sold under the Renault badge. The Renault-Dacia connection is more tenuous in Europe, but the low-cost option off the back of Renault engines has been a good investment for the Renault Group.

Source | AutoEvolution

The future Dacia model range will take design cues from the Duster SUV model as announced by Renault designer Laurens Van den Acker after the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The Duster model has so far been highly successful as a low cost SUV and the next model that will take on a similar design will be the Dacia Logan, expected for a market debut in 2012.

The Dacia Sandero could also adopt the front look of the Duster as part of a mid-career restyling. It’s part of a plan to develop and concretise the Dacia ‘brand image’ although we suspect that the brand will still remain, in the mind of the market, a low-cost brand - making its price point the real unique selling proposition.

In the meantime, Dacia will increase production figures from the current 150,000 units to 180,000 units starting from 2011. This is in order to reduce the current waiting list for the car. Reports indicate that the European car market is in crisis mode, meaning the Duster is still our economic downturn winner for the moment. Renault will be developing its own in-house SUV model but we doubt they’ll be taking any inspiration from the Duster, having had their fingers burnt with the Koleos model.

Source | Motorspain via Autoblog.it

The Dacia Logan will get a next generation update in 2012, with the new style to be anyone’s guess. We think it’s unlikely that the low-cost sedan will have the same success as its SUV sibling, but that Dacia is expanding is no news to anyone. The new Logan is currently codenamed X52 and is being put together by a large number of suppliers - hence the unknown design at this stage.

The new Logan will keep Dacia’s current engine line-up, with a few updates to bring them in line with Euro5 laws. They should get power and torque upgrades while decreasing emissions and fuel consumption. The Logan will also go international as Dacia plants in Romania are nearing capacity. Production outsourcing to Russia and Morocco will likely occur.

Apparently, through collaboration with suppliers, we could see some elements like LED headlights make their way onto the Logan, making it perhaps a little less low-cost. We’re hoping that we may be out of this economic crisis by 2012; not that we will get any closer to purchasing the new Audi A7 Sportback, but it would be interesting to see the fortunes of low-cost brands like Dacia were our European bank balances to be suddenly healthy again.

Source | AutoEvolution