Cheapest SUVs on Romanian market start from 12,000 euros
Sales of SUVs saw the steadiest rises in the past few years
because of the launch of models on the premium segment, as well as
to the launch of more affordable models. This year, when the car
market collapsed, SUVs fared best, with a "mere" 44% decline.
Currently the cheapest SUVs on the Romanian market are manufactured
by Fiat and Suzuki in Hungary, with prices starting from 12,000 -
14,000 euros, VAT included, but, starting next year, producers will
also have Dacia as a competitor, after it launches its first
off-roader on the market, whose price will most likely start from
around 12-14,000 euros.
The ranking of the cheapest SUVs, with prices starting from less
than 20,000 euros, now includes Hyundai Tucson, Skoda Yeti,
Volkswagen Tiguan, Nissan X-Trail and Ford Kuga, according to data
from importers centralised by ZF.
"Sales of premium SUVs saw a steeper decline this year. Now,
clients opt either for small, diesel engine-powered vehicles or for
vehicles with low-consumption petrol engines, such as FSI in the
case of Volkswagen," said Alin Tapalaga, manager of Porsche Inter
Auto, the retail division of Porsche Romania. In the first ten
months of the year SUV sales fell 44%, to 8,578 vehicles, the
lowest decline rate on the Romanian market, without including MPVs
(multi-purpose vehicles), which saw an almost seven-fold decline.
This compares with a 54% decline for imported vehicles in the
similar period.
The SUV market has become very crowded over the last few years,
with the fight over market share among producers being tighter in
this time of sales decline.
The biggest increases on the Romanian market over the last three
years have been recorded by premium SUVs, such as Audi Q7, BMW X5,
and Volkswagen Tuareg, while Hyundai Tucson and Santa Fe remained
among the top-selling SUVs in the last three years. "In terms of
volume, the biggest declines were recorded by the VW Tuareg model.
On the other hand, Tiguan preserved its level of sales. However,
Tiguan models sold now have a more basic equipment, as opposed to
those sold in previous years," Tapalaga said.
This year, on the other hand, the biggest decline was recorded by
premium SUVs. For instance, Audi Q7 fell by over 77% in the first
ten months of the year, from 406 units in 2009 to 91 units.