Dacia Logan, the new car which has Romanians queuing up on long waiting lists, is also unexpectedly successful on the much more developed western European markets.
France, for instance, where the average purchasing power is four times higher than in Romania, has introduced waiting lists after the first 5,000 Logans were rapidly sold out.
According to Le Figaro daily, the cars to be delivered this November were ordered well ahead of June 9, the day when the Dacia Logan was officially launched on the French market.
Scarcity is the best word to describe the evolution of Dacia Logan so far, which is making life hard for Dacia heads, led by general manager Francois Fourmont, who has recently said he is "extremely sad" because the company cannot fulfill the impressive number of orders for Logan.
Romania, Hungary, Turkey, Serbia, Algeria - all the new markets for Dacia Logan have been inundated with orders.
Taking most analysts by surprise, this even happened on the developed markets of Europe, such as France, where the price argument tops design or comfort elements such as parking sensors. From pensioners owning a used car who decided it was time for them to get a new one, to managers who needed a third family car to leave at their summer residence or even to the young couple with a limited budget, buyers of Dacia Logan cannot be included in a typical category, Le Figaro writes.
Starting last week, Spain and Germany are also on the list of countries where Logan has made an official entrance. According to German publication Abendsblatt, Logan will have a harder time in Germany, the more so as such a car clearly labels its driver as "cash-strapped." Still, Abendsblatt estimates 3,000 units will sell this year.
Since the model was officially launched on the Romanian market last autumn, over 70,000 such cars have been sold, including exports.
In fact, most of the 20,000 cars exported by Dacia this year are Logans. The main question that even the French are asking themselves is how much will the Logan "craze" last?
So far, Logan has proved, at least in Romania, that it is not just a fad. ionut.bonoiu@zf.ro
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