Dacia has revealed that it is looking to become more of an off-road brand, akin to the likes of Jeep. The brand in the UK and other markets is more associated with the budget end of the market, in the past the Sandero hatchback was the cheapest new car on sale in the UK. However, recently the design chief of the Renault Group, Laurens van den Acker spoke to Autocar and said that the company has goals for Dacia to mean more than just affordable cars.

“This is where the outdoor theme came up. In my view, there’s no serious competitor for Jeep in Europe. Why couldn’t Dacia be that? There’s no affordable brand that’s linked to the outdoors, that gets you out of town, which, especially since the Covid days, is becoming extremely relevant. Dacia is a brand that’s very well positioned for people who love the outdoors. It gives you two reasons to buy the car, not just one.”

Laurens van den Acker – Rwnault Group Design Chief

The first model from Dacia to adopt this philosophy will come in 2024, which will be the next generation of the Duster. It’ll be positioned as a lifestyle car with more rugged features, wile remaining affordable. Then, a bigger SUV in the form of the Bigster will come and will be a bit more expensive.