The local car market’s growth potential is high for all car brands, Dubruel said. When the Romanian car market picks up, Dacia sales will also increase, he added.
According to the Car Manufacturers and Importers Association, or APIA, Romanian new passenger car sales fell 22% on the year to 46,823 units in the January-August period, from 60,048 units in the year-earlier months.
Overall auto sales, including commercial vehicles and buses, reached 56,853 units in the first eight months, 19% lower from 70,216 units in the corresponding period of 2011, APIA said.
Dacia sales dropped 29.9% in January-August to 12,223 units.
Automobile Dacia, part of French group Renault, registered sales of 13.2 billion lei (EUR3.1 billion) in 2011, up 15.6% on the year, according to Finance Ministry data.
The carmaker’s net profit fell 8.3% in 2011 to RON275.1 million.