During this period, production of light utility vehicles (for the transport of goods), of under 3.5 tons, increased by nearly 2% against the similar period of last year, to over 13,300 units, according to statistics of the Automotive Manufacturers and Importers Association. The information about utility vehicles refers to Transit Connect (Ford) models, Dacia Logan Van and Pick-Up (Automobile Dacia).
Nearly 8,700 units are Dacia Logan Van and Pick-Up models, down
by nearly 14% against the similar period of last year, while Ford
models account for 4,700 units, up 50% against the similar period
of last year.
Although Ford is still far behind Dacia even as far as utility
vehicles production is concerned, Transit Connect models have
managed to compensate for Dacia’s production decline on this market
segment.
Even so, Ford will not manufacture more than 10,000 units at the Craiova plant this year, and is most likely to make between 9,000 and 9,500 units this year, similar to last year, while Dacia, even if it sees a decline, will assemble almost 18,000 commercial utility vehicles.
On the other hand, Renault will discontinue the Dacia Van model, the leading utility vehicle manufactured by Dacia, next year in order to launch a new Dacia-branded commercial utility vehicle, which will be assembled in the Tangier plant in Morocco.
As for Logan Pick-up, the French officials said at the Geneva Motor Show in the spring of this year that a decision had yet to be made on it, but it might be discontinued. So, at the end of next year, Ford could be the only producer of light utility vehicles on the Romanian market.