The scheduling of the launch of the Logan and Sandero facelift models this fall, along with the start of production on the Ford Ecosport model in Craiova as late as the second half of last year, led to a decline in the production of new cars in both Craiova and Mioveni, according to the data of the Romanian Automotive Manufacturers and Importers Association (APIA).
A number of 29,932 vehicles were assembled last month, 16.6% fewer than in the month before that. Usually the plants stepped up production in July to cover for August, when they take their yearly break. The decline compared with July 2015 is 24%, as production in Mioveni and Craiova stood at almost 40,000 units that month. Under the circumstances, total production fell 8.2% to 231,206 units in January-July. Dacia assembled 205,466 of these, 7% fewer than in the year-ago period, while Ford assembled 25,740, 15% fewer than in 2015.
In all, 209,050 cars were exported in the first seven months, 8.4% fewer than in the year-ago period, as a result of decline in six of the first seven months compared with the year-ago months.
Export leader was Dacia Duster, 115,405 units, up 15.7% on the first seven months of 2015. It accounted for 55% of the total exports in January-July.
“Duster production is going very well and the model is quite high in the export structure. Logan is doing worse. Overall, Dacia will return to growth in the second half so production will be the same as last year, about 340,000 cars,” sources close to Automobile Dacia said.
If export decline continues beyond 8%, it would translate into 30,000 fewer cars sold abroad or EUR450 million lost revenue at an average price of EUR15,000. The most expensive cars Romania exports, Duster and B-Max, may cost more than that, almost EUR20,000.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)