This year should see a rise in car sales for the first time since 2008, according to companies on the market. The rise should be by at least a few percentage points given that 2013 saw a historic low, with less than 60,000 new cars registered.
Five major trends for 2014
1. Rebound of car market. After car sales rebounded in the second half of 2013, the rise in volume should continue in 2014. The market should receive the support of the clunkers program this year as well. The scheme is set to start in February or March at the latest, so total sales should climb to at least 70,000 cars.
2. Car production could see a decline in 2014 after 2013 came with the highest volumes ever produced in Romania, for the first time approaching the 400,000-car mark. The record-high volumes were achieved thanks to the launch of the new generations of Logan, Sandero, Logan MCV and of the new Duster, the latter being set to be the growth driver of Romanian plant Automobile Dacia in 2014 as well.
3. Ford Romania remains the second pillar of the industry, but the US company will most likely not be making more than 50,000 cars at its Romanian plant in Craiova. This is down from around 70,000 units last year. Ford started temporary production in September 2013 and they will most likely continue until the summer of this year.
4. Component production will help the Romanian car industry this year as well. Daimler has in the Romanian town of Sebes one of the world’s most modern transmission plants. Continental does research & development in Timisoara, while Bosch has production of high-tech components in Cluj.
5. For the first time in six years the new year does not come with a new change to the pollution/ environmental stamp tax. The current form of the tax has led to an ageing of Romania’s car fleet and to a halving of deals involving second-hand cars registered in Romania, but the fact that the tax is not being modified again allows companies to put together a plan over the longer term. The current annual car tax is expected to be modified as of 2015 and be calculated not only based on the engine cylinders, but based on how much the engine pollutes.
(English version by Daniela Stoican)