Romania August 2018: Dacia Logan celebrates 14 years at #1, WLTP lifts market up 138%

We test drove the Dacia Logan across Eastern Europe last month… More on this soon.

* See the Top 40 All-brands and Top 255 All-models by clicking on the title *

Note All-brands and All-models data for May, June and July 2018 is also included in this article.

Romania is back on BSCB after a three month-hiatus but with complete data. The commentary will focus on August. The Romanian new car market was already in outstanding shape so far in 2018 with 7 months volumes up 33.6% to 75.278, but August sales take it to the next level with registrations shooting up a whopping 137.9% to 28.546 units, due of course to significant stock clear-out activity ahead of the WLTP emissions standard September 1 deadline. As a result, the year-to-date tally is now up 51.9% to 103.824 sales. Homegrown brand leader Dacia (+89%) doesn’t quite match the market but still posts a very solid 26% share vs. 27.6% YTD, but it’s Renault (+415%) that plays the pre-WLTP game to the extreme in Romania, snapping the #2 YTD spot off Skoda (+81%) as a result. Nissan (+285%), Opel (+193%), Toyota (+185%) and Mercedes (+140%) also post exaggerated surges in the Top 10 while outside, Jeep (+2730%), Ssangyong (+1500%), Lada (+1400%), Alfa Romeo (+960%), Jaguar (+558%), Honda (+402%), Mitsubishi (+379%), Citroen (+234%) and Audi (+207%) are among the most “dynamic”, all artificial gains of course.

The Renault Megane is up 515% in August due to pre-WLTP stock clearing.

Over in the models ranking, the Dacia Logan (+57%) is unperturbed by the WLTP mess and celebrates 14 consecutive years of monthly victories at home in Romania: that’s 168 months in a row in pole position since the launch of the nameplate in September 2004 when it held a gargantuan 33%. The Logan (+49%) is also comfortably ahead YTD at 15.2% share. In 2nd place the Dacia Duster (+182%) leaps up to 6.5% share, almost identical to its YTD level, and just below we can witness Renault’s pre-WLTP push with the Clio (+338%) and Megane (+515%) distancing the Dacia Sandero (+85%) which however remains #3 YTD. The Renault Captur (+511%) and Nissan Qashqai (+352%) are the other culprits in the Top 10 while below, the Opel Crossland X (+7650%), Ford Ecosport (+2415%), Renault Trafic (+891%), Honda CR-V (+789%), Toyota C-HR (+530%), Opel Insignia (+508%) and Nissan X-Trail (+406%) also score outlandish upticks. The Citroen C3 Aircross (#43) wins the recent launch race, edging past the VW T-Roc (#46) and Opel Grandland X (#48) with the Skoda Karoq (#65) and Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (#76) in tow.

Previous post: Romania April 2018: Sandero gains more ground YoY than Duster

One year ago (May): Romania May 2017: Volkswagen up 76% in market up 27%

One year ago (June): Romania June 2017: Dacia up 109%, Logan up 163% in market up 47%

One year ago (July): Romania July 2017: Dacia monopolises podium, VW up 67%

One year ago (August): Romania August 2017: Dacia Logan celebrates 13 years/156 months at #1

Full May, June, July and August 2018 Top 40 All-brands and Top 255 All-models below.