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Renault UK has abandoned plans to launch the Dacia Sandero budget hatchback at next month’s London Motor Show.
The company says that demand for left-hand drive Dacias is still so high that the start of right-hand drive production has been put back.
Nearly 100 Renault dealers were poised to sign-up to build the Romanian-built model, which will be badged ‘Dacia by Renault’ in the UK. The marketing plan was to price the Sandero from just £7500 – despite its supermini-plus dimensions.
Deal...Read the full article

Left-hand drive markets always seem to get their way - and we're always left waiting here in the UK. I'd read somewhere else that the brand wouldn't be here until at least February 2010, which is about 18 months from now - when the Sandero will start to look a bit old, and with new rivals on the way such as the Volkswagen Up! and Fiat Global Small Car, the Dacia will start to look less appealing. I bet dealers are frustrated, and to be honest, I think Carlos Ghosn and Patrick Pelata are making a little bit of a mess.

To begin with "Nearly 100 Renault dealers were poised to sign-up to build the Romanian-built model"???

£7500 looks a lot of money for what is, just looked you could get a diesel C4 with 6,700 miles on the clock.

The prices for Dacia are way off mark, on the French website they start at 7,800 euros and at the moment cars are generally less expensive in the UK if you compare like with like, shame we ain't got any money though, guess we are going to start having to manufacture stuff, and convert the converted factories back into factories.

The Dacia Shitehawk can stay in Romania as far as I am concerned. Renault lite ? Renault shite more like.

 No it is actually a really OK, I drove one three years ago and it is basic but really quite agreeable, although personally I'd still buy a BMW that has an E number in it...21,30,34,39 etc

James Ruppert:

 No it is actually a really OK, I drove one three years ago and it is basic but really quite agreeable, although personally I'd still buy a BMW that has an E number in it...21,30,34,39 etc

I'm sure its "ok", but ok as a temporary drive.  Would you actually buy one though with your own money?  Clearly not given preference for a used BMW instead and I would absolutely do the same.

Let's face it.  Autocar readers aren't really going to be the core market for this kind of car are we?

 

The current models I have seen on the road in France look reasonable (no worse than a Berlingo did when it was new)

 However if the selling price is creeping up and Renault dealers are losing customers is there not the risk that a utilitarian vehicle which is designed to be cheap to maintain will be sold and serviced at an inflated price.

 The previous UK Dacias made sense because they were good but outdated designs sold and serviced at lower prices than contemporary Renaults.

 If the value for money element is not passed through to the customer than the whole scheme will flop. I hope an assessment of this is done during the delay.

James Ruppert:

 No it is actually a really OK, I drove one three years ago and it is basic but really quite agreeable, although personally I'd still buy a BMW that has an E number in it...21,30,34,39 etc

Er...yes, James. We must also remember that you prefer cassette tapes to an iPod too !