Dacia celebrates 10 years in the UK – and we love a white, top spec, Dacia Duster the most

Dacia is celebrating a decade of UK sales, with 240,000 Dacias sold and the most popular model in the UK the rugged Dacia Duster.

The Dacia range of budget-friendly cars have been on sale in the UK for a decade, arriving in 2013 as the UK boomed after the recession and the UK new car market swallowed 2,264,737 new cars, something car makers can only wish for in 2023.

The arrival of the Dacia range in the UK was preceded by a ‘Shockingly Affordable’ PR push the year before promising the Dacia Duster at just £8,995 and the Dacia Sandero from just £5,995.

A decade on, prices have gone up a chunk (the Duster now starts at £15,795 and the Sandero at £12,995), but Dacias are still firmly at the budget end of the market and doing very well.

In the decade on sale in the UK, Dacia has flogged 240,010 cars, with the Duster grabbing the most sales followed by the Sandero Stepway and Sandero. And sales keep getting better.

In 2022, Dacia sales were up by 34 per cent on 2021 grabbing a 3.1 per cent market share, with the Duster the best-seller followed by the Sandero Stepway.

Perhaps perversely, the top-selling models in the Dacia range are not entry-level models but top-spec models, although cost-conscious buyers still choose a white paint job the most as it’s the only free colour option.

Luke Broad, Dacia Brand Director for the UK, said:

Ten years on and Dacia has grown and innovated, but our focus on providing UK car buyers with an unrivalled blend of quality and value is as strong as it’s ever been. In many ways, our success over the last decade is only the beginning, with Dacia now firmly established and widely recognised for redefining the essentials. As we enter an exciting new phase and as the brand continues to be bolder and continually push the boundaries, there’s no mistaking that Dacia is here to stay.