AUTOS CARS CUSTOM

The Dacia Logan MCV (maximum capacity vehicle) will be the third Dacia to launch in the UK after the Duster and Sandero. It is expected to cost less than £8000 when it goes on sale in the summer.

The new 4490mm long-family estate, revealed at the Geneva motor show, has a 573-litre boot space with the rear seats up rising to 1518 with the 60/40 split seats down.

The design is largely familiar from the Sandero. The five-seat Logan MCV is 430mm longer than the Sandero, the two cars sharing the same adaptable platform as all the other Dacias in the range. Inside, the spacious Logan MCV has 16 different storage compartments.

Engines are shared with the Sandero, meaning a 74bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine is the base car, with a turbocharged 89bhp 0.9-litre three-cylinder petrol and an 89bhp 1.5-litre turbodiesel offered further up the range.

The new Wagon is hoped to accelerate Dacia's steep growth curve, which has been climbing since 2004 - even when recession hit in 2008. The manufacturer sold 360,000 cars last year - a record - and the wagon is seventh new model in range in past three years.

It completes the rebirth of the brand and gives Dacia an opportunity to slow new model launches and concentrate on brand building.

Rafael Treguer, Director of development at Dacia, said "We are still Europe's newest car brand, and we have reinvigorated our range in the past three years, so we need to raise awareness and use our satisfied customers to transmit our message to new buyers.

"Step-by-step we have a significant job to do on growing our reputation and emphasising our core values of good value and good space for that value.

If Dacia does continue to launch new products, they will be mainstream, large volume models. "We will only launch in volume segments," said Treguer. "It doesn't make sense for Dacia to be niche, and it doesn't make economic sense for us to build small volume cars as we rely on the economies of scale to hit our targets."

Dacia has also launched a special edition version of the Duster at the Geneva motor show. The Dacia Duster Adventure, which gets kit such as roof bar-mounted spotlights, red towing eyes and added body cladding. Unfortunately, it will not be sold in the UK, though.

Thanks to: Autocar