Dacia selling a daily average 60 Sandero since the car was launched

The model was launched simultaneously in Romania, Turkey and Bulgaria.

“Demand for the Sandero model is quite high. We took orders for 7,000 units and already sold 1,900 cars. Given these results, I am less concerned about the negative impact of the pollution tax,” Stroe said.

For every car purchased and registered in Romania, either new or second-hand, a pollution tax must be paid, depending on the engine capacity, fuel used, and production year.

Dacia, controlled by French Renault group, plans to sell some 170,000 cars this year and is betting on higher export demand. “We have exported 89,000 cars so far,” Stroe said. Last year, Dacia sold 130,000 units outside Romania.

The car maker’s Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), Jacques Daniel, recently estimated a 13 percent increase in international sales this year, three times lower than a forecast made in May by Dacia Automobile, of 35 percent.

With a total of 230,000 cars sold last year, Dacia posted a 17.4 percent increase in international sales. Sales in Romania amounted to 102,000 units, 5.2 percent lower than in 2006. The company’s profit amounted to €132.5 million last year, while turnover reached €2.07 billion.