Dacia 2026: Two new models launched, C-segment model to be produced in Turkey
Dacia bets on Turkey: Why is the new C-segment model "running" from Mioveni to Bursa?
The Renault Group has officially confirmed: the future compact model of the Dacia brand, a strategic bet for the C segment, will not be produced in Romania. The decision, announced during the presentation of the financial results for 2025, marks a paradigm shift in the industrial strategy of the Mioveni-based manufacturer and raises questions about the competitiveness of production costs in our country.
A confirmation "with subject and predicate"
Rumors that had been circulating in the specialized press for several months have become a certainty. François Provost, Development Director at the Renault Group, stated that the new C-segment model – unofficially known as the “C-Neo” project – will roll off the assembly lines of the Oyak-Renault plant in Bursa, Turkey.
This new vehicle, scheduled for launch in the second half of 2026, is the centerpiece of Dacia's offensive in the compact class. It will be a model available with both internal combustion and hybrid engines, designed to compete directly with established models such as the Skoda Octavia. Alongside it, Dacia will also launch in 2026 a new A-segment electric vehicle (derived from the future Renault Twingo), which will be marketed in parallel with the current Spring.
Why Turkey and not Romania? The reasons behind the decision
The decision to move the production of such an important model outside Romania's borders is not an isolated one, but the result of a pragmatic calculation influenced by three major factors:
1. Production capacity and specialization of Mioveni
The Mioveni plant is operating close to its maximum capacity, focused on the “crown jewels”: the new Duster 3 and the upcoming Bigster (the C-segment SUV that will enter production towards the end of 2025). Renault officials explained that the Romanian plant will remain the main hub for the brand’s large SUVs. Adding a third high-volume model in this segment would have required massive investments in expanding the space, investments that have already been directed to Turkey.
2. The “explosion” of energy costs in Romania
One of the most painful reasons cited by Dacia management in discussions with the Romanian business community is the price of utilities. According to data from the automotive industry, the price of electricity in Romania has increased spectacularly, reaching almost three times higher in recent years than in 2020. For an energy-intensive industrial process such as automobile manufacturing, this factor weighs heavily on the profitability balance.
3. The strategic investment of 400 million euros in the Stock Exchange
Renault did not choose Turkey by chance. The French group has launched an ambitious plan called "International Game Plan 2027", which includes an investment of over 400 million euros in the Bursa plant. The aim is to transform it into a global export hub for non-European markets. By producing the new Dacia model there, Renault benefits from economies of scale, with the plant set to produce four new models by 2027, including Renault versions of the Duster and Bigster (Renault Boreal).
What does this mean for the Mioveni plant?
Although the loss of the new compact model is a blow to the image of the Romanian industry, Dacia officials assure that the future of the Mioveni plant is stable thanks to the success of the Duster and the prospect of the Bigster. However, the alarm signals are obvious: Romania is starting to lose ground to production centers such as those in Morocco (where the Sandero and Jogger are already manufactured) or Turkey, due to rising wage costs and, especially, energy prices.
In conclusion, 2026 will be the year when Dacia will demonstrate whether it can dominate the C segment, but it will also be the moment when we will see a brand that is less and less "Romanian" from an industrial point of view and more and more a global player, with production strategically fragmented between Europe, Africa and Asia Minor.