· Dacia’s compact yet spacious Sandero hatchback is to go on sale in Morocco and extend the Dacia
product line-up already comprising Logan and Logan MCV. Dacia Sandero will be commercialized on
June 18, 2009 and will come with a three-year/100,000km warranty.
· The cars for the Moroccan market are built at the Renault group’s SOMACA plant in Casablanca.
· At the end of April 2009, Dacia was Morocco’s second best-selling brand, just after Renault. It has a 16
per cent share of the passenger car market. Logan has been the Moroccan market’s best-selling
vehicle since 2006 with a total of 48,000 units sold since launch.
· With the production of Dacia Sandero in Morocco, the Renault group continues its international
expansion. Following the opening of factories in Curitiba (Brazil), Sofasa (Colombia) and Pitesti
(Romania), plus Nissan’s manufacturing facilities in Rosslyn (South Africa), the SOMACA plant has
taken on production of the latest addition to the Entry Programme (Logan platform).
· With sales totalling 76,500 cars – chiefly in Europe – since the model’s launch in July 2008, Dacia
Sandero has succeeded in winning over new customers who are looking for a compact yet spacious
and robust hatchback.
DACIA IN MOROCCO
The launch of the compact Sandero hatchback marks a major step in the growth of the Dacia brand in Morocco.
Sandero extends Dacia’s model line-up, which already comprises the Logan family saloon and Logan MCV (which
went on sale in 2005 and 2008 respectively), and seeks to win over a new category of customer.
Indeed, Dacia customers are essentially one-car owners and have traditionally bought used vehicles. They are
particularly attentive to price which is the prevailing factor in the decision to purchase. Sandero targets rational,
pragmatic motorists who are noticeably younger than buyers of other Dacia models.
Dacia Sandero is a compact yet roomy hatchback which, in terms of price, is positioned in the small car
segment, although its interior and exterior dimensions are more in keeping with those of a car from the higher
compact vehicle category.
Sandero goes on sale in Morocco on June 18, 2009, and the value for money represented by its
performance/equipment package perfectly match’s the brand’s philosophy. It comes with a threeyear/
100,000km warranty.
Dacia’s 16 per cent share of Morocco’s passenger car market as of the end of April, 2009, confirms its status as
the country’s second best-selling brand. Meanwhile, Logan has been Morocco’s best-selling vehicle since
2006 (all brands, all models) with 14,500 units sold in 2008. Dacia Sandero naturally stands to benefit from the
positive reputation of its elder sibling Dacia Logan which is widely acclaimed for its reliability and robust design.
SOMACA IN DETAIL
Dacia Sandero is assembled in the SOMACA factory (Soci?t? Marocaine de Construction Automobile) in
Casablanca of which the Renault group owns an 80 per cent stake. As is the case with all the Renault group’s
production facilities, the Moroccan plant is ISO 14001-certified.
Like Logan, which has been manufactured in this factory since July 2005, Sandero is produced from CKD
(Completely Knocked Down) kits using parts delivered essentially from Romania and other parts localized in
Morocco. The local integration rate of Sandero is 40%, the same as Logan.
Production of Sandero at the SOMACA plant has been made possible thanks to the site’s flexibility and optimizes
the factory’s capacity. More than 70 per cent of its components are shared with Dacia Logan, a factor which
not only facilitates the production of different models on the same line but which has also led to investment-related
savings.
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A total of ?16 million was invested for the production of Sandero at the SOMACA factory. This investment was
overseen by engineers and technical experts from Renault and included the creation of a specific body shop,
an increase in the capacity of the paint shop, as well as the modernization of a rolling road test-bed at the
end of the assembly line.
The Sanderos produced at the SOMACA factory are for the Moroccan market.
SANDERO: AN ENTRY PROGRAMME VEHICLE AIMED AT WINNING OVER NEW CUSTOMERS
Sandero is the fifth vehicle of the Entry Programme (Logan platform) and comes after the Logan family saloon,
Logan MCV and the Logan van and Logan pick-up utility vehicles.
Sandero marks a new step in the Renault group’s international deployment. It was initially produced and sold in
the Mercosur region but – like Logan – it has a global calling. 140,000 Sanderos have been sold globally
under Renault and Dacia badges since launch.
In 2008, the Dacia version of Sandero was produced at the Pitesti plant in Romania, chiefly for the European
markets, before arriving in South Africa at the beginning of 2009. It is now the turn of Morocco to produce and
market this compact hatchback which measures four metres in length.
Since September 2004, more than 1.4 million Entry Programme vehicles have been sold across the world,
badged either as Renaults or Dacias. Today, vehicles based on the Logan platform are produced in eight
countries: Romania, Russia, Morocco, Colombia, Iran, India, Brazil and South Africa.
Media contact:
Freddy Choli?re: + 33 (0)1 76 84 63 36
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APPENDIXES
RENAULT IN MOROCCO
Commercial information
RENAULT MOROCCO
Type of company and shareholders:
Renault Morocco is a public limited company. 80% of its capital is held by Renault, and 20% is held by Soci?t?
Nationale d’Investissement (SNI).
Timeline:
1928 Renault establishes a base in Morocco under the name SOMAR.
1966 An assembly and technical assistance licensing deal is signed with SOMACA and
SOMAR.
1967 SOMAR becomes Renault Morocco, held jointly by Renault (50%) and SNI (50%).
1996 Renault Morocco signs an agreement with the Moroccan authorities concerning the
production of a lightweight economical vehicle.
1999 Production of a lightweight economical Kangoo LCV begins.
2000 Renault increases its stake in Renault Morocco to 80%. Renault Morocco takes a 100%
stake in SIAB (the Moroccan Nissan importer).
2002 Introduction of the Dacia brand and release of the Pick-up and Supernova ranges.
2003 Introduction of the Renault Samsung Motors brand and release of the SM5.
2004 Economical Renault Kangoo agreement signed. Launch of SM3. Launch of Logan
announced for 2005.
2005 Launches of Phase 2 Laguna II (May), the petrol-engined Logan (July) and Modus
(November).
2006 Launch of Logan 1.5 dCi, Clio III, Phase 2 M?gane II and Phase 2 Clio Classic
2007 Launch of Phase 2 Sc?nic II.
Creation in October of RCI Finance Maroc (a subsidiary of RCI Banque).
The Renault-Nissan Alliance and the Kingdom of Morocco sign a Memorandum of
Understanding concerning the establishment of the Renault Tanger M?diterran?e
industrial complex in northern Morocco.
2008 The Renault-Nissan Alliance and the Kingdom of Morocco sign the final agreement
confirming the establishment of the Renault Tanger M?diterran?e industrial complex.
Vehicles marketed in Morocco
Renault: Koleos, Laguna, Phase 2 Sc?nic II, M?gane III (Hatchback and Coup?), Phase 2 M?gane II (four-door
saloon), Clio III, Clio II Campus, Symbol, Kangoo Evolution, Kangoo (PC), Kangoo (LCV), Master and Trafic
Dacia: Logan, Logan MCV and Sandero (from June 18)
Vehicle sales (units):
2006 2007 2008
Total market (passenger cars and LCVs) 84,276 103,586 121,360
Renault sales (passenger cars and LCVs) 14,013 17,515 19,295
Renault / Total market (passenger cars and LCVs) 16.6% 16.9% 15.9%
Dacia sales (passenger cars and LCVs) 12,737 12,636 14,958
Dacia / Total market (passenger cars and LCVs) 15.1% 12.2% 12.3%
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Production information
SOMACA (Soci?t? Marocaine de Construction Automobile)
Type of company and shareholders:
SOMACA is a public limited company. 80% of its capital is held by the Renault Group (72% by Renault SAS, 8%
by Renault Morocco), and 20% is held by Peugeot.
Timeline:
1959 Factory built in Casablanca.
1966 The Moroccan state and Renault sign a convention for the assembly of Renault vehicles at
the SOMACA factory.
1996 The Moroccan state and Renault sign a convention relating to the production of an
economical LCV. Renault Express assembly begins at the SOMACA factory within the
framework of this convention.
1999 Kangoo assembly begins.
2001 ISO 9002-certifcation obtained.
2003 July 26: Renault and the Moroccan state sign a Memorandum of Understanding
concerning the take over by Renault of 38% of SOMACA’s capital in two phases. Before
2005, Renault plans to invest ?22 million to modernize the factory and prepare it for Logan
production.
Kangoo and Phase 2 Kangoo Express assembly begins.
Renault acquires the 38% stake held by the Moroccan state in the capital of SOMACA.
This takes place in two phases: 26% in September 2003, followed by a further 12% in the
second half of 2004.
2004 January 1: the SOMACA factory halts Fiat production.
January: the Moroccan state and Renault sign an agreement concerning the production of
an economical Renault Kangoo car.
2005 April 27: Renault obtains the 20% share held by Fiat in the capital of SOMACA. This takes
the Renault group’s share of SOMACA’s capital to 54%.
October 27: Renault obtains the remaining 12% held by the Moroccan state in the capital
of SOMACA.
2006 Renault obtains the 14% held in SOMACA’s capital by private investors.
Logan 1.5 dCi launched.
2007 Logans exported for a number of months to the French and Spanish markets.
The factory obtains ISO 14001 certification.
2008 SMR certification (Renault Management System).
Phase 2 Logan launched.
2009 Sandero launched.
Production:
SOMACA assembles Renault, Dacia and PSA vehicles.
Products assembled: Kangoo (PC), Kangoo (LCV), ‘seven-seat’ Kangoo, Dacia Logan, Sandero, Peugeot Partner
and Citro?n Berlingo.
Number of final assembly lines: 2
Certification: EAQF ‘A’, ISO 14 001
Factory surface area: 290,040 square metres
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· Production (units)
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Renault Express – - – - -
Trafic – - – - -
Kangoo (PC &
LCV)
2,508 6,154 6,325 8,531 10,081 13,579
Logan Dacia – - 3,900 13,110 18,683 20,370
Total production 2,508* 6,154* 10,225* 21,641* 28,764* 33,949*
* not including PSA
Human resources
· Staff numbers from 2003 to 2007
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Workforce as of December 31 782 752 1,361 1,192 1,800 2,387
Management staff 26 31 45 70 113 107
Average age 45 47 NC 37.38 37.83 NC
NC = Not Communicated
