While customers in Western Europe are receiving enthusiastic emails announcing that the new Dacia Striker is available to order from €22,490, the Mioveni plant in Romania is facing one of the most serious crises in its history. Cost-cutting measures of up to 30%, temporary production-line stoppages and large-scale voluntary departures are reshaping the factory. This is a snapshot of an industrial strategy that has shifted the brand’s strategic production to Turkey and Slovenia.

(Editorial Desk: Europe / Automotive & Economy)

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A promotional email sent by Dacia to its European customers once again highlights the brand’s commercial success. Its subject line is clear: “DACIA STRIKER: BESCHIKBAAR OM TE BESTELLEN” (Available to order). The message promotes a compact SUV with bold styling, hybrid technology, a generous panoramic roof and a 602-litre boot. The starting price of €22,490, including VAT, is highly competitive in today’s market.

Technically, the package looks convincing: hybrid powertrains promising fuel savings of up to 40%, a range of up to 1,090 km for the Hybrid 155 version, an optional 4×4 variant and a modern multimedia system. For European consumers, it appears to tick all the boxes: spacious, efficient and affordable.

Where is the car actually being built?

Yet behind this commercial success lies an industrial reality that contrasts sharply with the market’s momentum. The new Dacia Striker, along with other recent models from the brand, including the electric Spring, is produced outside Romania. The Striker is assembled at the plant in Bursa, Turkey, while the Spring is manufactured in Slovenia.

This decision forms part of a broader Renault Group strategy to optimise production costs worldwide. Although the Mioveni plant is recognised for its assembly quality, its operating costs are higher than those of other group facilities. This has led French management to allocate new models to other factories.

The crisis at Mioveni

While orders for the Striker are coming in from Western Europe, the Romanian factory is facing a deep crisis. Renault Group has asked the Mioveni management to cut costs by up to 30%. The measure comes amid falling orders for the Duster and Bigster, as well as declining European sales of the Logan and Sandero.

To make these cuts without compulsory redundancies, management has announced a voluntary-departure programme. Around 150 employees are expected to take part, with compensation packages of up to 210,000 lei for those with more than 16 years of service.

Production has also been temporarily halted on certain days. Employees who are not scheduled to work stay at home while retaining the pay rights set out in the collective labour agreement. The factory will continue only activities considered essential, such as finishing work, spare-parts production and equipment maintenance.

What does this mean for the car market?

This situation raises a legitimate question for economic analysts: is it sustainable for a brand to move its strategic production outside its country of origin? For consumers, the answer is simple: the finished product and its price matter. The Dacia Striker is a good car at a fair price, wherever it is assembled.

For the Romanian economy, however, the impact is significant. Mioveni remains an important industrial pillar, but the transition to electric and hybrid vehicle production is taking place elsewhere. This highlights a structural problem with Romania’s industrial competitiveness, as energy and labour costs have risen steadily in recent years.

Conclusion

The Dacia Striker shows that the brand can develop competitive products and win over international markets. Yet commercial success is no longer matched by equivalent industrial prosperity in Mioveni. In a globalised automotive industry, production decisions are driven by hard economic calculations. The Romanian factory’s future now depends on attracting new models or specialising in other components. It remains to be seen whether this strategy will restore the necessary balance or widen the gap between the brand’s public success and the reality on the assembly lines.