Whats the big problem with making the list price more realistic?

British customers expect a discount because it makes them feel like shrewd and canny investors. So if you expect to sell a car at £10,000, you price it at £12,000 so that the customer can 'beat you down' to £10,000. If you priced the same car at £10,000 with no 'discount', they won't buy it. The only exception is fleet sales where BIK is based on list price.

There's a niche, but I think it will be small. New cars are aspirational purchases.

£7k buys a more prestigious, better equipped second hand car.

Dacia might be able to carve out a niche as a 'classless' car (like the old beetle or mini).

But the raison d'etre for Dacia is that Romanian labour rates are much lower than French ones. If Romania develops economically, the price differential will narrow. The cost saving with manual mirrors, windy windows and steel wheels is fairly small beer compared to the fixed costs of a Euro V/NCAP compliant car.

Right now though, they look like bargains!

but surley the idea with dacia is for them never to move up market. instead owners would be come loyal to the brand and move up spec when purchasing subsequent models?

I have alot of time for daihatsu, always made reliable cars.

Its sad to see their current line up only consists of 3 vehicles.

Are they still owned by toyota?

where they badly affected by the japanese floods?