The car market in Romania is slowing down sharply, in the context in which sales are falling, and economic uncertainties and the delay of the Rabla program are affecting demand. Dacia officials warn that 2026 will be a difficult year, at least in the first half.
Dacia recorded a strong setback in the first three months of the year PHOTO Archive
“Romania is the only market where we are not growing, otherwise we are growing everywhere in Europe. The Romanian market is depressed because of the postponement of Rabla and because of the crisis we are facing in Romania”warned Frank Marotte, Dacia’s global sales director, according to Profit.ro.
For his part, Mihai Bordeanu, country director of Renault Group and general manager for South-Eastern Europe of the Dacia brand, warned that we can call the market “depressed at minus 20% in the first quarter”.
“Why is this happening? First, because the whole country is depressed. I turned on the TV in Romania and if you sit there for 5 minutes on any news program, you will be depressed. I can guarantee you. This is a metaphor“, says Mihai Bordeanu.
The Rabla program
He also spoke about The Rabla programwhich represented a real stimulus for the car industry in the face of the avalanche of imported second-hand cars.
“Rabla is extremely important for Dacia. And we have no idea if the program will be in 2026! Of course, then we are trying, not only us, but also you as journalists, and I have seen things in the newspapers. You are doing what is right because you are making the government wake up, and I hope they do. Whatever the Government of tomorrow is, they will wake up and look at the industry and the car industry, because it was successful in Romania. And I don’t think they want the success to stop. So the local market should also be important to them”said Mihai Bordeanu.
What awaits us this year
The Dacia official also made some predictions for this year.
He stated that, from all the discussions he had with colleagues, banks, and financial companies, “everyone says it will be a difficult 2026.”
“It’s going to be very tough. There is hope after the summer break. If, again, another political catastrophe doesn’t happen in the coming days. I hope we all agree on that.”the official said.
Dacia experienced a strong rebound in the first three months of the yearhaving a major decrease in market share, to around 18% in March, after a negative result (-21%) in registrations, with only 4,983 cars. The negative record of the market share surpassed the previous one, from January, which had dropped to 18.2%. In the last month of 2025, the market share of the Dacia brand was over 32%, and at the end of the first quarter of 2025 it was 29.5%, notes Profit.ro.
