Dacia's secrets to success: how it makes its cars so cheap
Adapting it for Duster duties cost a little more, mainly for the reinforced sills and ride height, but from there, for the extra-large Bigster, the only major change has been to extend the A-pillars by 50mm.
Every kilogram is managed, too. The reason the Bigster doesn't offer a seven-seat interior is because Dacia worked out only 25% of buyers in the segment consider them but the added weight would require strengthening for the rear axle, which would add expense across the range. Ergo the Bigster is a five-seater only, being ruthlessly focused on the main audience.
Which brings Le Vot to his second point: the importance of learning what the intended buyer really wants and then not straying beyond that kit level by so much as an additional USB-C port.
'We've been studying the Germans, I must confess,' he says, smirking. The Germans are the big market for cars like the Bigster. They're also fussy, which is crucial. If our German chums 'need' something in their C-SUV, you damn well better offer it. And if they don't, nobody else will want it and you're off the procurement hook.
'If the car doesn't have AC [air-con], then it's disqualified. But if I offer, whatever, electric seats for the front passenger or AC in the seats? No need: it's not disqualifying. So we have dual-zone AC [in the Bigster], which we've never had before, and we have two-tone paint and an electric tailgate. These are the things we will offer, and if we don't, they will say 'I'm not buying'. Hundreds of people. It's complicated; new territory for us.'
The final part of the equation is the supplier negotiations, where Le Vot's sojourns in hard-nosed Russia has fortified his resolve. By all accounts, this charismatic Frenchman and his accomplices in accounts are utter bastards.
Le Vot says: 'We define the car [at] €25k and the hybrid [at] €30k, then we split this price. It seems obvious, but most manufacturers don't do that.
"They design the car they want to have, then give the parts to suppliers, negotiating like hell to get the best price, but the best price is a surprise. When you expect €100, you get €110 more often than €95.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Nuno rewarded with new three-year contract for guiding Nottingham Forest to European place
Nuno Espírito Santo has signed a new three-year contract after leading Nottingham Forest back into Europe for the first time in almost 30 years. On Friday, Evangelos Marinakis, the Forest owner, was in advanced talks over a long-term deal and an agreement has now been reached with the Portuguese head coach. Nuno was one of the Premier League's managers of the season in the last campaign, guiding Forest to a seventh-placed finish which secured a spot in the Uefa Conference League. Marinakis has been determined to reward him with a new deal, mindful of the fact that the 51-year-old had just over 12 months left on his previous contract. Nuno was appointed in December 2023, replacing Steve Cooper, and endured a difficult first season in which the club battled relegation and were deducted four points for breaching financial rules. Yet in his first full season he performed brilliantly, taking Forest into contention for the Champions League with the league double over Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, plus victories over Liverpool, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Brighton. Forest also reached the FA Cup semi-final, where they lost to Manchester City at Wembley. Nuno said: 'I am delighted to be able to continue our journey at this fantastic football club. 'Since we arrived at Forest, we have worked extremely hard to create a special bond between the players, the fans and everyone at the Club, which helped us achieve great things last season. 'I would like to thank our owner, Mr Marinakis, for his constant support and backing. It is important to me to share a strong relationship with our ownership and we have thoroughly enjoyed working together ever since I arrived at Forest. 'Now is the time to work harder than ever as we strive for more special memories together.' Marinakis added: 'Nuno has made a great impact and performed very well during his time with us so far. 'He has demonstrated that he maximises player performance and is an expert at developing players, whilst also embedding our young talent into the first team set-up. 'We enjoy a strong and solid relationship together and, above all, we share the same dream and ambition of writing a new history for Nottingham Forest, competing in the Premier League and in Europe and winning trophies for our great club.'
BreakingNews.ie
2 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Labour body proposes 10% rise in minimum pay for childcare workers
A 10 per cent increase in minimum rates of pay for childcare workers has been proposed by the Joint Labour Committee. Minister for Children Norma Foley welcomed the development, after highlighting that not all of a €45 million ring-fenced allocation was being used for pay and conditions. Advertisement The proposals have been put forward by the Joint Labour Committee, which is made up of employer and worker representatives. It has the responsibility for setting minimum rates of pay for over 35,000 staff in the early years and childcare sector. The changes would be part of an employment regulation order (ERO) which is a mechanism to set the minimum rates of pay and conditions for workers in a specified business sector. The order is drawn up by a Joint Labour Committee and signed into law by the Minister for Enterprise. Advertisement Ms Foley said: 'The new proposals for a 10 per cent increase in minimum pay represent a significant step toward ensuring fair pay for educators and practitioners working in the sector. 'I am committed to ensuring the successful implementation of these proposals by providing a ring-fenced allocation of €45 million from Core Funding. 'It has been specifically earmarked to support services in meeting the cost of the proposed increases in pay and conditions.' Recently, Ms Foley met with the Joint Labour Committee to highlight the availability of this €45 million in core funding from the State for increased pay for staff in the early years and childcare sector. Advertisement She said: 'I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the Joint Labour Committee in these negotiations and their vital role in advancing the professionalism and value of those working in the sector. 'If these proposals are implemented through updated Employment Regulation Orders, they will bring much-needed improvements in pay for these dedicated professionals, enhancing the quality of care and education provided to children across Ireland. 'I am hopeful that these proposals will soon come into effect, marking a positive change for our dedicated and skilled staff in the early learning and childcare sector and the services that employ them.' Fine Gael spokeswoman for childcare Emer Currie welcomed that a proposal had been agreed. Advertisement Ireland Childcare fees for some parents to be reduced from... Read More 'We continue to see progress in recognising the vital role of our childcare educators and practitioners,' she said. 'Staffing remains one of the key issues facing the sector. 'It's important that pay remains on the agenda in the short-term as part of the review of core funding and long-term too as the Government considers how State-led facilities take shape.'
Auto Car
2 hours ago
- Auto Car
Why I love tools (and not just for fixing my cars)
I am going to talk cars in a moment, I promise, but it's front of mind: the other week I had to put up a gatepost. Or rather two of them, joined back to back, at a pretty normal height of 1.5m but overall a hefty 20cm by 40cm thick. I knew I'd need tools for this. In no definitive order, I needed a tape measure, T-square, spirit level, sledgehammer, ratchet strap, chainsaw, drill (with a very long bit), spanner (preferably ratchet), club hammer and crosshead screwdriver and coach bolts. If I'd been missing any single item, the job would have gone, by varying degrees, from slightly more difficult to nearly impossible. And had I been missing anything, I wouldn't have tried it, and the only tool I'd have used instead would have been a telephone. If there's something I find utterly exasperating (I'll admit that's quite a lot of things these days), it's not being able to do a job because I'm missing the right kit. And so as a result: I love tools. It's not so much that I adore the tools themselves, not in the way I love cars. I don't spend hours poring over the Screwfix or Machine Mart websites in the way I might the Caterham or Indian motorcycle configurators. I don't lovingly polish my trolley jack of an evening [I've tried various tools there to find one that doesn't sound too much like a euphemism]. I just love what tools allow me to do. Although, given that they're tools, perhaps by definition that amounts to the same thing. If the feeling is analogous to the one I get from cars, it's that tools provide a sense of freedom. I can make things, and I'll enjoy it. I can repair things, and while I might not enjoy it because it gets in the way of a cup of tea and an episode of Yellowstone, I have options on how, when and perhaps how affordably a fix will happen. And maybe I'll learn something on the way, too. And without tools, there are some things I simply wouldn't have: a greenhouse, a stocked woodshed, a sim rig for Gran Turismo, a dining room table that will outlive me, two modified cars and a motorcycle that lives in a shelter I made for it.
