Dacia pushes affordable EVs as Nissan releases rebadged Duster for India

Dacia, the Romanian brand owned by Renault, plans to launch two new fully electric models – a next‑generation Spring and an electric Sandero – within the next two years. Both cars will use Renault‑developed platforms (AmpR Small for the Spring and CMF‑B for the Sandero) and are expected to be priced around €18,000, keeping the brand's tradition of low‑cost, mass‑market vehicles. The strategy also includes expanding its hybrid offering with the Striker.

At the same time, Nissan has introduced the Tekton in India, a compact SUV that is essentially a rebadged third‑generation Dacia Duster built in Chennai. It will be offered with 1.0‑litre (100 hp) and 1.3‑litre (160 hp) petrol engines, no hybrid system, and a base price of 1.04 million rupees – just under €10,000. The Tekton is aimed at the Indian market and will also be exported to about 50 other countries, highlighting continued badge‑engineering practices within the former Renault‑Nissan‑Mitsubishi alliance.