Serbian automaker launches low‑cost Yugo to challenge Dacia’s market share

Serbian investors plan to revive the historic Yugo brand with a new compact model priced at €12,000, slated for production in 2027. The rights to Yugo were acquired in late 2023 by professor‑entrepreneur Aleksandar Bjelic, and the design, presented at the Munich Car Design Event, combines retro‑futurist styling with a small gasoline engine (2.2 L/100 km) that will later be offered in a fully electric version. The official launch is scheduled for the 2027 Belgrade auto show.

Meanwhile, market analysts observe that Dacia, the Romanian‑owned low‑cost brand popular in Serbia and France, has a surprisingly small share of the second‑hand market. The primary reasons are the high proportion of private buyers (about 70% in France) who keep Dacia vehicles for many years, and the limited use of leasing for Dacia models, unlike Mercedes or BMW which return to the used‑car market after lease contracts end. Additionally, Dacia’s relatively recent entry into the modern European market and the shift toward hybrid demand further reduce its presence in the used‑car segment.