Car Moon

The Renault-Nissan Alliance’s low-cost Dacia Duster SUV has lost its Romanian badges to cater to the needs of the South American market where it will be sold under the Renault brand.

Redesigned for the local market, the Renault Duster SUV makes its regional debut at this week’s Buenos Aires Motor Show. It will first launch in Argentina and Brazil during the last quarter of the year, with more countries to follow after. Production will take place at Renault’s Curitiba plant in Brazil.

[Update: Some of our readers pointed out that one or more workers seen in the video appear to talk in Russian, so it's obviously Renault's factory in Moscow]

Here's a short clip from Dacia's Romanian factory (unless we're mistaken and it's from one of Renault's other plants that also produce Dacia models), showing a worker on the production line trying to fix a problem with the passenger-side doors on what looks to be a Sandero hatchback.

The poor guy tries everything; from repeatedly tapping the locks with a hammer and slamming the doors in numerous ways to even trying to pull the door down, but nothing seems to be working as the doors simply refuse to close properly. Watch the video after the break.

The Barcelona Auto Show saw Renault's low-cost Romanian brand, Dacia swiping off the covers from the Sandero Stepway, a small hatchback with raised ground clearance but no all-wheel drive system as the crossover retains the standard Sandero's front-wheel drive layout. If the Sandero Stepway reminds you of another model, give yourself a pat on the back because it's essentially the European version of the South American market, Renault Sandero Stepway - 'oui', the French automaker didn't even bother changing names.

When it comes to TV commercials, most automakers focus on things like safety, power, technology, styling and equipment, but not Dacia. Renault’s low-cost Romanian brand is all about offering acceptable vehicles at half the price of the competition. And that’s precisely what Dacia attempted to show in its new Italian TV advert for the recently introduced Sandero hatchback. Watch the video after the jump. -Continued

Renault is enriching its Sandero line-up with the introduction of a crossover version that will be launched from October in Brazil and then in Argentina. Manufactured at Renault’s Curitiba plant in Brazil, the Sandero Stepway is based on the French carmaker’s low-cost hatchback.

Apart from the higher ground clearance, the Stepway has been enhanced with restyled bumpers and grille, roof bars with an integrated spoiler and a chrome-finished exhaust pipe. In Brazil, the only engine available on the Sandero Stepway will be the 112 HP 1.6-liter Hi-Flex that runs on bio-ethanol. In Argentina however, Renault will also offer a dCi diesel engine on the Sandero Stepway. -Continued