Logan I
Designed at Renault's Technocentre near Paris, the Logan was the result of four years of development of the project X90, announced by Renault in 1999, after the buyout of Dacia in 1998.
During a visit to Russia by French President Jacques Chirac, Louis Schweitzer noted that at Lada and Renault dealerships the €6,000 Ladas were selling very well while the €12,000 Renaults stayed in the showroom. "Seeing those antiquated cars, I found it unacceptable that technical progress should stop you making a good car for €6,000." (He later revised this target to €5,000). "I also drew up a list of specifications in three words – modern, reliable and affordable – and added that everything else was negotiable." The cheapest version of the car is €5,900, and the price can reach €11,200, depending on equipment and customs duty. (The base model for Western Europe, where it is badged as a Dacia but generally sold in Renault dealerships, is somewhat more expensive).
The Logan was designed from the outset as an affordable car, and has many simplified features to keep costs down. It replaces many older cars in production, including the Romanian Dacia 1310 series of Renault 12-based cars.
It was officially launched in September 2004. Renault originally had no plans to sell the Logan in Western Europe, but in June 2005, began importing a more expensive version of the car, starting at around €7,500. It was an unexpected success with people wanting an inexpensive, no-frills car they could repair themselves.
The Logan was launched in India in April 2007, as a collaboration with Mahindra, who helped Renault cut costs by 15%. India was the first right-hand drive market for the Logan. It was almost an instant success with impressive sales in the first few months. Since then Mahindra and Renault have parted ways, but the Logan continues to be sold by Mahindra, with technical support from Renault. Its awkward styling has resulted in lower than expected sales. The company has later introduced the name Verito to the car, which since then only had Mahindra badges.
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