July 2, 2008 8:00 PM by Gustavo Henrique Ruffo Filed Under: Dacia
In May, pictures taken at Dacia's factory in Pitesti, Romania, revealed that Logan was about to receive its first change since it was presented, back in 2004. It took Dacia a couple of months to present its bestseller, but here it is, looking much better than before, the new Logan.
Although major changes will be kept for the second generation of the car, expected for 2012, the ones that have been performed may hold Logan sales for the remaining four years until its renewal. The front end has received a new bumper, grille and headlamps, which give the sedan some visual identity with the Sandero, which is also based on the same B0 platform. The facelifted Logan will be used as the visual basis for future products from Dacia, such as the small SUV that is being planned by the Romanian company. The new Logan does not share only the grille and the new Dacia logo with Sandero, but the hatch’s interior has also been inherited by the older brother, with a rounder and more modern design.
At the back, the tail lights have also received changes and bring curves instead of straight lines. The boot lid follows this idea and makes the car look less boxy and, therefore, more in tune to new vehicles and the Sandero. The rear mirrors have also been updated. In fact, changes have been made to make Logan look younger when compared to its hatchback sibling. There is no word from Renault on changes in other countries where Logan is built, such as Brazil, but we will keep you posted on that.
The new Logan will be available in dealerships from this month. As prices have been kept the same for most versions, as well as the engines and other technical specs, these changes may really help Logan sell another 1 million units worldwide in the four years to come. Or even more than that.
Four years after the release of the first Logan, Dacia introduces 'New Logan'. The latest version of this celebrated three-volume saloon builds on the same strengths that forged the success of its predecessor, including unbeatable value for money in terms of performance and equipment, plus outstanding cabin space and exceptional reliability. New Dacia Logan goes even further, however, and features a more contemporary design, as well as a more attractive and more comfortable interior which mirrors the renewal of Dacia as a generous, clever brand. New Dacia Logan will be introduced across the majority of Western European markets from July 2008. In most cases, its entry level price remains unchanged, making it a more appealing proposition than ever.
A DESIGN THAT HAS COME OF AGE
More contemporary looks
New Dacia Logan stands out as a modern saloon with more contemporary exterior lines which reflect its robust, quality build. The grille, which first appeared on Dacia Sandero, is bigger and features the brand's new logo, plus a chrome upper trim as standard (except entry level version). The new front bumper is flush with the bodywork for a more integrated, harmonious feel, while the headlights are bigger and the fog lamps come with elegant carbon colour surrounds (depending on version). The rear design of New Dacia Logan has been updated, too. The design of the new boot lid, which can be trimmed with a lower chrome strip, is more streamlined and its lines have been carried over to the revised rear lights. The rear bumper, too, is now flush with the bodywork and incorporates reflectors and a towing hook complete with concealing cap. Other revisions include a new range of wheeltrims and alloy wheels (optional), while the list of available body colours has been extended with the addition of Basalt Grey, Electric Blue and Extreme Blue.
An even more pleasing interior
New Dacia Logan sets out to be even more appealing than ever. The new dashboard, which first appeared on Dacia Sandero, is modern and functional, while the design of the door panels also contributes to the cabin's modern feel thanks to their more practical pull handles and elegant trimming (depending on version). The upgrade in range has seen the introduction of two finishes for New Dacia Logan's dashboard, plus a choice of four upholsteries (depending on countries). Drivers will appreciate the practical controls, and special care has gone into ensuring that all dashboard information is easy to read. The driving environment itself has been made even more comfortable and driverfriendly thanks to a new driver's seat adjustment control (depending on version) and a height-adjustable steering column (depending on version). Rear visibility has been improved through the fitment of a comma-type central rear headrest and large format door mirrors. These have been carried over from Dacia Logan MCV and are standard equipment on New Dacia Logan.
BUILDING ON LOGAN'S FUNDAMENTAL STRENGTHS
An exceptionally roomy interior
New Dacia Logan's generous dimensions ensure outstanding cabin space which continues to be unmatched in the three-volume saloon category of the B-Entry segment. Indeed, its size is more akin to C-segment norms, since the newcomer's overall length has been increased to 4,290mm (up 40mm compared with the previous version Logan), while its width is 1,740mm. Cabin space is one of New Dacia Logan's most salient features and three tall passengers (more than 1.90m in height) can be accommodated comfortably in the rear thanks to rear headroom of 873mm. Rear shoulder room is a remarkable 1,428mm too, a figure more readily associated with larger saloons. Last but by no means least, the boot volume of 510 litres is unequalled by any of New Dacia Logan's rivals in its category and the boot layout itself permits loads of very different shapes and sizes to be carried with ease.
The accent on safety
New Dacia Logan features the same safety features and equipment that enabled the model to achieve a threestar Euro NCAP crash test rating. New Dacia Logan can be equipped with the latest generation Bosch 8.1 ABS complete with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) and emergency brake assist (EBA), a new feature which debuted on Dacia Sandero. The latter detects when the driver brakes in an emergency situation and acts on the hydraulic circuit to increase the effectiveness of the ABS by applying maximum pressure the instant the driver hits the brakes. Front and rear tracks of New Dacia Logan have been widened 7mm either side, which reinforces the roadholding capabilities of the vehicle. On the passive safety front, New Dacia Logan features a new honeycomb structure for the dashboard which reduces the severity of impact to the knees. In addition to the materials it employs, the dashboard's very design takes safety into account thanks to the curves of its lower section which match the form of the tibia, enabling impact loads to be spread out evenly in case of contact. The driver and front passenger also benefit from further lower limb protection thanks to underfoot padding. All New Dacia Logan's seats are equipped with three-point seatbelts and headrests, while the new car is delivered as standard with two controlled-deflation airbags (depending on countries), driver and front passenger, the pressure of which diminishes following deployment in order to limit the load applied to occupants.
A comprehensive range of proven powerplants
New Dacia Logan comes with the same proven petrol engines and diesel engine that have contributed to the Dacia range's success. The 1.4 MPI 75hp, 1.6 MPI 90hp and 1.6 16V 105hp all comply with the criteria of cost, robustness and ease of maintenance that are a feature of the Dacia brand. They combine generous torque from low revs with thrifty fuel consumption: 7.0, 7.2 and 7.1 litres/100km respectively. The 1.5 dCi stands out as a benchmark in the diesel engine field thanks to the use of such advanced technologies as second-generation common-rail direct injection which delivers both high performance and extremely low fuel consumption. The 1.5 dCi is available in 70hp form and a punchier 85hp version, while CO2 emissions of 120g/km point to the 1.5 dCi 70hp and 1.5 dCi 85hp engines' ecological credentials.
THE LOGAN PHENOMENON
Since its release in 2004, Logan has enjoyed genuine success in all the markets where it is sold. With New Logan, Dacia seeks to maintain its lead over its competitors to ensure that the Logan phenomenon continues. Thanks to its line-up of five models – New Logan, Logan MCV, Logan Van, Logan Pick-up and Sandero – Dacia boasts a comprehensive range of robust, dependable vehicles that have been developed for a wide variety of often extreme uses, and most models benefit from a three-year or 100,000km warranty in the majority of the brand's European markets. New Logan, which is the latest version of Dacia's three-volume saloon, continues to stand out as the range's cornerstone and, thanks to its status-enhancing design and more contemporary looks, sets out to appeal to a pragmatic customer base looking for generous cabin space and peace of mind. At the time of its unveiling in June 2004, Dacia Logan's modern characteristics, cabin space and price tag took the automotive world by surprise. Although the model initially targeted growth markets, Renault responded to strong demand to extend its availability to Western Europe. It was first released on its home market, Romania, in September 2004, before being introduced in Eastern, Central and then Western Europe (June 2005). A total of 530,692 Dacia Logans were sold between September 2004 and the end of May 2008 (essentially in Europe and the Maghreb countries). Logan soon became recognized as a phenomenon, serving as a yardstick in the industry by giving the majority of its buyers the chance to fulfil their dream of owning a new car. In all the countries where it is sold, it has won over a clientele attracted by the prospect of family mobility at a low price. New Dacia Logan will be produced in Pitesti, Romania. Total investment amounted to €27 million and the development teams remained true to the Logan spirit by investing solely in what was strictly necessary to continue delivering the best possible equipment and performance at an attractive price. Indeed, the entry level price for New Dacia Logan remains unchanged in the majority of the countries where it is sold.
cristi
July 2, 2008 11:18:41 PM
Dacia also had a small visual change, when they introduced the 1.6 16valve engine on Prestige version. This is more significant, a step forward for the company.
The exterior changes are debated in Romania, as most people think they know all about cars and consider this even uglier that the first version! That's from people that would rather buy a 10 year old underpowered, heavily used BMW 3 series or Audi A4 than a cheap new car like the Logan... Sad, very sad :( Anyway, I like it, especially the interior, which is taken straight off Sandero and brings major improvements in both looks and quality over the initial versions. I currently own a 1.6 16v Logan of the "old" generation and I'm waiting for the sports version, which will come up next year and use the same engine as the Twingo RS: 1.6 16v with 133bhp :) That should be fun!
I don't like the design of this small saloon. The roof is to wide - it looks boxy. But it looks all better now. proportions are the same unelegante, but the shapes let look the Logan more vitalized. Bad like before: they save in safety!
i think... i think i like it. i dont know why i feel strange when im writing this, but i like it. the exterior design is really nice, and i can see they changed the buttons, they put round ones, and one big in the middle. and the interior of the doors are really nice. the only thing i dont like is the opholstrey. but i think that u can choose. overall, nice car. i recomend this over sandero, that being smaller and more expensive. and i can write a story about it, a bad one. my neighbour took a test drive on the sandero Prestige, and he said it was pathetic. i dont think i have enough lines to write everything about it here. plus...its 650 euros more expensive than the logan prestige.
indeed, it's roomy. And for that size (exspecially the Wagon) there is no car better. But I think, there can be more priorities buying a car. And if you only can spend 8000?, then buy a good and save 2nd-hand-car
Dacia also had a small visual change, when they introduced the 1.6 16valve engine on Prestige version. This is more significant, a step forward for the company.