Dacia is Romania’s largest and most important car manufacturer, and this year it is preparing to expand its lineup in a meaningful way. Two all-new models are on the way, yet neither will actually be built in the company’s home market.

The first arrival will be a new wagon with crossover elements, currently known as the C-Neo. Positioned above the Jogger in Dacia’s range, it is intended to tap into the ever-growing compact segment.

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Initially, Dacia planned to build the C-Neo in Romania. However, Romania-Insider reports that production will instead take place in Turkey. That decision leaves Dacia’s Mioveni plant in Romania focused exclusively on the Duster and Bigster.

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The C-Neo will be underpinned by the existing CMF-B platform and should be offered with a slew of different powertrains, including gas, LPG, mild-hybrid, and full-hybrid options that use a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder.

Visually, Dacia says the new wagon will follow in the footsteps of the Sandero Stepway with rugged design elements, likely including muscular fenders and roof rails.

A New Electric City Car

Just as significant is Dacia’s upcoming electric vehicle, which will be based on the Renault Twingo. It will not undercut the China-built Dacia Spring on price, but it is expected to start at around €18,000 or just over $20,000. That still positions it as one of the more accessible EV options in Europe. Production of this new addition will take place at Dacia’s Novo Mesto plant in Slovenia.

Dacia has identified the A-segment as an important growth driver in the broader EV market, hence why it’s launching a new model to compete. A single teaser image of the car has been released, revealing that while the proportions may be similar to the Twingo, it will look nothing like its French sibling.

Beyond these new models, Dacia already produces the Sandero and Jogger in Morocco to take advantage of the lower manufacturing costs. The approach reflects how the brand now operates as an international manufacturer, not one anchored solely to its Romanian base.

As affordable EVs from China continue to pour into Europe, the question for legacy automakers is no longer if they should respond, but how quickly they can. For Dacia, the solution is straightforward: beat them at their own game by offering budget-friendly electric cars under a European badge.

Also: Dacia Working On New Sub-€18k EV For Europe

The Romanian brand, part of the Renault Group, already sells the Spring across the continent. Built in China, the Spring has carved out a niche as one of the cheapest EVs available in Europe, including Germany, where it can be had for just €11,900 ($13,900) after a massive €5,000 (around $5,900) discount that’s offered for a limited time.

But Dacia isn’t standing still. A second entry-level electric model is set to arrive in the second quarter of next year, priced around €18,000 (about $20,100).

The Twingo Connection

This upcoming model will be based on the new Renault Twingo. Unlike the China-manufactured Spring, the new EV will be assembled in Slovenia, sharing the same Novo Mesto plant as its combustion-powered sibling.

“Our aim is basically to maximize the offer of EV in the [minicar segment],” Dacia sales chief Frank Marotte confirmed to Auto News. “What we see is that the A-segment and probably in the future the B-segment are moving very fast toward BEV models.”

A Different Flavor of Affordable

To avoid cannibalizing sales of the Spring, Dacia says the new model will be “completely different,” not just in exterior styling but in color choices, interior design, and feature mix. The idea is to give each model its own identity, even if they serve similar purposes at the affordable end of the EV spectrum.

Dacia has already dropped a few hints about the design. A teaser sketch revealed a compact hatch with crossover cues and sharp lines, while a more restrained, camouflaged prototype appeared during a quarterly business update. Neither gives the full picture, but both suggest the new EV won’t be a softened copy of the Spring.

Depending on where you live, the newcomer might actually be the cheaper option. In countries like France and the UK, government subsidies currently exclude Chinese-built models, potentially tipping the scales in favor of this Slovenia-produced car. Pricing could fall below that of the Spring once local incentives are applied.

Read: This EV Was Already Cheap, Then Dacia Knocked Off Nearly $6,000

There’s also a regulatory upside. The new EV will help Dacia lower its fleet-wide CO2 emissions average, an important piece of the puzzle as EU targets tighten. The brand missed emissions goals for both 2025 and 2024, but this new model is part of a push to stay within the rules by 2027.

The car will ride on a shortened version of Renault’s AmpR Small platform, the same one underpinning the new Twingo. Power will come from a single electric motor delivering 81 horsepower and 129 lb-ft (175 Nm) of torque, paired with a 27.5 kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery pack. At this stage, only one variant has been confirmed, and the Dacia-branded model is expected to use the same setup