Success often breeds competition. Renault-Nissan's Dacia had its sales increase 4.8% to 359,822 units and that was despite that the European auto market fell 8.6% for the year. Nissan will launch a rebirth of the Datsun brand later this year with similar goals. Volkswagen has already expressed interest in creating a budget brand for China, and now Fiat is joining suit with the desire for a budget brand that would take Dacia head on. Fiat Group CEO Sergio Marchionne is debating just such a cheaper brand with the Fiat board. Right now the concept is for it to create a cheaper brand that would allow the 500 and Panda to increase prices and go slightly more upmarket. Like Dacia and Datsun, the cheaper cars would have their own brand names. Fiat could theoretically revive the Innocenti or Autobianchi brand names. Source: Autocar via autoviva.com
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