Dacia’s Mioveni plant risks a double-digit drop in production in 2026 and further layoffs amid declining competitiveness within the Renault Group

The Automobile Dacia plant in Mioveni is losing competitiveness compared with the Renault Group’s other factories, and production is expected to fall by double digits in 2026, company chief Mihai Bordeanu said at a meeting with the business press in Paris.

Bordeanu warned that the production decline will lead to further layoffs, after the company has already let go of approximately 1,700 employees. According to him, the traditional segment of cars with internal combustion engines is no longer growing, while electric vehicle production is expanding.

A decision has not yet been made on whether the next generations of the Duster and Bigster will be manufactured in Mioveni. The current models continue to be produced in Romania, but Dacia’s management is asking the Government to present a clear plan to improve competitiveness by 2030. The issues cited include rising labor costs and a lack of an industrial strategy.

Bordeanu stressed that Renault has invested approximately four billion euros in Romania and urged the authorities to take this contribution into account.

The statements come amid a decline in the automotive market: new passenger-car registrations fell by 37% in August, while in the first eight months of the year the market contracted by 10% compared with the same period in 2025。‌