Renault has confirmed that its Dacia value brand will be launched in the UK at the end of 2012.

The brand was due to come to the UK last year, but the launch was postponed in March 2009 due to "poor economic conditions".

While Renault's statement said it had not decided how the Dacia network would be established in the UK, Patrick Pelata, Renault chief operating officer, let slip at the Geneva Motor Show that Dacia would in fact be dual franchised with existing  Renault UK dealerships.

Pelata said: "In the UK, Dacia will be sold through Renault dealers with a ‘Dacia store' in the corner of a showroom or, where justified, a stand-alone showroom sharing the workshop and office functions with the Renault dealer."

He said Dacia would represent a new way of doing business for Renault with no haggling over price, due to the models already being priced so low.

He said: "Dacia by Renault is a new way of doing business.

 "People buying Dacias don't haggle over price because the cars are affordable - new Duster will sell from €11,900 in two-wheel drive and €14,000 in four-wheel drive in Europe - and people have already made up their minds."

Robin Cook, Carco Group managing director and Renault UK dealer council chairman, said: “Until we know the detail of the planned strategy and model line-up, it is difficult to comment.

 “The fact the announcement has been made would indicate Renault UK will enter into consultations with the dealer council but I imagine this will a little way off if we are talking another three years before launch.

“Any incremental volume would be welcomed of course, but I am unable to make an informed comment at this point in time.”

 Duster is built off the low-cost Logan platform and the next generation of Logan models will all be engineered for right-hand drive, said Pelata.

"Initially right-hand drive models will be built in Romania then we will see where it's best to build them," he said.

New generation Logan models will follow the Duster into the UK from around 2013, he said.

He described the Duster as "a Renault 4 for 2010. It's simple, cheap, robust and big inside. It's also practical."

Renault UK’s managing director, Roland Bouchara, said: “We’ve been watching Dacia’s remarkable success closely over the last few years, so naturally I’m thrilled that we’ll soon be able to start showing the British public what all the fuss has been about across the water.

“With value-for-money, downsizing, fuel economy and emissions all becoming increasingly important, we want to show that Dacia can appeal to the head, the heart and the wallet.”

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