Europe’s Car Rebels, Cupra and Dacia, Defy a Chinese Onslaught
A pair of successful automotive disruptors show the industry gloom is overdone.
Volkswagen’s Cupra and Renault’s Dacia suggest it’s not all doom and gloom for European automakers.
Photographer: ANGEL GARCIA Angel Garcia/Bloomberg
Investors appear increasingly gloomy about the prospects for European automakers as highly competitive and technologically savvy Chinese rivals target the continent’s sluggish car market and gain market share. But they shouldn’t overlook a pair of dynamic nonconformist brands — Volkswagen AG’s sporty Cupra line and Renault SA’s affordable Dacia models — whose success shows it’s too soon to write off Europe.
Based near Barcelona, Cupra excels in edgy design, while Dacia, headquartered in Romania, builds practical low-priced vehicles. Both offer lessons in how European manufacturers can keep Chinese rivals at bay.