Renault is building Logans near Moscow at a revived Moskvitch facility, and Volkswagen is constructing a factory in Kaluga, 110 miles south-west of Moscow.

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Last year nearly 80, 000 Logans were sold in western Europe.

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According to Hadi Zablit, who studies emerging markets at Boston Consulting Group, around 400, 000 Logans are sold every year and have a higher profit margin than other Renault vehicles.

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The Logan--a simple, reliable car built by its Romanian unit, Dacia--is a hit in many developing markets, and by 2010 Renault plans to build 1 million Logans in eight countries.

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