After a quarter of a century since the first Dacia 1300 rolled out from the assembly lines, the Romanian carmaker introduced another facelift. This time it was more important.
Thanks to a governmental agreement, Renault sold and helped Romania to produce the Renault 8 and 12. The former was quickly abandoned while the latter was produced until 2004. The license for producing the Renault 12 expired in 1979, but Dacia kept producing and upgrading them. In station-wagon form, the Dacia Break was a very popular vehicle thanks to its ability to carry larger items, not just people inside.
For the 1984 facelift, the carmaker introduced a black plastic grille with a sloped front area that made it look more aerodynamic. Also, an apron was added under the wrapped-around plastic bumper, which replaced the older metallic one. In the rear, the carmaker installed a redesigned bumper that matched the styling of the front one.
Inside, the carmaker installed a completely redesigned dashboard. The new instrument cluster featured a large tachometer and speedometer and gauges for the fuel-level, coolant-temperature, oil-pressure, and charging (ammeter). Unlike its predecessor, the 1310 featured height-adjustable headlights from inside the car. Last but not least, the ventilation system was redesigned, but it still didn't feature air-conditioning. In the back, the carmaker didn't install headrests nor a split-folding backseat, which was folded in one piece.
Starting with the 1984 model-year, Dacia offered the 1310 with a 1.4-liter engine and a five-speed manual gearbox as an option.