Dacia Sandero review | focusing on the essentials

The UK’s cheapest new car has grown up. In fact, it doesn’t actually hold the title that made it famous anymore.

Now costing from £13,750, the Sandero is still remarkably cheap when compared to its rivals, but Dacia has shifted the focus from rock-bottom pricing to “best value”. It means that the Sandero offers the best ‘bang for the buck’, so to speak.

In its latest guise, the budget-friendly hatchback sits on the Renault Group’s higher-tech CMF-B platform, which also underpins the latest Clio.

While the Renault has shifted to a hybrid-only powertrain, the Sandero uses a plucky 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit. In standard guise it develops 90PS and there’s also a bi-fuel LPG model that develops 100PS. The latter cuts CO2 emissions from 119g/km to 109g/km.

Dacia’s mantra is to focus on the essentials, so the Sandero isn’t packed with multi-colour ambient interior lighting, panoramic sunroofs or autonomous parking. It does, however, come with air conditioning, remote central locking and cruise control.

The entry-level Essential model is equipped with a Bluetooth speaker system and a smartphone holder (shown below), instead of a conventional stereo or infotainment system. In the posher Expression (£1,000 extra) you get an eight-inch touchscreen.

Space inside the Sandero is impressive, owing to it being slightly larger overall than most of its rivals. It doesn’t feel like a small car, offering plenty of leg and headroom in the front and rear. The boot is also adequate with 328 litres of space, albeit not class leading.

The interior is rugged, but not utilitarian. It features a stylish dashboard with improved plastics and textured touchpoints. There’s a satisfying air of simplicity about the Sandero that is lost in most new cars. The analogue dials are easy to read and all the switchgear – most of which is lifted from Renault models – is easy to use and feels sturdy.

Coupled with the comfortable and supportive seats, the Sandero really is a pleasant place to pass the miles. At higher speeds it becomes a little noisy - not helped by the lack of a sixth gear - and is a little susceptible to heavy crosswinds, but this probably isn’t the car you’d choose for covering thousands of motorway miles per month.

The Sandero works best in the city or on A and B roads, where its easy to drive nature and tidy handling are best utilised. The suspension is soft enough to be comfortable on rough roads without being wallowy or bouncy. Push harder and the Sandero will corner quickly and safely.

The 90PS engine is rev-happy and while not particularly quick, with 0-62mph taking almost 12 seconds, it’s gutsy enough for this lightweight car and characterful. We had no problem averaging 50mpg, either, which is the official figure according to WLTP.

There’s very little intervention to the driving experience, another rarity in today’s world. While equipped with autonomous emergency braking, the Sandero does without lane keep assist or any of the other driver aids that come sometimes frustrate. Even the handbrake is a manual lever!

With a crop of rivals that cost close to - or in some cases more than - £20,000, the Sandero does exactly what Dacia designed it to do: provide great value. While it doesn’t have the most tech-laden spec list or electrified powertrains, it provides affordable and dependable transport. When you take away the frills and focus on the key aspects of what people need from a small car, the Sandero does them just as well as its rivals in the majority of driving situations.