Cheapest car beats pricier rivals to win top accolade
BRITAIN’S cheapest new car has roared its way to being crowned the nation’s best.
Despite costing less than half the price of its best-selling rival, the £8,000 Dacia Sandero 1.0 TCe 90 Comfort snatched a top magazine’s 2021 car of the year accolade.
A basic Sandero costs just £7,995 new, but an entry-level Ford Fiesta will set you back £16,385.
Steve Huntingford, editor of What Car?, said: “The Sandero’s price is scarcely believable when you consider our expert testing has shown it to be the equal of or better than most of its higher-priced rivals.
“In the eyes of our test team it stood out for being delightfully comfortable, incredibly spacious and for its suite of modern safety aids and technology.”
Although luxury brands took their share of honours, Steve said in these cash-strapped times there was no touching the Sandero overall. He added: “In the wake of an incredibly tough year and with the prospect of hard times economically ahead, the Sandero is the perfect new car for the moment.
“It will put a smile on the face of any buyer, but even more brilliantly, it is priced at a level where it can appeal to everyone, including buyers normally considering used cars.
“It redefines what’s possible at this price point and underlines that even brilliant new cars don’t have to break the bank.”
Romanian car maker Dacia – pronounced Datcha – scored another prize when its Duster SUV was named best family SUV for value.
The Volkswagen ID.3 (£32,990) won the magazine’s safety award, and the gong for best small electric. Lexus won the reliability award and the Seat Leon 1.5 TSI 130 Evo FR (£24,060) was top family car. BMW received the most awards, including best executive and luxury car, luxury SUV and best coupe and coupe SUV titles.
The Tesla Model 3 (£43,490) was named the best large electric vehicle and the Skoda Octavia iV Estate (£32,185) best plug-in hybrid car.