Stepway to affordable estate heaven
Nothing can match Dacia on price
THIS week, a car I was driving had a puncture, which got me thinking. Do we suffer fewer punctures today than we did, say, 30 years ago?
Car manufacturers certainly assume we do because so many of them no longer include a spare wheel for their cars, or they charge extra for them, instead providing a can of sealant and compressor.
The last time I was on the side of the road with a flat was about five years ago in a Porsche Boxster. Again, no spare, just a can of squirt that unusually actually worked. This week I was in a new Dacia Logan MCV Stepway. And Dacia commits the same crime as many manufacturers by charging extra for a spare wheel.
At least being Dacia it is cheap at £100. Should be free though, especially on our top-of-the-range SE Summit which sits above the Laureate trim.
As you have probably realised by now I’m a big Dacia fan.
I love unpretentious motors and nobody does them better than Renault’s Romanian brand. That said, the Logan MCV (Maximum Capacity Vehicle) is the least attractive and most utilitarian of the range. Only the Dokker van, which we don’t get in the UK, is more workmanlike.
Pretty, the Logan is not, but we’re testing the recently launched and facelifted Stepway version which in Summit spec includes 16in dark grey alloys, a ride height increased by 46mm compared to the normal MCV, tinted glass, satin chrome roof bars and plastic wheelarch protectors. Without
doubt, the Stepway is a better looking car than the closer to the ground standard Logan.
Summit spec also brings with it a bit of pizazz on the inside with orange stitching on the upholstery and orange highlights on the air vents and centre console.
The dashboard is blissfully simple with a 7in touchscreen through which you can access DAB radio, SIRI and sat-nav with GB and Ireland mapping. Our car’s
With rear seats folded it’s nearly as big as an old Volvo
only other option, apart from the spare wheel, is a £90 European mapping installation. That’s a bit dear considering how much apps cost that provide the information.
Our car is fitted with the Renault/Dacia three-cylinder 90bhp turbocharged petrol engine. It’s a unit with plenty of character though its power delivery, as the turbocharger does its work, isn’t particularly smooth. I’d choose it over the alternative 90bhp diesel engine, for sure. A five-speed manual gearbox is fitted that does the job and the little engine revs so cleanly that it’s easy to find yourself zapping along briskly in fourth not realising that there’s another gear to go.
As you’d expect from its name, the MCV is spacious. The rear seats fold flat to provide a substantial 1,518 litres, which is not far off the space available in far bigger estate cars such as an old Volvo V70.
Against rivals in its own price bracket the Logan MCV is king. Our Summit SE costs £12,295 without options and a modest £12,485 if you throw in the European mapping and crucially important spare wheel.
The Dacia’s ride is better at speed than it is over potholes. You are aware of the extra height off the ground as there’s a bit more body roll than in a standard nonStepway Logan, and the view out adds to the sensation.
The Dacia Duster is a more appealing motor, but if you’re averse to SUVs and want the maximum amount of space for your money, this car is an excellent choice. At under £13,000 it truly beats the system.