Are you driving Comfortably?
You’ll be cheerful enough in this budget vehicle which while short on basic features, isn’t ‘cheap’, writes Steve Teale
Remember how budget cars used to be so spartan? Skodas and Ladas in the 1970s were cheap but not very cheerful. They undercut established models but quality was questionable.
But today’s more affordable models are in a different league. Take the Dacia, a Romanianmodelwhichcostshundredsofpounds–insomecases, thousandsofpounds–lessthan mainstream rivals.
Dacias aren’t perfect. They do have some shortcomings, but they have much to be admired.
Duster, a SUV, is wonderful for the money. Logan is less impressive but still a fabulous proposition. And tested here is Sandero. Or Sandero Stepway Comfort to be precise.
OK, so it sounds like a stairlift but forget the peculiar title. Just look at what you get for the money.
Sandero starts at £6,995, which is staggering. Even the test model – laden with kit – is £11,845.
It’s not perfect. The styling is a little dated when compared withthewonderfulDuster,and it could do with six gears rather than five.
But the engine is strong, the ride decent and equipment levels are impressive.
Sandero is a hatchback which is so tall it could be mistaken for a mini-MPV, which I suspect is deliberate. There is plenty of space for passengers and the boot is 320 litres rising to 1,200 with the seats folded.
Equipment is better than you could hope for in a budget hatchback. It has parking sensors, a 7in screen with satellite navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, air conditioning, stopand-start economy system, anti-lock brakes and central locking.
Ithashill-startassist,which is pretty sophisticated for such a model. The overall feeling is oneofamid-marketmodel,certainly not a ‘cheap’ car.
SanderohashelpedDaciato astrongstartto2019,withsales up 94.7 per cent compared to the same period last year.
The success comes on the back of sales increases across the board for Dacia, with some ofitsbesthalfyearresultssince it returned to the UK in 2013.
According to figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers, Dacia sales for the first six months of 2019 totalled 18,568 - an impressive increase of 36.3 percent compared to the same period last year.
Theall-newDusterhasbeen the star performer in the sales charts, with a 94.7 per cent increase in registrations compared to the first six months of 2018.
Also experiencing a strong starttotheyearisSanderoStepway, which has seen sales rise by 9.4 per cent over the same six-month period in 2018. By combining tough off-roader-inspired looks and familyfriendly with a small car price and low running costs, its appeal has been further boosted by the introduction earlier this yearofthenewSCe75petrolengine and powerful Blue dCi 95 diesel, plus the addition of the entry-level Essential and lavishlyequippedTechroadtrims.
Dacia has a long history associated with Renault, the French brand first working with Dacia plants in Romania in the 1960s, before acquiring them fully in 1999.
Dacia says its mission is to produce “spacious, robust, high-quality vehicles of original design that are affordable for everybody”. It’s mission accomplished.