The Dacia Sandero Never Promises More Than It Delivers
All three reviews credit this car with a genuinely rare quality in the current market: complete honesty about what it is, paired with a formula that's turned it into one of Europe's best-selling cars despite — or maybe because of — its stripped-back simplicity.
Getting Cheap Right, Rather Than Just Cheap
Building an affordable car is easy if you're willing to cut every corner available. Reviewers keep noting this one found a genuinely different path — deliberately simple, but not carelessly built — and that distinction is exactly why it keeps outselling far pricier rivals.
Specs at a Glance
| Body styles | Hatchback, Stepway (raised, SUV-styled) |
|---|---|
| Engines | 1.0L three-cylinder petrol (89bhp or 99bhp), Bi-Fuel LPG option |
| Platform | Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance CMF-B, shared with the Renault Clio |
| Euro NCAP rating | 2 stars |
| Price range (new) | From around £13,795 |
Full Review Summary
Top Gear
Top Gear praised the Sandero for making no promises it cannot keep, delivering simple, spacious motoring for a genuinely low price without pretending to be something more. They rated the light weight (just 1,072kg in testing) as making it surprisingly fun to drive within its limits, requiring genuine driver engagement to extract what pace is available, and found the car's low, two-star Euro NCAP rating reflects a lack of active safety systems like lane-keep assist rather than fundamentally weak passive safety.
What Car?
What Car? found the Sandero undercuts every other new small car on price, including the Kia Picanto, while now riding on the same modern underpinnings as the latest Renault Clio for a noticeably more contemporary feel than previous generations. They measured genuinely class-competitive front and rear space, nearly matching the Honda Jazz on headroom while beating it on legroom, and praised the height-adjustable driver's seat and clear dashboard controls, though flagged that safety rating as the car's clearest remaining weakness.
Autocar
Autocar's road test of the raised Stepway version praised comfortable seats and a quiet engine, though noted a small but noticeable trade-off in wind and road noise compared with pricier rivals. They found the suspension softly set up without the tight body control of a Ford Fiesta, though rated it entirely acceptable for a car at this price point, and praised the car's genuinely handsome, contemporary styling as a real step up from the boxier previous generation.
Strengths
- Unmatched value — undercuts every direct rival on price
- Genuinely spacious cabin for the class
- Modern underpinnings shared with the Renault Clio
- Light, engaging handling within its limits
Weak points
- Poor two-star Euro NCAP safety rating
- More wind and road noise than pricier rivals
- Softer body control than class benchmarks like the Ford Fiesta
- No hybrid or electric version available
Who It Actually Suits
Buyers who prioritise genuine value and space over the latest safety technology or driving polish. Worth being aware of the safety rating specifically if that's a priority — every review flags it as the car's clearest compromise.