Dacia Sandero Ambiance dCi

The Sandero is one of Dacia’s ‘shockingly affordable’ stars, and in dCi guise employs the latest Renault engine technology for lower emissions and improved fuel economy.

Over the past two years, Dacia has become a by-word for affordable and value-driven motoring. Taken under the wing of French car maker Renault in 1999, the Logan was launched in 2004 at a knockdown €5,000 and laid the foundations of the brand as it is known today.

Range mainstay
The Sandero arrived in the UK during 2013, costing an unbelievable £5,995 at launch. A mainstay of Dacia’s Eastern European range since 2007, the Sandero is a well-proportioned supermini-sized five-door hatchback, with styling which bears a passing resemblance to Renault’s popular Clio. Our mid-range Ambiance test car featured body-coloured bumpers and full-sized wheel trims: more basic versions do without both. Pleasingly, the only option was the £495 ‘Cinder Red’ paintwork.

In Ambiance trim and fitted with Renault’s proven EU5 89bhp 1.5 dCi four-cylinder diesel engine, our test car was priced at £8,595. While not as affordable as the entry-level Access model, the trim step-up does offer more for modern-day motoring. A CD/USB/Bluetooth radio system is standard, along with remote central locking and electric front windows. That may be too few fripperies for some, but in truth, they are all most people need.

Value-for-money
With a claimed 74.3mpg, the Sandero dCi aims to take both the value‑for‑money and low fuel return cards and run with them. Over a 336-mile test, we managed 61.0mpg. The Renault diesel engine goes well and has punchy performance, particularly in the lower rev ranges. The mechanical-feeling gear change is long-legged, which aids fuel economy. An ‘Eco’ mode tunes the car to be slightly more parsimonious and even though there was no stop-start system, on our test car emissions were still an impressive 99g/km. On a motorway, the low price doesn’t tally with the refinement on offer: for such a value-driven small diesel car, the Sandero is commendably quiet. The Sandero handles better than may be expected given the keen price, and while the power steering is heavier than most drivers may be used to, the very sharp brakes bring the car to a halt quickly. 

Unpretentious character
One of the most refreshing aspects of the Dacia Sandero is that it is a very honest car. It endears itself to the driver with an unpretentious character at an impressively low price. Rivals in size such as the Ford Fiesta cost thousands more and are less practical, while more direct rivals on price such as the Skoda Citigo are much smaller.

With a 1-year/12,0000mile service intervals and a three-year/60,000-mile warranty, the Sandero plays the value card with its running costs, too. Since our test, Dacia has revised the dCi engine: 2016 model year cars are now Euro 6-compliant and emissions are only 90g/km, with a claimed combined cycle80.7mpg. A stop-start system is also now standard fit. Even more so with the added revisions, as a low-cost, good economy, spacious and value-driven diesel car, the Dacia Sandero has very few rivals.

Further information
www.dacia.co.uk