Renault has introduced the new Dacia Sandero -- one of the most affordable new cars in the UK. With a price lower than £7000, this is the model that’s expected to rival the Ford Fiesta. The new Sandero will have its public debut at the Paris motor show next week. UK showrooms will get the model next January, together with the £8995 Duster crossover. This coincides with the UK launch of Renault’s budget brand. The new Sandero is built on the same B0 platform that Dacia’s entire product range uses. Dacia can achieve the economies of scale that result in low list prices by making use of the same platform throughout its five model lineups.
Even when they use the same underpinnings, the appearance of the new five-door Sandero is more distinctive than its conservative predecessor. It’s styled to be quite thick and offers a lot of character. Meanwhile, the front end’s appearance comes from the Duster. Its quality and interior design are a great departure from the existing Sandero’s. It also seems to share more features with Renault models compared to Dacia’s other budget models. Dacia claims that the cabin of the Sandero will be one of the roomiest in its class. It has a boot space of 320 liters when the seats are up while it offers 1200 liters when the seats are down.
This means that it surpasses those of the five-door Fiesta by 25 litres and by 221 litres respectively. The complete pricing and specs as well as the engine lineup will be revealed next month. A rugged Stepway version will be displayed together with the standard Sandero at the Paris motor show. It is likely to make up for around 50% of all Sandero sales and is likely to arrive this spring in the UK. When compared to the standard car, it is 40mm higher and comes with a modified front end appearance. It also has front and rear skid plates, a set of 16-inch wheels, roof rails, flared wheel arches, and an Azurite blue paint finish.
