06 Mar 08
The Dacia brand-name is coming back to Britain in early 2009. The Romanian company - now owned by Renault - is building a five-door version of its Logan, to be called Sandero. This will join the Logan saloon, Logan MCV seven-seat estate, van and pick-up in the Dacia line-up, and will be built in Pitesti, Romania.
Four engines will be offered in the Sandero: 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol units (75bhp and 90bhp), and 68bhp and 86bhp versions of the popular Renault 1.5dCi diesel (emitting 120g/km). The car will come with a comprehensive warranty and will be marketed as a low-cost, roomy, practical vehicle.
Much of the Sandero's underpinnings have been derived from the second-generation Clio, and it has been developed to be simple to maintain and drive - there won't be any over-complex electronics - and robust to own, able to cope with poorly-surfaced roads in remote areas. It has underbody protection and tough torsion-beam suspension with coil springs and extended-travel dampers.
Somewhere between a supermini and a small family car in size, the Sandero is just over 4m long. It seats three adults in the back, and has a 320-litre boot plus folding rear bench seat.
The lowest-spec versions - minus power steering and ABS anti-lock brakes - will not come to the UK; we should get versions with at least twin front airbags, though don't expect a five-star NCAP crash test score like that of Renault-brand models. This is an old-tech car built down to a price, positioned in the budget sector and aimed at people who would otherwise be buying secondhand.
Check out the rest of our Geneva Motor Show coverage.
