The best-selling Dacia in Britain is the crossover-infused, value-priced supermini Sandero Stepway. And now the jacked-up five-door hatch has become even better value with the launch of a new entry-level engine.
The 1.2-litre SCe 75 is certainly no ball of fire. 0-62mph takes a yawning 16.7 seconds and it can’t even crack 100mph flat-out. The TCe 90 that it sits below is a full 5.6 seconds faster from 0-62mph, and has half as much pulling power again.
But never mind the performance, just look at the prices. The Sandero Stepway SCe 75, in base-level Essential trim, costs just £8,995, making it one of the most affordable new cars in Britain. AND you get a car with plenty of style-conscious SUV body cladding to boot.
It’s 40mm higher than the regular Sandero hatch, and the roof bars plus satin finish chrome front and rear skid plates are standard.
Mind you, if its limp performance really is an issue, the TCe 90 isn’t exactly budget-busting: it costs from £9,995, just £1,000 more. It’s the diesel variant that makes little sense these days: it may well do 58.8mpg, but it also costs from £11,595, £1,600 more than the TCe 90 (which does 42.2mpg).
The diesel has by far the highest insurance group, too – 13E, compared to 6E for the SCe 75 and 8E for the TCe 90.
The new Essential trim line has been introduced to give everything the budget-conscious new car buyer needs for a competitive price. It has the all-important air con as standard, plus DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity, electric front windows, body coloured bumpers and ‘alloy-look’ wheels.
Comfort is new, too: priced from £10,995, it has touchscreen MediaNav sat nav with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cruise control, rear parking sensors, electric rear windows and electric door mirrors.
2019 Dacia Sandero Stepway: prices
Essential
- 1.2 SCe 75: £8,995
- 0.9 TCe 90: £9,995
- 1.5 dCi 95 Blue: £11,595
Comfort
- 0.9 TCe 90: £10,995
- 1.5 dCi 95 Blue: £12,595