Dacia Sandero Stepway (2012 – ) expert review

1. Exterior

The Stepway looks very different to car it is based on, the Sandero hatchback. With its raised ride height, extra bodykit (front and rear scuff plates and black wheelarch extensions) and roof rails, it’s effectively a crossover version of the hatchback. Those few differences have a profound effect on the looks of the car, and to our eyes at least, the Stepway is a much more distinctive vehicle than the regular hatchback.

Our rating: 4

2. Interior

Unlike the exterior, the interior of the Stepway is identical to the regular Sandero’s. There’s nothing wrong with that – it’s smart and reasonably modern – but it doesn’t have any sense of the more rugged look of the exterior. On the other hand, as the Stepway comes only in higher trim levels, its interior is smarter than the more basic versions of the Sandero. It’s true that the materials don’t have the same feeling of quality that you would find in some other similarly sized cars, but for the price, it’s more than adequate.

Our rating: 3

3. Practicality

The Stepway may be based on a supermini, but you’d never guess that from the amount of space on offer. There’s head- and legroom to spare in the front seats – even if the driver is six-foot tall – and you’d easily get another couple of adults in the back seats; three at a push. Access, too, is very easy, thanks to large rear doors, while the boot is also an impressive size.

Our rating: 4

4. Ride and handling

Compared to the regular Sandero hatchback, the Stepway sits a little higher on its suspension, and the extra travel that allows in the springs gives the taller car a softer feel to its step. True, it can’t smother the worst lumps and bumps, but it copes well with most of the challenges the roads can throw at it; and, what movement there is in the body is well controlled. Likewise, although the soft suspension does allow obvious body roll, it’s well controlled. The only reservation we have is the steering, which has no feeling through the wheel and is vague around the straight-ahead position. On the other hand, it does make it easy to manoeuvre in town.

Our rating: 3

5. Performance

So far, we have only driven one engine in the Stepway, the four-cylinder 1.5-litre diesel. It has a relatively modest 90bhp, but thanks to its 220Nm of torque developed below 2000rpm, it performs more strongly than the figures suggest. On paper, it gets to 60mph in a decidedly leisurely 11.8 seconds, but in the real world, it’s the ready pull from low revs that characterises its performance: it makes it easy to keep up with traffic and cruise on the motorway with no great effort.

Our rating: 3

6. Running costs

Naturally, it’s the purchase price that grabs all the headlines – and rightly so. This is the UK’s cheapest crossover – and cheapest by some way – but that’s only half of the story. Such low purchase prices mean depreciation is not a huge issue – even if you throw the car away when you’ve finished with it, you can hardly lose more than £10,000 – while the engines both promise good fuel economy: 52mpg from the petrol unit, and almost 20mpg more from the diesel, with an Eco button to improve day-to-day economy.

Our rating: 5

7. Reliability

Dacia my be an unknown brand in the UK, but its cars are based on proven Renault technology. What’s more, in 2011, the brand was voted the most reliable in Europe in a poll of some 30,000 drivers. In short, we don’t expect any problems from the Stepway, but for anyone who .

Our rating: 4

8. Safety

This is perhaps the area where Dacia’s ‘cost-effective’ development is most obvious. Its other cars have not scored well in Euro NCAP crash tests and the company says the Sandero (on which the Stepway is based) is not expected to score more than three stars. For the price, its standard kit is not too bad, including stability control, as well as twin front and side airbags, but curtain airbags are not available, even as options.

Our rating: 3

9. Equipment

Despite what you might expect, given the car’s low price, the equipment levels are not overly Spartan. All models come with the extra body kit and roof rails, and even the more basic Ambiance models come with Bluetooth, metallic paint and electric front windows. Stepping up to the top Laureate trim adds air-con, a chrome front grille and all-round electric windows, as well as a touch-screen sat-nav system with Aux and USB inputs, cruise control and rear parking sensors. To cap it all, even the options are affordable: the £495 Touring Pack gives you a luggage net, transverse roof bars and a centre armrest, while leather upholstery is just £600.

Our rating: 5

10. Why buy?

The Sandero Stepway is a car that you might expect us to recommend solely on price; and, while the price is a huge attraction, there’s a lot more to it than that. In its own right, it’s a smart-looking, spacious and comfortable car, but when you see how little you have to spend to get so much, it’s an astonishing package.

Our rating: 4