New Dacia and Renault models have made their debut at the Paris Motor Show. These second generation Sandero and Sandero Stepway offerings come to market with a newly facelifted Dacia Logan budget sedan. More interestingly, however, the European Sandero will get a revised engine lineup. For the first time ever, Dacia models get modern, Renault / Nissan-sourced engines.
The range starts with a 900 cc, 3-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine that produces 66 kW and a peak torque of 135 Nm. This engine returns an average fuel consumption figure of 5.2L/100 km and emits CO2 to the tune of 120 g/km.
The next engine is a 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder unit with 55 kW, average economy of 5.9 L/100 km and CO2 emissions of 137 g/km. They even have a thrifty diesel with a 1.5-litre dCi powerplant that offers 66 kW and 200 Nm of torque. The Nissan derived engine sports fuel consumption of just 3.8 L/100 km and CO2 emissions of 99 g/km.
In South Africa, the Renault Sandero family is a continuation of a product line from when Renault acquired Dacia in 1999. In 2004 they introduced their first new budget car under the brand name, the Logan, which became one of the best-selling cars in Eastern Europe and Russia, and Renault decided to sell it in South Africa. We didn’t like it very much because it was still imported from India and was overpriced. When Renault decided to manufacture the Sandero hatchback in 2009 in Rosslyn, however, we thought it a much better budget proposition.
All three Dacia/Renault models share a newly-styled and not all together radical, front end. They also offer a simple, two-tone, dashboard with accents on the air-vents. According to Dacia, these cars offer better fit and finish. Included in European spec cars are features like a multimedia system with a 7-inch touch screen, sat-nav, MP3-playing capability, USB and jack sockets, steering mounted controls and Bluetooth connectivity.
It’ll take a while for Rosslyn to retool and the Renault version of the Sandero and Sandero Stepway to reach South African shores, but we sincerely hope they make it with some of this improved technology.
