Nostalgic for the days when superminis didn’t cost £20k and you grew so hot on summer journeys the driver’s seat looked like the Turin Shroud when you got out? You’ll love the new, no-frills Dacia Sandero.
Based on the platform used by the latest Renault Clio, the all-new Sandero and Sandero Stepway are new cars for used-car money: the entry level Sandero Access costs less than £8k.
For that you get 15in steel wheels, front electric windows, a phone-docking station, six airbags and not much else. When the marketing material crows about fabric inserts on the doors you know not to expect a mini S-class.
If you want air conditioning, cruise control, remote central locking, DAB, Bluetooth, body-colour bumpers and any of the other goodies we expect from modern cars you’ll need to stump up another £1000 for the mid-spec Essential.
At the top of the range, Comfort trim brings electric windows, keyless entry and an 8in touchscreen for £11,595, which doesn’t sound so cheap – until you consider even the most basic five-door Ford Fiesta will set you back £17k.
There are three engines available, starting with a naturally-aspirated 1.0-triple with a feeble 64bhp, the only option for bargain-basement Access buyers, and the entry-point for Essential trim.
Up your budget to £10k and you mate Essential with a more palatable-sounding 89bhp turbocharged 1.0-litre that’s a massive 5sec quicker to 62mph, but emits the same 120g/km of CO2.
A Bi-Fuel powertrain, which runs on either LPG or petrol, is available on Essential and Comfort cars and serves up 99bhp and 109g/km.
The Sandero will be joined in Dacia dealerships at launch in February by its rough-road alter ego, the new Sandero Stepway.
Sitting 174mm higher than the ordinary Sandero, the Stepway gets chunky plastic cladding, skid plates, and adjustable roof bars that can take loads of up to 80kg.
Stepway prices start at £10,995 for the 89bhp Essential and top out at £14,595 for the posh Prestige automatic.
Keyword: New £7995 Dacia Sandero is Britain’s cheapest car