Dacia Sandero Stepway review

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a Duster? No, actually – it’s the Dacia Sandero Stepway, the beefed-up, SUV-esque attempt to liven up the Romanian brand’s best-selling family car.

You probably won’t be a stranger to the Dacia Sandero, not least because you won’t find a cheaper new car in the UK. The budget hatchback is no-frills motoring at its simplest; just don’t expect it to feel like anything other than a budget car. The Sandero Stepway, too, stays true to this, so you’ll find hard, scratchy plastics and limited luxury are the order of the day.

But there’s still good news, as there’s a lot to like about the Stepway. An incredibly spacious interior for its class is a major plus, along with its bargain price tag. There’s also a surprising amount of kit available if you opt for the Comfort or Techroad trims.

So what’s different about the Stepway apart from just looking like a slightly more rugged version of the Sandero? Well, there’s a ride height that’s raised by 40mm, roof bars and some styling tweaks to separate it from the standard hatch. At a quick glance, you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for the brand’s four-wheel-drive focused SUV, the Dacia Duster, although the Sandero Stepway is a hefty chunk cheaper – it costs far less than the similarly off-road styled Ford Fiesta Active.

The alterations make it more expensive than the standard Sandero hatch, though. However, while the Sandero Stepway doesn’t have the headline-grabbing starting price the hatchback boasts, might it actually represent better value? Read our full review to see if it does justice to the budget-minded Sandero name. And, when you’re ready to buy, don’t forget to head to our New Car Buying pages to see how much you could save on your new purchase.