Item: Dacia Sandero Stepway
Rating: 4
Author: Steve Huntingford

Audi A1

Citroën C3

Dacia Sandero

Dacia Sandero Stepway

Fiat 500 Hybrid

Fiat Panda

Ford Fiesta

Honda Jazz

Hyundai i10

Hyundai i20

Kia Picanto

Kia Rio

MG 3

Mazda 2

Mini

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Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

On the face of it, the Stepway seems quite a bit more expensive than&nbsp;the regular <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/dacia/sandero/hatchback/review/n55">Dacia Sandero</a>. However, even in higher-spec forms, it's good value compared with a reasonably well-specced <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/i10/hatchback/review/n49">Hyundai i10</a> or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/review/n106">Ford Fiesta Active</a>. As such, we recommend jumping up to Comfort trim. The traditionally strong predicted resale values of Dacias make the&nbsp;Stepway attractive on PCP finance.

Fuel economy isn’t quite as good as that of the regular Sandero, let alone a hybrid<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/honda/jazz/hatchback/review/n17343"> Honda Jazz</a> or<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/yaris/hatchback/review/n31"> Toyota Yaris</a>, but the TCe 90 still returns an official figure of more than 50mpg. In our experience, more than 40mpg will be easily achievable in the real world, so you’d have to drive your Yaris an awful lot to recoup the cost difference. The official CO2 emissions are nothing to write home about, but the low purchase price will lead to&nbsp;company car drivers enjoying a low benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax rate.

On paper, the TCe 100 Bi-Fuel isn’t quite as efficient as&nbsp;the TCe 90, with higher CO2 emissions when running on petrol and slightly heavier fuel consumption when using LPG. However, LPG is much cheaper per litre than petrol, so if there’s a filling station near you that sells it, you should see your fuel bills drop surprisingly quickly.

Essential trim gives you just that, with wheel trims, electric front windows, cruise control and remote central locking, along with a basic infotainment system.&nbsp;If you can, we'd recommend going for Comfort trim. It's still astonishing value but comes with a deep pool of extra kit, including electric rear windows, rain-sensing wipers and keyless entry, plus extra infotainment goodies and visibility aids. Prestige adds even more parking aids, along with alloy wheels, climate control and an electric parking brake.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/dacia">Dacia</a> did brilliantly in the 2021 <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2021-what-car-reliability-survey-brands/n23418">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>, finishing in second place out of 30 brands. Every new Sandero Stepway&nbsp;comes with a three-year/60,000-mile warranty, which is par for the course in this class. It can be extended to six years or 100,000 miles for a reasonable cost, but Kia still provides a longer warranty as standard.

The Sandero Stepway received a disappointing two-star safety rating from <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/the-safest-cars-on-sale-today/n19724">Euro NCAP</a>. However, it’s worth noting that it was assessed under the latest, much tougher test requirements.&nbsp;If you dive into the detail of the results, you’ll find that it outperforms the&nbsp;i10 (the closest rival to be tested under the new regulations) for protecting adult occupants in a front collision.&nbsp;

In terms of safety kit, the Sandero Stepway gets automatic emergency braking&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-is-aeb-and-how-does-it-work/n3283">(AEB)</a>, tyre-pressure monitoring, six airbags, Isofix child-seat mounts and e-Call emergency assistance. Prestige adds blind-spot monitoring, but&nbsp;more expensive rivals such as the Jazz and&nbsp;Yaris are in another league when it comes to safety, with both cars awarded a full five stars. They also get far more sophisticated active safety systems as standard.

Technically, there’s only one engine available in the Dacia Sandero Stepway – a turbocharged, three-cylinder 1.0 litre petrol – but it can either be powered by petrol, or a combination of petrol and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

The petrol-only option, called the TCe 90, has 89bhp, and is the only engine of the two that can be had with the automatic gearbox. It has perfectly acceptable performance for the class, with a decent amount of punch from low engine speeds. It’s not the swiftest to reach motorway pace, but it’ll sit there all day long without fuss once you’re up there.

For the same money, there’s the TCe 100 Bi-Fuel. It has a bit of extra poke at the expense of MPG economy, but because LPG is half the price of petrol, it can be much cheaper to run. You can flip between the two fuels using a switch next to your knee, so if you can’t find anywhere to fill the LPG tank, you’ve always got petrol to fall back on.

The TCe 100 Bi-Fuel is our preferred engine because it’s a little stronger from low engine speeds and accelerates a bit more quickly. Crucially, it’s smoother and far quieter when accelerating than the TCe 90. Regardless of the engine choice, though, you’ll find far punchier options in most rivals.

We don’t have any issues with the light gearshift and easy-to-modulate clutch of the standard six-speed manual. The optional continuously variable transmission (CVT) auto gearbox available on the TCe 90 is smooth enough around town, but does cause the engine revs to flare under heavy acceleration (a characteristic of CVTs).

You’ll hear a bit more wind and road noise in the Sandero Stepway than in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/review/n106">Ford Fiesta Active</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/polo/hatchback/review/n83">Volkswagen Polo</a>&nbsp;but it cruises more quietly than similar-priced rivals including&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mg-motor-uk/mg3/hatchback/review/n17867">MG 3</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/suzuki/ignis/hatchback/review/n17225">Suzuki Ignis</a>.

It’s also far more comfortable than the MG 3 and Ignis – as well as most other <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-small-cars-2022/n16997">small cars</a> –&nbsp;smoothing out rough roads impressively, especially at speed. Potholes and expansion joints do send a bit of a thwack through it, but not as noticeably as with similarly priced rivals. Indeed, you’d have to spend a fair chunk extra on a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/karoq/estate/review/n118">Skoda Kamiq</a>&nbsp;or VW Polo for&nbsp;a better ride.

The soft suspension means handling isn’t the Dacia Sandero Stepway’s forte, though. There’s plenty of body lean in corners and it never feels particularly agile. Still, there's decent grip and the steering weights up in a reassuring manner when cornering, which inspires confidence. The Fiesta Active is more fun for keen drivers.

Fuel 

Gearbox

0-62 MPH

http://example.com

1.0 TCe

10-tce

1.0 TCe Bi-Fuel

10-tce-bi-fuel

The Dacia Sandero Stepway isn’t a fiendish new exercise machine – it’s an SUV-themed small hatchback at a very competitive price.

It's based on&nbsp;the regular&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/dacia/sandero/hatchback/review/n55">Dacia Sandero</a>&nbsp;but&nbsp;gets a more heavily sculpted bonnet, roof rails, chunky plastic wheel arch extensions, an increased ride height and bumpers with integrated skidplates – all additions that are well suited to the&nbsp;urban jungle. There are just three trim levels to pick from, and no options apart from&nbsp;colour and a few dealer-fit accessories.

Some might be disappointed there’s no hybrid or diesel version, just a couple of turbocharged petrol engines. One is entirely conventional, but the other offers an interesting way&nbsp;to reduce&nbsp;costs and CO2 emissions, as we’ll explain later. An automatic gearbox is optional while a six-speed manual is standard.

<iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M5s54lEXZ0s" width="560"></iframe>

Of course, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/dacia">Dacia</a> isn't the only car maker producing a high-rise hatchback. For a start, there’s the long-running <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/fiat/panda/hatchback/review/n128">Fiat Panda Cross</a>, plus the <a href="http://v">Ford Fiesta Active</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/honda/jazz/hatchback/review/n17343">Honda Jazz Crosstar</a>.

The Sandero Stepway is significantly cheaper than all of them, though, undercutting smaller city-oriented&nbsp;cars such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/i10/hatchback/review/n49">Hyundai i10</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/picanto/hatchback/review/n58">Kia Picanto</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/up/hatchback/review/n9">Volkswagen Up</a>, let alone small SUVs including the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/puma/hatchback/review/n20838">Ford Puma</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/karoq/estate/review/n118">Skoda Karoq</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/t-roc/hatchback/review/n17376">Volkswagen T-Roc</a>. Even the diminutive <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/suzuki/ignis/hatchback/review/n17225">Suzuki Ignis</a> is a pricier car.

So does this bargain basement price bring any inherent compromises? Over the next few pages of this Dacia Sandero Stepway review, we’ll tell you how peppy it is, whether it’s geared for comfort or cornering, how practical it is, and whether it can compete with the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-small-cars-2022/n16997">best small cars</a>.

If you decide that the Sandero Stepway – or any other new make and model – is the car for you, our free <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">What Car?&nbsp;New Car Buying service</a> gives you a&nbsp;hassle and haggle-free way to search for big savings, and has&nbsp;some of the best&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/dacia">new Dacia deals</a>.

The Dacia Sandero Stepway&nbsp;comes with a height-adjustable driver’s seat with an armrest, plus a height and reach-adjustable steering wheel. You’ll find plenty of easy-to-use switches and knobs conveniently placed around the interior to control all the major functions, plus legible instruments in front of you that can be seen at a glance.

Your forward view is improved slightly by the raised ride height, and if you jack up the driver’s chair enough, you can just about convince yourself that you're in an SUV.&nbsp;The windscreen pillars aren't thick enough to get in the way, but those at the rear are rather chunky. That’s&nbsp;one of the reasons we recommend Comfort trim, which gives you rear parking sensors.

Impressively, all Stepways have bright LED headlights as standard, while Prestige trim adds front parking sensors and a rear-view camera. Essential trim gets a DAB radio, Bluetooth and two speakers, although it's still a relatively basic system by modern standards, with no touchscreen interface.

Comfort trim and up adds an 8.0in colour touchscreen system with built-in sat-nav. It also gets you&nbsp;Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone mirroring that you can sync your phone to wirelessly, saving you the bother of plugging it in to the USB socket on short journeys.

The screen is mounted helpfully high up on the dashboard and is tilted towards the driver, with some touch-sensitive shortcut buttons down the side that you can use to switch between functions. We’d prefer physical shortcut buttons, but the operating system is easy to get used to and responds quickly to prods and swipes.

Hatchback

If you want a new car but would rather not spend much, Dacia is a great place to start your search.

This budget brand builds one of Britain’s cheapest new cars, the Sandero hatchback. And don’t think cheap automatically means corners have been cut because the Sandero has been commended at the annual What Car? Car of the Year awards on numerous occasions.

Other Dacia models include the seven-seat Jogger, higher-riding Sandero Stepway, Logan estate and Duster SUV. And while these cost slightly more than the Sandero, they’re still priced aggressively enough that they’re really only competing directly with used cars.

Dacia manages this by borrowing platforms and technology from its owner, Renault, to minimise development costs.

DACIA

SANDERO STEPWAY

A brilliant small car that&nbsp;only the regular Sandero can topple for value in the class.

The Dacia Sandero Stepway is one of the biggest cars in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-small-cars-2022/n16997">small car</a> class. In fact, it almost matches the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/honda/jazz/hatchback/review/n17343">Honda Jazz</a> for front head room and actually beats it for leg room. The Stepway's interior is relatively broad, too, so you won’t feel hemmed in. There are plenty of handy storage bins for all your clutter, and a couple of cupholders.

Rear space also impresses. True, it doesn't have quite as much leg room as the Jazz, but six-footers will still enjoy a gap between their knees and the seat in front. There's absolutely loads of head room, and its considerable breadth helps when you need to put three people in the back. In fact, our only grumble is that the rear door bins are quite small.&nbsp;

While the design of the boot could be improved – reducing the size of the lip at the entrance, for one thing – you can’t argue with its size. Officially there are 328 litres of space below the parcel shelf, and we managed to fit six carry-on suitcases inside. That's more than in any other car in the class, including the Tardis-like Jazz. Just be careful of the exposed metal instead of tough plastic around the boot opening – there's a risk of scratching the paint.

If you suddenly need a small van, the rear seats fold in a standard 60/40 split. The Jazz Crosstar, in contrast, offers all sorts of clever features, including rear seat bases that flip up like those in a cinema to create an extra luggage area. Then again, it costs nearly twice as much.

As you’d expect for the money, the Sandero Stepway has acres of hard, unyielding plastic, although a fabric insert on the dash and a few little chrome trim pieces on Comfort and up help lift things a little so it doesn’t feel too austere. Everything is solidly constructed, although those looking for a bit of luxury will need to dig much deeper for a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mini/hatchback/hatchback/review/n17350">Mini</a> or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/208/hatchback/review/n30">Peugeot 208</a>.

Essential

essential

Expression

expression

Journey

journey

The Sandero Stepway is a fine small car at a scarcely believable price. With plenty of space for people and a bigger boot than some cars costing twice as much, it’s a real steal. That’s especially true given the willing engines and comfortable ride that make whiling away the miles a pleasant experience. The Euro NCAP safety rating is disappointing, though.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Spacious enough for four adults to sit comfortably</li> <li>Logically laid-out interior that doesn’t</li> <li>feel too cheap</li> <li>Mature driving manners </li> <li>Decent-sized boot</li> <li>Competitive buying and running costs</li></ul>

Small cars, or superminis as they’re also known, used to be bought almost exclusively as first cars or by people with no children – but the likes of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/review/n106">Ford Fiesta</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/ibiza/hatchback/review/n17359">Seat Ibiza</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/polo/hatchback/review/n83">Volkswagen Polo</a> have grown to the point where they can be considered all-round family transport, albeit with the odd compromise.

The Fiesta remains a star of the class, thanks to its strong Ecoboost petrol engines and suspension settings that are beautifully judged for British roads. However, the latest Volkswagen offers even more practicality, decent performance and a classy interior that has the edge on the Ford’s for quality.

Any of these models will be a competent commuter car – especially if fitted with one of the increasingly popular small turbocharged petrol engines – but just remember that while you’ll be able to carry two adults and two children, it might still be a struggle to get all of their luggage into the boot.

Small

Dacia Sandero Stepway review

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The Dacia Sandero Stepway comes with a height-adjustable driver’s seat with an armrest, plus a height and reach-adjustable steering wheel. You’ll find plenty of easy-to-use switches and knobs conveniently placed around the interior to control all the major functions, plus legible instruments in front of you that can be seen at a glance.,Your forward view is improved slightly by the raised ride height, and if you jack up the driver’s chair enough, you can just about convince yourself that you're in an SUV. The windscreen pillars aren't thick enough to get in the way, but those at the rear are rather chunky. That’s one of the reasons we recommend Comfort trim, which gives you rear parking sensors.,Impressively, all Stepways have bright LED headlights as standard, while Prestige trim adds front parking sensors and a rear-view camera. Essential trim gets a DAB radio, Bluetooth and two speakers, although it's still a relatively basic system by modern standards, with no touchscreen interface.,Comfort trim and up adds an 8.0in colour touchscreen system with built-in sat-nav. It also gets you Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone mirroring that you can sync your phone to wirelessly, saving you the bother of plugging it in to the USB socket on short journeys.,The screen is mounted helpfully high up on the dashboard and is tilted towards the driver, with some touch-sensitive shortcut buttons down the side that you can use to switch between functions. We’d prefer physical shortcut buttons, but the operating system is easy to get used to and responds quickly to prods and swipes.

Review of Dacia Sandero Stepway interior by the expert What Car? team. Compare in car entertainment system, driving comfort and visibility with similar cars.

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Dacia Sandero Stepway review

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