After 15 years on the market and 6.5 million units sold, the Dacia Sandero , the best-selling model to private customers in Europe since 2017, has now reached its third generation.
Larger and more technological, in this generation the Sandero continues to bet on the Stepway version to captivate customers — it corresponds to 65% of the model's sales — but it does not use the Diesel engine, in a kind of sign of the times.
But there are more differences and new features in the Romanian brand's bestseller, which has sold 2.1 million units since its launch. We went to Paris, France, to get to know them first hand.
The platform is well known
As expected, the new Dacia Sandero received a new platform. When we say new, we are not referring to a “refreshed” platform from any Renault that is more than ten years old, but rather to the most modern platform that exists in the Renault Group's organ bank.
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In this third generation, Sandero is based on the evolved CMF-B platform, the same one that is used by the “cousins” Clio and Captur, with all the advantages inherent to the adoption of this platform.
Still, despite the new Sandero being based on the CMF-B platform, the creation of a hybrid variant or plug-in hybrid does not seem to be in Dacia's plans (at least for now). All because this version would make the final product too expensive.
abroad everything is new
Although the “family air” remains, live, hardly anyone will confuse the new Sandero with its predecessor or with any other model from Dacia.
First, it's much bigger than its predecessor. It measures 4088 mm in length, 1848 mm in width and 1499 mm in height (1535 mm on the Stepway).
It also comes as standard with LED headlamps on all versions, allowing for a new “Y”-shaped luminous signature that promises to become Dacia's trademark.
As for the Stepway version, this not only has a greater height from the ground (174 mm compared to the 133 mm of the "normal" version), but also features an exclusive hood with a more sculpted design and even longitudinal bars that, thanks to a simple screw, they can become… transversal!
The bars can be longitudinal or…
And inside too
If on the outside the differences in the new Dacia Sandero are notorious, on the inside they are even more evident.
For a start, the increase in dimensions was reflected in a 42 mm increase in legroom for rear seat passengers and in the growth of the luggage compartment, which now offers 328 l (10 l more than in its predecessor).
In the design chapter, we see a 180º shift. We can see the well-known ventilation controls used by Dacia Duster, Renault Captur and Clio, we also have three infotainment systems available: Media Control, Media Display and Media Nav.
Power steering is now electric and the steering wheel is adjustable for depth and height.
The first uses our smartphone (which has its own support on top of the dashboard) as a screen thanks to the Dacia Media Control app and a USB or Bluetooth connection. In addition, it also has a 3.5” TFT screen on the instrument panel that allows you to navigate through the different menus.
The Media Display system, on the other hand, has an 8” screen with a new interface and is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems. Finally, the Media Nav system maintains the 8” screen, but as the name suggests, it has navigation and allows you to wirelessly pair the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems.
Engines? Only gasoline or LPG
As we told you at the beginning of this text, in this new generation, Dacia Sandero said goodbye to Diesel engines, with Dacia justifying this “divorce” with the drop in sales of the versions equipped with diesel engines.
Thus, the Sandero range comprises three engines: SCe 65; TCe 90 and TCe 100 ECO-G.
The SCe 65 engine consists of a three-cylinder with 1.0 l capacity and 65 hp that is associated with a five-speed manual gearbox, not being available in the Stepway version.
The TCe 90 is also a three-cylinder with 1.0 l capacity, but thanks to a turbo it sees power rise to 90 hp. As for the transmission, this could be associated with a manual transmission with six relations and an unprecedented automatic CVT transmission.
Finally, with the disappearance of Diesel, the role of “sparing” motorization in the range belongs to the TCe 100 ECO-G, which consumes gasoline and LPG.
With three cylinders and 1.0 l, this engine offers 100 hp and is associated with a manual gearbox with six ratios, promising CO2 emissions around 11% less than an equivalent engine.
As for the capacity of the tanks, the LPG one has a capacity of 50 l and the petrol one another 50 l. All of this allows for an autonomy of over 1300 km.
Another novelty that Dacia revealed to us about the LPG Sandero is that this will be the first model of the Renault Group with a LPG engine to present consumption in the on-board computer and to have an indicator of the level of LPG on the instrument panel.
Common to the three engines is the fact that they can all be associated with a Stop & Start system.
security has not been forgotten
With the new generation of Sandero, Dacia has also reinforced its best-seller offer in terms of safety systems and driving assistance.
For the first time, Sandero may come with a sunroof.
This means that the Romanian model presents itself with systems like the emergency braking assistant; the blind spot tell-tale; the parking assistant (with four sensors at the rear and the front, and a rear camera) and the Hill Start Assist.
Added to all this is the fact that the CMF-B platform has levels of rigidity higher than those used by the previous Sandero and that, in this new generation, the Romanian model has six airbags and an emergency call system.
When does it arrive and how much will it cost?
With arrival on the market scheduled for the end of this year/beginning of 2021, for now it is not known how much the new Dacia Sandero will cost.