The Reliable Renault Sandero

Anco BaardGood news everybody! There’s a new Dacia Sandero. Errr, Renault Sandero! Same thing, right? In layman’s terms, the Renault Sandero is the rebadged version of the Romanian manufacturer’s best-selling vehicle.

Built to be affordable and reliable, the Sandero has been making a name for itself all over the world. The new one promises more of the same, and more.

It comes as no surprise that this second-generation Sandero was designed in tandem with the new Clio. The car’s chunky aesthetic is a dead giveaway. The design is contemporary – European, even – and quite smart. Entry-level models, however, have grey plastic bumpers, mirrors and door handles and steel wheels that have a detrimental effect on the car’s understated sense of style.

In entry-level trim, the Sandero certainly does look cheap, it’s more like a light commercial vehicle than a consumer supermini. If looks are of importance to you, rather than just daily transport back and forth, you’ll want to specify one of the higher trims.

Predictably, there’s nothing spectacular about the Renault Sandero’s cabin – except space. Compare the car with its nearest rivals by price, the likes of the Suzuki Alto, and the Sandero shows its ace. There’s 830mm of maximum rear legroom, 950mm of rear headroom and 780mm of usable boot length here. That’s only marginally more rear cabin space than you get from a modern city car, but much more cargo volume.

The Sandero is actually more spacious than a Peugeot 208.

Adults can sit in the back in decent comfort, and there are five doors and a boot you don’t need to make excuses for – all not to be sniffed at in this end of the market. The car’s fixtures and fittings are more sparse and basic than you might be used to but, while they’re rudimentary and plain, they work well. The cabin plastics are hard and ungrained in places but feel durable. There’s a mixture of tones to break up the monotony on the fascia too, and even the odd glossy black finisher.

It’s under the hood that the new Sandero truly shines. With a (new to the range) 66kw turbo charged 898 cm3 engine there’s no false pretense of power, this is not what it was designed for. The small capacity motor is frugal at sipping petrol. A claimed consumption of 5.2l/100km is nothing to sniff at. You need to make good use of the rev range and five-speed manual to get some oomph out of it, but that comes at the expense of fuel consumption. Unfortunately the motor is a little rough around the edges and detracts from the experience somewhat.

The Sandero’s ride is firm but livable and the Expresion and Dynamique models see the benefit of a stability controls system. Thanks to the 15” wheels and firm suspension, the Sandero is easy to throw around the corners. It remains controlled and it’s easy to read what it’ll do. There’s some feedback through the steering, but not a lot, unfortunately. The Sandero is not going to win any track days. Fortunately, thanks to the light steering and small turning circle, it’s a pleasure to use in town.

The point of the Sandero is not to compete with the abundance of city runners on the market today. It aims to be one thing: The cheapest car it can be – and at roughly N$130 000, it succeeds. Sure, it’s a bit brash and unrefined and entry level models look unpolished, but there’s few else that manages what the Sandero does.

The savings in fuel alone add to the draw. If you want a Polo-sized hatchback, but can’t afford a Polo, get the Sandero. If you don’t need all that size, the Chevy Spark is a better option.