In this improved form, the second generation version of the Dacia Sandero Stepway continues to offer a bit of fun for not a lot of money. Jonathan Crouch reports
Ten Second Review
The Dacia Sandero Stepway is inexpensive but doesn't look it. It's a supermini that's been jacked up a bit to give a crossover look and seems to press all the right buttons for buyers who don't want big outlay but require big value. Here's the revised version of the second generation model.
Background
Dacia's Sandero has been one of the European motor industry's quiet success stories over the last decade. It's frequently been our Continent's best-selling car- and a major reason why is that it comes not only in its rather austere basic form, but also in the more appealing crossover-style Stepway form we look at here.
This generation Sandero dates back to 2020 but got a significant mid-term update in Autumn 2025 to create the Sandero Stepway model we're going to look at here. Which is the Sandero variant you have to have to get the Romanian Renault-owned brand's latest hybrid drivetrain. Let's take a closer look.
Driving Experience
In order to understand the appeal of the Sandero Stepway, know this. The basic Sandero supermini upon which it's based has been designed to sell into many third world markets and as such is billed as having excellent ground clearance and "robust underbody protection for impressive performance on unpaved tracks". If that's not a great basis for building a jacked-up version with even greater abilities, I don't know what is. Do remember though, that this isn't a four-wheel drive car, so there are limits as to what it can negotiate. For tougher stuff, you'll need to buy Dacia's Duster compact SUV. The extra wheel travel seems to give the Stepway a marginally better ride quality than the standard Sandero and the 41mm raise in height hasn't made body control noticeably worse.
This current generation model's stiffer, more sophisticated CMF-B platform means it can deliver some better engineering. The Stepway range is primarily based around a three cylinder turbo petrol TCe unit, which offers 110hp and is paired with 6-speed manual transmission.
Unlike the ordinary Sandero, the Stepway version has also been engineered to take the brand's hybrid 155 electrified powertrain. The hybrid 155 combines a 109hp 1.8-litre four cylinder petrol engine, two electric motors (a 50hp motor and a high-voltage starter/generator), a 1.4kWh battery (230V) and an automatic electric gearbox with four gears for the ICE engine and two others for the electric motor.
Design and Build
As before, the Stepway is styled to look a bit more rugged without actually offering any four wheel-drive underpinnings. Though this variant's extra 41mm of stepped-up ground clearance gives it a nicely chunky look and might well prove useful when bumping up and down big kerbs in town. Front and rear skid plates and roof rail complete the Stepway look.
As for exterior changes to this improved model, well there's a new matt black strip running between the rear lights and the redesigned bumper, plus fresh wheel designs and a shark fin antenna. Along with new protections on the wheel arches, lower body and fog light surrounds in a material the brand calls 'Starkle' (first seen on the current Duster SUV). Invented by Dacia engineers, this contains 20% recycled plastic and is fully recyclable. Its composition gives the material a speckled look, plus Starkle has a smaller carbon footprint in production and is less vulnerable to everyday scratches.
The interior's been given a makeover too, with smarter dashboard air vents that feature an inverted 'T' design, matching the latest exterior light signature. There are more durable fabrics on the seats, dashboard and doors, giving the interior a more welcoming look. Plus the steering wheel's been re-styled. Dacia's also added a new interface design to the 7-inch digital drive display; and revised the 10-inch central infotainment monitor, which can be had with connected navigation and a nearby wireless smartphone charger.
As before, access to the rear is easy, with wide-opening doors and reasonable knee room; you could seat a couple of adults there more comfortably than in most other superminis. The boot remains larger than the supermini models this Sandero is priced against, rated at 328-litres, extendable to 1,108-litres with the rear bench folded.
Market and Model
So how much are you going to end up paying? Think in terms of a Stepway starting price of about £1,300 more than a regular Sandero and you won't be too far out. The Stepway model starts from around £16,000 and comes in 'Essential', 'Expression' and 'Extreme' forms. That makes this still the cheapest Crossover-styled car you can buy.
Depending on the trim level you choose, infotainment will be taken care of by the brand's 'Media Control' system (working with an improved app); or, further up the range, you get a 10-inch 'Media Display' screen, which offers wireless 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto'; and can also be upgraded to 'Media Nav Live' nav-equipped status, where it'll be paired with an Arkamys 6-speaker 3D Sound System. Other features new to Sandero include a wireless 'phone charger, auto high beam headlights, a multi-view camera and power-folding mirrors.
The 'YouClip' attachments we first saw on the Spring EV now make an appearance on this Sandero, a simple, ingenious system for securing a wide range of dedicated accessories at key points around the passenger compartment in a practical and robust way. There are three YouClip anchor points: one on the dashboard, one at the back of the central console, and another inside the tailgate. These anchor points can be used for a tablet holder, storage pouch, phone holder or a coat hanger - and you can buy a 'YouClip' accessory attachments for a glasses case and a shopping bag.
This Sandero also really needed a safety upgrade; it's had it, with new driving aids meeting the latest European safety standards: including better automatic emergency braking (city/highway with vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist and motorbike detection) and driver attention alert. Making life easier for customers, Dacia has added an ingenious 'My Safety' button, providing easy access to the driver's preferred ADAS configuration.
Cost of Ownership
The efficiency figures haven't changed much. The 110hp 1.0-litre Stepway model manages 51.4mpg and 126g/km. For the hybrid 155 version, we'd expect around 57mpg and around 110g/km, based on this unit's returns in the larger Jogger estate.
On to the warranty. Dacia offers an industry standard 3-year/60,000 miles guarantee from the showroom, backed by three years or 60,000 miles of roadside assistance. For a little more, you can extend the cover by two years or you can up the period covered to a Kia-equalling 7 years and 100,000 miles. Service intervals are every year or every 12,000 miles and since most Renault dealers look after Dacias too, you shouldn't be too far from a specialist workshop. It also helps that there's a timing chain that'll last as long as the engine. Dacia offers a choice of pre-paid servicing schemes covering you for either two years and 24,000 miles or three years and 36,000 miles.
Summary
This much improved Dacia Sandero Stepway deserves to do very well. It's a much more interesting and, crucially, more expensive-looking car than the basic Sandero hatch and although the craze for these SUV-styled superminis might have been and gone, it's still a vehicle that will continue to find a ready market here in the UK. With its 41mm raised ride height, it will not only appeal to those looking for something a bit beefy-looking to drive in town, but older buyers might well appreciate not having to sit so far down into the vehicle.
The pricing looks extremely good as well. For only a little more than the most depressingly basic small hatch, you can buy a well-equipped Stepway with a modern petrol turbo engine and miles more equipment. Perhaps Skoda should have been Volkswagen's Dacia, but it hasn't really worked out that way - it's become a bit too gentrified. Renault hasn't made that mistake with Dacia. And the Sandero Stepway is a case study in how to do budget cars very well indeed.
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