Dacia Sandero Hatchback

1.0 Tce Essential 5dr [2024]

Dacia isn’t a brand that tends to bring the word “quality” to mind, but that’s a very harsh assessment of a manufacturer that’s more than capable of holding its own nowadays.

It wouldn't be unreasonable to suggest that prejudice plays a part in Eastern European brands. Indeed, it's understandable, given the quality of such cars used to fall far short of our higher British expectations. That, though, was in the 1970s, 80s and early 90s – a time when former Czechoslovakian Skodas were the butt of most people’s car jokes.

But, like Skoda, Dacia has been steadily climbing the mountain.

And, while Skoda is aiming at the premium end of the market now, Dacia nevertheless deserves to place its flag at the summit alongside the likes of Vauxhall and Renault.

In fact, Renault owns Dacia nowadays – so the plucky Sandero shares much of its underpinnings with the latest Clio. Indeed, it’s previously been badged as the Renault Sandero in parts of the Middle East and Latin America.

As a result, the expectations have gone up – and the initial signs are positive.

Granted, we’re not expecting BMW levels of luxury here. But if this motor can tick enough boxes at a reasonable price, it has a great chance of being competitive.

So, how many boxes does it tick?

Well, it ticks the box on price, coming in much cheaper than most of its supermini rivals – but does a more affordable price mean a cheap feel?

That was certainly the case with the old Sandero, which, although it had a lot going in its favour, was guilty of some corner-cutting. But the latest model, which launched in 2020, was given a facelift two years later, and these days, it's better than ever.

So, does it still feel cheap? That’s what we’re going to find out.