Dacia Sandero Stepway Review 2023

You'll buy a Dacia Sandero primarily because you want cheap transport, but a city car is too small. Even though it's no longer half the price of rivals, it's still several thousand pounds less than even the cheapest Skoda Fabia in 2022. 

The same key selling point applies to the Sandero Stepway, but you'd buy that because you also want something more rugged and slightly more practical. The roof rails make it easier to carry bikes or roof boxes, the raised ride height helps negotiate farm tracks and the like, and the plastic body inserts mean you're less bothered by car park dings. 

There's only two engines to choose from, and both are pretty similar. The vast majority will opt for the Dacia Sandero TCe 90, which is available with a manual or automatic gearbox. It's powerful enough to keep up with the flow of traffic thanks to a turbocharger, but it's not the quietest or punchiest turbo three-cylinder engine around. We'd go for the manual as the auto is noticeably slower and thirstier. 

In terms of trim levels, Essential spec isn't too sparse these days, but we'd be tempted to step up to Expression (previously Comfort) trim for the eight-inch touchscreen with smartphone connectivity. 

If you're looking for a small SUV for the same price as the Dacia Sandero Stepway you'll be looking for a used model with a few years and tens of thousands of miles on the clock. 

For the same size and type of car you'd be looking at a Honda Jazz Crosstar or Ford Fiesta Active, but they command a premium of several thousand pounds when new. There is the more rugged Fiat Panda Cross, but that's smaller and an older design, while don't discount the Suzuki Ignis either as an SUV-inspired small car. 

While the Sandero Stepway's dashboard looks perfectly acceptable from a distance, closer examination reveals clearly where Dacia has been saving money. 

You'll struggle to find much in the way of soft-touch trim in the entry-level Dacia Sandero Stepway, which is mostly a sea of unremitting black plastic. Mid-spec models and above do get some not entirely unpleasant fabric on the dash and door armrests, while Journey trim gets some colour with body colour trim elements. Steady now. 

Don't expect anything like ambient lighting or Alcantara (a leather steering wheel is as posh as it gets). The doors close with a hollow clang, while the glovebox flops open and is stopped from falling off with a fabric cord. But really, what do you expect with the cost savings Dacia had to make at this price point?

Crucially, there aren't really any sharp edges, all the trim seems to line up and none of the switchgear feels like it will fall off and break with minimal effort. Certainly, compared to cheap cars a decade or two ago standards have come on, and we suspect it'll provide years of faithful service. 

The Dacia Sandero Stepway Essential doesn't get an infotainment system as such. Where the screen usually is there's a small cubby with a lid instead. Happily, Dacia hasn't plumbed in some miserable dot matrix screen for the radio, instead you can link your smartphone to the car's audio system and use that display instead. 

It's nice to see DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity in the base model - it used to be that the cheapest Sanderos had no stereo at all. Sure, Essential trim only gets two speakers in the front, but it's better than listening to the sound of your passengers humming. 

The Sandero Stepway Comfort comes with an eight-inch touchscreen that is big enough to be very usable and while its graphics aren't crisp, they are colourful. All the main functions are accessed via clear icons on the main menu, although the screen doesn't recognise smartphone gesture controls like pinch and swipe. This uprated system also adds a couple more speakers, although we wouldn't praise the sound quality much. 

The best thing about the upgraded stereo is that it features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring so you can use the apps on your phone – like Spotify and Google Maps – on the car's big screen. It's done via an app on your smartphone and you get a dash-mounted holder that gives you somewhere to put it along with its own dedicated USB-C plug on the top of the dashboard.

In terms of exterior dimensions the Dacia Sandero Stepway measures 4099mm long, 2007mm wide including mirrors and 1587mm tall. That makes it 87mm taller than the regular Sandero on account of the raised ride height and roof rails, but otherwise identical. 

It's considerably larger in every dimension than similarly priced city cars, which is reflected when you get inside. Even bulky or lanky front passengers won't be complaining about head or leg space, and the cabin is wide enough that they won't be banging elbows either. 

Similarly, climbing in the back is a pleasant surprise. Forget city cars, the Sandero Stepway is roomier than a number of best-selling superminis including the Ford Fiesta. Only a Honda Jazz or Skoda Fabia can really beat it for legroom, while even if you're over six-foot and wear a top hat you shouldn't have a complaint about headroom. Three adults in the back is possible for short journeys, too.

Storage is okay but not amazing. The front door bins are a decent size but the rear ones are pretty tiny, while that flimsy glovebox is useful enough. There's a couple of cupholders, too, but the centre armrest (optional on all but top trims) obstructs one of them and doesn't have any cubby inside it. There is a pair of USB charging ports up front, plus a 12-volt socket, and even a shopping hook in the passenger footwell, however. 

The Dacia Sandero Stepways' boot capacity is 328 litres. That number may mean nothing to you, but in plain English it's one of the largest boots in terms of capacity in its class. There's a bit of a lip to lug big items over, but you can get an adjustable boot floor which some pricier rivals don't bother with, plus some hooks for carrying shopping bags. 

The seats only fold in a 60/40 split, but that's the same with the vast majority of small cars. They don't do anything exciting (ahem) like slide and flip up, but again that'll hardly come as a shock given the price It's not the most lavishly trimmed boot with exposed metal and thin carpet, and the parcel shelf is a bit grim, but you're not putting your mother-in-law in there are you? 

It's worth noting that you can get an optional space-saver spare wheel in every version except the Bi-Fuel, which uses that space to fit the LPG tank in. 

While the cheapest Dacia Sandero was available with a non-turbocharged engine (dubbed SCe 65), this was dropped quickly due to slow sales. So the Stepway, as with the regular car, gets two turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engines to choose from. 

Neither offer blistering performance despite that turbocharger. The most popular Dacia Sandero Stepway TCe 90 puts out (you guessed it) 90PS, and nearly double the torque that old non-turbo motor made. It's mated to either a six-speed manual gearbox or a CVT automatic. We've not tried the latter, however. 

Don't be put off by a 0-62mph time of twelve seconds sounding pretty leisurely. That turbo means that you don't need to rev it until your ears bleed just to keep up with traffic, which it does so fairly effortlessly. You'll notice when you're carrying a car-load of passengers and luggage, but in most scenarios it's quick enough for most people's needs. 

What it isn't is fun. Turbo three-cylinder petrols from Ford and VW feel gutsy in the mid-range, are quite willing to rev and sound pretty fruity in the process. The TCe 90 engine isn't bad, but throttle response isn't brilliant, it doesn't sound particularly nice and there's no real point revving it past 5000rpm. Still, it cruises well thanks to the six-speed gearbox.

While we've not tried the CVT automatic, bear in mind that it's about two seconds slower from 0-62mph, and is likely to be unpleasantly loud when you ask for full performance.

The only other engine option is the Dacia Sandero Stepway TCe 100 Bi-Fuel. As the name suggests this has a bit more power, but the Bi-Fuel element refers to it being able to run on both petrol and LPG (liquid petroleum gas). LPG is less than half the price of regular unleaded fuel, which is great, but the number of filling stations that actually stock LPG has dwindled rapidly in the last few years. For some it'll work, but others it won't - And bear in mind the Bi-Fuel costs £500 more to buy in the first place. 

While the Dacia Sandero Stepway is certainly quieter than a small car from 20 years ago, it doesn't isolate you from wind and road noise as well as the best small cars. 

It helps that you can't get big wheels and low-profile tyres so road noise isn't too intrusive, but it isn't as quiet as a VW Polo. Wind noise is noticeable, too, and you can tell that Dacia skimped on sound insulation  given how hollow-feeling the doors are. 

The TCe turbocharged engines aren't too intrusive, but there's a bit more engine vibration than the class best, and the engine note you do hear isn't a particularly pleasant one. 

The Dacia Sandero Stepway received a disappointing two stars out of five from safety body Euro NCAP. That might write the car off for you immediately, but before you click away let us explain in more detail. 

As it was assessed under the latest and toughest test requirements it's actually no less safe (perhaps even more safe) than a small car from about five years ago. If you look at the crash protection scores for adult and child occupants they're actually pretty good - barely worse than the safest small cars in fact. 

Where the Sandero models were marked down is in vulnerable road user protection and safety assists. This is because, as a budget model, Dacia skimps on some of the more advanced safety features you get on pricier alternatives.

You still get a multitude of airbags, ISOFIX points for the safe mounting of child seats and seatbelt pre-tensioners, plus a function that automatically calls the emergency services in the event of a crash. You also get automatic emergency braking, but it's a basic system that doesn't detect pedestrians or cyclists. You also don't get lane keeping assistance even as an option, which caused Euro NCAP to mark it down.

You might think that a budget model like the Dacia Sandero Stepway will represent compromises in terms of build quality and reliability. Sure, it doesn't feel luxurious in any way, but most of the car feels sturdy and like it should last reasonably well. 

Dacia actually managed to top the 2021 HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index, so owners clearly love their cars and feel the brand experience exceeds the budget underpinnings. Much of the mechanical bits are shared with the Renault Clio, and so far we've not heard of any big issues. 

The Dacia Sandero Stepway shouldn't really be any more expensive to insure than the regular model. Insurance groups start at group 10 for base versions, rising to 14 in the highest spec trim with the Bi-Fuel engine. An experienced driver won't have much of a bill, and the Sandero should work for new drivers too. 

The Dacia Sandero Stepway TCe 90 produces 127g/km of CO2, putting it in a reasonably low road tax bracket. The first year rate for new buyers is £190, and that falls to a flat rate of £165 a year after that. The Bi-Fuel model is a little less efficient and costs £230 in the first year, falling again to £165 annually.

Dacia has changed the trim level names of the Sandero Stepway, but the same equipment levels still apply.

Dacia never bothered offering the austerity-spec Access trim on the Sandero Stepway, which on the regular Sandero didn't come with air-conditioning or even a stereo. Small wonder, then, that fewer than 1% of buyers bothered. 

The entry-level Dacia Sandero Stepway Essential comes with alloy wheels, a DAB radio, Bluetooth, cruise control and a speed limiter, automatic emergency braking, a height-adjustable front seat, electric front windows, manual air-con, LED headlamps and tinted windows. 

Stepping up to the Dacia Sandero Stepway Expression (formerly Comfort) adds front fog lights, modular roof bars, electrically adjustable and heated mirrors, keyless entry, auto lights and wipers, one-touch electric front windows and electric rear windows, rear parking sensors, a touchscreen infotainment system and a rear-view camera. 

The top-spec Dacia Sandero Stepway Journey adds to that with sat-nav, an electronic parking brake, front parking sensors, blind spot warning, heated seats, a centre armrest, a leather steering wheel, and climate control.