£5,995 Dacia Sandero

The headline price for the Dacia Sandero is £5,995, an amount that will make it the UK’s cheapest new car when sales begin in January 2013.

It buys the entry-level Access model which, in some respects, is the best version available. That’s because it doesn’t attempt to be anything other than what the Sandero is: basic, affordable transport.

Okay, there’s no audio system, the windows are all hand-cranked, the bumpers are black plastic and it only comes with white paint, but the Access isn’t totally devoid of equipment.

Fitted as standard are four airbags, a 60/40 split folding rear seat, tinted glass, power-assisted steering, anti-lock brakes, emergency brake assist and electronic stability control with traction control.

The Sandero’s engines have all been donated by parent company Renault, and the Access is powered by a 1.2 litre petrol unit that delivers 73 bhp (55 kW / 75 PS) and 107 Nm (78 lb/ft) of torque.

With a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of 14.5 seconds and a top speed of 97 mph (156 km/h), performance is going to be leisurely rather than nippy, but a combined cycle fuel consumption of 47.9 mpg (5.9 l/100km) will probably appeal more to the target market anyway. Perhaps less impressive are the distinctly average carbon dioxide emissions of 135 g/km, which mean an annual vehicle excise duty of £120.

The mid-spec Ambiance trim grade with the same motor costs an extra £600, and its kit list additionally features electric front windows, remote central locking and a four-speaker radio and CD player with Bluetooth connectivity. Among the cosmetic tweaks are two-tone cloth upholstery, body-coloured bumpers and some trims for the steel wheels.

Ambiance buyers will also get to choose from a further two engines. These are a 0.9 litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol or a 1.5 litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel. Both produce 88 bhp (66 kW / 90 PS), and the diesel achieves an average 74.3 mpg (3.8 l/100km) with CO2 emissions of just 99 g/km.

However, at £7,395 and £8,395 respectively, opting for either of them certainly loses the Sandero its ‘six-grand car’ tag.

Topping off the range are the Lauréate variants. Dacia reckons that they will account for around two thirds of sales, a surprising statistic given the Sandero’s supposed low-cost appeal.

Carrying a premium of £1,400 over the Ambiance, this most expensive Sandero gains electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, cruise control, height adjustment for the steering wheel and driver’s seat, front fog lights, electric rear windows and a plusher interior.

But it’s hard to justify the Lauréate, or indeed any of the diesels, especially when a big unknown is how the Sandero is going to depreciate.

So that leaves the Access as the model of choice, although it could be supplanted by the 0.9 litre petrol-powered Ambiance if a more efficient, more energetic engine is required.

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