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Dacia-Renault Sandero (2009 - )

What's Good

Launched Geneva March 2008. 4,020mm long x 1,750mm wide, with 2,590mm wheelbase and 320-litre boot capacity. Dacia brand to reach UK early 2009. Four engines: 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol and 1.5 dCi 68 and 1.5 dCi 86 diesel. Five model range: Logan saloon, Logan MCV (seven-seat estate), Sandero, Logan Van and Logan Pick-up. Manufactured in Pitesti, Romania. Three-year/100,000km warranty in most European countries. Sandero is built on same B0 platform as Logan featuring MacPherson-type front suspension. Some come with a front anti-roll bar which ensures excellent roadholding when cornering. Dacia Sandero's rear suspension is also derived from the B0 platform and comprises a programmed-deflection torsion beam with coil springs and vertically-mounted, extended-travel dampers. High ground clearance (155mm) and underbody protection which means it is able take all types of road. Base model no PAS, others with. Height adjustable steering wheel and ergonomically-positioned steering wheel-mounted controls.

The 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol engines are a perfect match for the cost, robustness and ease of maintenance values championed by the Dacia brand, and both are renowned for the availability of high torque at low engine speeds, as well as across a broad rev-band. The 1.5 dCi engine is available in 68hp form and also a more powerful 86hp version which was launched in September 2007 on Dacia Logan saloon and Dacia Logan MCV (seven-seat estate). Low CO2 emissions of 120 grams per kilometre ensure an attractive ecological footprint for the 1.5 dCi engines of Dacia Sandero, and qualify for £35pa tax.

Rear bench seat comfortably seats up to three adult passengers who benefit from 878mm of headroom, 145mm of kneeroom and 1,425mm of elbowroom, while a child seat can be fitted to all three seats.

The boot capacity of 320 litres extends to 1,200 litres.

Dacia Sandero can be equipped with latest-generation Bosch 8.1 ABS which incorporates EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution) and, for the first time in the Dacia range, EBA (Emergency Brake Assist). Three x three-point front and rear seatbelts. The front seatbelts incorporate calibrated load limiters for enhanced protection of the thorax. Depending on version, these seatbelts are height-adjustable to optimise body restraint in case of impact. The retention system can also be upgraded to include pyrotechnic pretensioners for the front seatbelts. Sandero also benefits from ISOFIX child seat anchorage points for the outer rear seats. Sandero comes with up to four airbags. The driver's airbag, which has been specially designed for it, features a vent that adjusts the pressure applied as the bag deploys.

Particular attention was paid to anti-corrosion protection thanks to several measures, including:
– wax injection of substructure and opening panel hollow sections,
– mastic sealing of body panel matings,
– additional use of wax for substructure mechanical components,
– uprated underbody, sill and wheel arch gravel protection.

The same attention has been paid to the reliability of the electrical system and electronics thanks to a system that has already shown its worth on several models from the Renault range. The driving environment and cabin wiring looms are one and the same, with no break or connection between the two, a technique which boosts reliability by reducing the risk of defective connections. Another example is the battery, the size and specification of which takes into account the car's use in extreme situations.

The Pitesti factory is the second of the group's production sites to produce Sandero in the wake of the Curitiba plant in Brazil which produces Sandero as a Renault for the markets in Brazil and Argentina.

Right hand drive Sandero is to be built at the Pitesti plant in Romania for the UK, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus. "Due to significant demand for the existing Dacia range, and similar high demand anticipated for Sandero, the decision has been made to delay the start of right hand drive production to maximise available production to meet the demand of those countries already commercialising Dacia."

Paris Show October 2008 Dacia launched Dacia eco².

The Dacia range has seen the addition of two new models in 2008: Dacia Logan Pick-up, which was introduced in March, and Dacia Sandero, which went on sale in June. Two other models have been, or will shortly be renewed: Logan (in July) and Logan MCV (November)

Dacia eco²: ECOnomiCAL AND ecologiCAL

Logan eco² Concept – which is on show on Dacia's stand at the Paris Motor Show – profited from the Michelin-organized 2007 Challenge Bibendum in Shanghai, China, to demonstrate that it is possible to combine economical and ecological considerations without detracting from performance and equipment. The event saw Logan eco² Concept return combined cycle CO2 emissions of just 71g/km following optimisation work to its technical specification and the introduction of inexpensive technical solutions.

To qualify for the Dacia eco² signature, vehicles must comply with the same strict criteria that apply to Renault eco² vehicles:
- their CO2 emissions must be equal to or less than 140g/km.
- they must be manufactured in an ISO 14001-certified factory. Dacia vehicles are produced in one of two ISO 14001-certified factories: the Somaca de Casablanca factory in Morocco, which has been certified since February 2008, and the Dacia factory in Pitesti, Romania, which has enjoyed certification since May 2005.
- they must be 95% recoverable by weight, while at least 5% of the plastics they contain must be sourced from recycling. For the record, Dacia Sandero features 5kg of recycled plastic.


Current Dacia eco² product line-up includes the following models:

Sandero dCi 70 120g of CO2/km

Sandero dCi 85 120g of CO2/km

Logan dCi 70 120g of CO2/km

Logan dCi 85 120g of CO2/km

Logan MCV dCi 70 140g of CO2/km

Logan MCV dCi 85 137g of CO2/km

Logan Pick-up dCi 70 140g of CO2/km

Logan Pick-up dCi 85 137g of CO2/km

Logan Van dCi 70 140g of CO2/km

Logan Van dCi 85 137g of CO2/km

The 1.6 MPI 90hp E85 engine due for release in 2009 under the bonnet of Sandero and Logan will add to the number of Dacia models which qualify for its eco² signature. The use of E85 bioethanol reduces 'well to wheel' CO2 emissions (production, including the plant's growth, transport, distribution and end-use) by up to 70% compared with 100% petrol use.

The 'well to wheel' CO2 emissions of this E85 engine are 130g/km using an E85 wheat/beet-based blend produced in France, or 60 g/km using an E85 sugarcane-based blend available in Sweden. Last but not least, the 1.4 MPI 75hp LPG engine is already available for Dacia Sandero in Italy and will shortly be released in other markets.

The Dacia eco² signature will be introduced in showrooms from the start of 2009. This will include signage of Dacia eco² vehicles to ensure that they are readily identified by customers.

A RENEWED RANGE

Dacia's range of affordable, reliable, robust and extremely spacious vehicles matches the needs of a pragmatic customer base. All its models are positioned as entry level vehicles in their respective segments, yet that doesn't stop them from representing an unrivalled performance/equipment/space package for their price. Depending on market, the Dacia line-up features up to five models: three passenger cars (Logan, Logan MCV and Sandero) and two LCVs (Logan Van and Logan Pick-up).

Dacia extended its range in 2008 with the introduction of two new models: Dacia Sandero and Dacia Logan Pick-up.
- The most recent addition to the range is the compact Dacia Sandero which has been on sale in Europe since mid-June. 10,400 cars have been sold as at the end of August. Dacia Sandero targets rational, pragmatic and slightly younger customers than Dacia Logan. Dacia Sandero was initially available with the 1.4 MPI and 1.6 MPI petrol engines, but the dCi 70 and dCi 85 engines are gradually being added to the range (depending on market).

- Dacia Logan Pick-up is the second LCV of the range after Dacia Logan Van and has been available in Romania and Bulgaria since March. Just three months after its launch in its home market, Dacia Logan Pick-up has already emerged as the best-selling vehicle in its class, with total sales of 2,200 units.

Meanwhile, Dacia is renewing its flagship models Logan and Logan MCV. This programme includes exterior and interior styling changes and upgraded equipment (standard emergency brake assist, height-adjustable steering wheel). Since their respective launches, almost 550,000 Dacia Logans (between September 2004 and June 2008) and 150,000 Logan MCVs (between October 2006 and June 2008) have been sold. By offering new, more contemporary lines and more modern and functional cabins for an entry level price which remains unchanged in the majority of cases, Dacia seeks to maintain its edge over its rivals.

EURO NCAP 3 stars passenger protection, 4 stars child protection, 1 stars pedestrian protection.

Now built in RHD format in South Africa.

Last updated 15-5-2009

What's Bad

UK launch put back to 2010. Could not be sold at African/European relative price levels and make a profit in the UK.

What to Watch Out For

TBA