Did you check what engines they have - they're TINY: the cheap 1.2 petrol only has 74bhp, for a car the size of this one (a medium family estate) is woefully low - even the 1.5 diesel is "only" 89bhp.

I bet the 0-60 times are well over 15 sec, plus to make any kind of progress you'll have to thrash the proverbial nuts of them, reducing mpg (the whole point of having small engines) to probably very low levels. They may as well have gone for at least 1.6 ltr petrol and 2 ltr diesels to get better mpg - they've IMO gone for the small engines just to save money. I think they could've put the larger engines in and jacked the prices up by a grand or two - no-one would've complained as the car would still be cheap.

Renault diesels AFAIK tend to be 1.5, hence 1.5 in a Dacia. It isn't the kind of car you are going to drive fast.

1100kg for a car bigger than a Focus does seem a bit on the light side - on checking HJ's car-by-car review, I couldn't find its NCAP rating, but given its weight, I suspect it will achieve a 3* or 4* at best. Even so, its not going to be exactly spritely when on the move with those engines.

The Kia Rio Eco diesel had the same problem (from reviews) - underpowered engine which meant you have to give it a decent amount of welly to make progress if there's any more than one person in the car, dropping the mpg considerably. If this car is SUPPOSED to be bought to carry large loads, then its going to be dreadfully slow, and probably will be the equivalent of a car towing a caravan in the eyes of other drivers.

It looks ok, and has nearly (2 litre difference) as much boot space as a V70.

Well let's hope it's better than the previous version (common in these parts).

Ugly as sin, to the point where you'd expect Ssangyong to have sacked the designer. Looks like several other cars glued together badly, with panel gaps that early Range Rovers would be ashamed of. Spartan to the point of hair-shirted aestheticism inside and gifted with Vauxhall levels of bits that drop off.

You get what you paid for......

BMW 1 series is ugly but that doesn't stop it being a Top 10 seller. Stick a BMW badge and grille on a Dacia and call it a 1/2 series. :) BTW, Dacias are selling like hot cakes!

If it does get a good NCAP rating, its cheapness and capacity could make it the staple fare for the man who comes to mend the photocopier. Astra watch out....

Or for the man who doesn't have more money than sense.

There are plenty of cars for sale at the moment that don't have a 5 star rating. Would that juts be for new car launches?

Owning a Kia I think proves that the badge on the car does not particularly bother me providing the cars does the job I buy it for.

On paper the Logan looked like a really good value replacement for the Ceed SW with my main reservations being the available power units. I am sure all will be capable of powering the car along legal speeds but as a driver its nice to have some extra power to overtake especially when loaded, none of the 3 units offered appear to have the grunt I desire.

But the other night on my way home I actually saw one, what a disapointment. It must be one of the ugliest new cars in recent times. The Sandero is fine, totally inofensive and the Duster, while not pretty is OK ish but the Logan has looks only mother could love.

I think this car will sell well. In the UK where most cars live a life of pootling about in the suburbs and on motorswaysthecameras and traffic preventing most spirited driving I think it'll find many willing buyers who will keep staring at the sticker price with a grin on their face. There are a lot of people unable or unwilling to pay for ever rising list prices from the so called mainstream manufacturers who are trying to get us to accept that a modest family hatchback should cost £20k plus.lots of people are on fixed or straightened incomes/salaries that haven't gone up in years.watch Dacia hoover up those sales.

Ha! Wait for the day that the Romanians and Indians start unionising their workforces.

They could always shift production to the UK then I suppose. ;)