Dacia Sandero / Logan


Debut: 2021
Maker:
Dacia
Predecessor: Logan / Sandero (2012)



 Published on 1 Mar 2021
All rights reserved. 


A-segment price for B-segment ingredients and C-segment practicality. It's a sharp contrast to Fiat 500 Electric.


Introduced in 2005, Dacia Logan and Sandero were the cheapest cars you could buy in Western Europe, starting from as low as €7500. Before the pandemic, their combined sales was over 600,000 units a year (including Renault-badged versions), making them one of the best selling European cars.

Today, the third generation Logan and Sandero continue to be the cheapest cars available. Starting price has risen slightly to €8700 in France, which is half the price of a typical B-segment supermini. That’s for the leanest equipped, weakest powered (1.2-liter 65hp) model, of course. However, even a decently equipped and powered model is 25 percent cheaper than its comparable rivals. No wonder it is so popular.

Like the last but not the first generation, Logan and Sandero are basically the same car in different body styles – sedan for the former and hatchback for the latter. In Europe, the hatchback outsells the sedan by about 6 to 1. Outside Europe, they are evenly matched. Here, we concentrate on the Sandero, but virtually all the findings could be applicable to Logan as well.



The new Dacia duo is built on the CMF platform of the latest Renault Clio.


The new Sandero looks more like a normal European hatchback. Although the fascia still looks hardly elegant, there are more styling tweaks in its body shell. In addition to a lower and wider stance, it looks not only larger but also sportier. Surprisingly, the new car is no longer built on an outdated and cheapened version of Renault platform, but the same CMF platform as the current Renault Clio. Compared with the old car, it gets slightly longer, a massive 115mm wider and 19mm lower. Wheelbase is 15mm longer.

The extended dimensions are evident in cabin. Rear legroom has grown by 42mm, making the rear seats accommodative for 6-footers behind 6-footers. The extra width makes a 5th passenger tolerable, which is rare in the supermini class. The boot is also competitive at 328 liters, or 528 liters for Logan. In other words, you pay the price of an A-segment car for the interior space approaching a C-segment car. That's the biggest attraction of the Dacia.



The interior finally has some style and build quality to speak of.


Cabin design has taken a major step forward as well. Instead of the boring, cheap-looking environment of the old, it finally has some style to speak of. Materials aren’t as high-quality as typical superminis, as all plastics are hard, but at least in top-spec. model there are some padded textile materials covering the prominent surfaces of dashboard and door handles, which lift the ambience a lot. The seats are quite comfortable. The steering wheel finally adjusts for reach and rake. There is an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system on top model whose rims are comically thick but it operates okay. Unlike its more upmarket rivals, the Dacia has yet to switch to touchscreen or touch-sensitive buttons for most functions. That’s actually a good news, as you can adjust air-con and audio easily with conventional switchgears. The conventional instrumentation might be boring to read, but they function just as well. Many motorists prefer to skip unnecessary sophistications and keep money in their pockets. Dacia should please them.

Likewise, there is no need to offer a wide range of engines, just sticks to the essentials. Apart from the aforementioned entry-level engine, most buyers are likely to select Renault’s 1.0 TCe turbocharged triple with 90 horsepower. It is not as powerful or as eager as the 100hp version on Clio, but compared with the old 0.9-liter unit it runs smoother and offers more low to mid-range torque. Not a bad engine for a budget car. The new 6-speed manual gearbox is decent, too. The car can run 0-60 mph in a passable 11 seconds and top 111 mph. No fireball for sure.



Logan is a Sandero with a boot.


Predictably, the chassis is set for comfort. The soft suspension copes well with broken roads. The steering is light, the body rolls more than the class norm in corners, and understeer appears sooner than desired. This is not a chassis designed for driving excitement, but tuned to satisfy the basic needs of taking you to work or shop. However, it is definitely more competent than the old car, with improved body control and grip.

If there is anything clearly showing its low cost, it must be NVH suppression. While most superminis nowadays offer “big car” refinement, the Dacia is not there yet. The engine is noisier under acceleration. The cabin is hampered by excessive wind and tire noise when cruising at high speed. The use of CMF platform does not necessarily include the same level of sound deadening materials and seals as its Renault Clio sister. That’s the price you pay for a low price.

Still, considering how much the Dacia duo undercuts other B-segment superminis, the sacrifice in refinement is understandable. Think in this way: if you buy an A-segment mini car for the same money, you get no better refinement yet much less space and practicality. Dacia just gives you a smarter option.
Verdict:
Specifications





Year
Layout
Chassis
Body
Length / width / height
Wheelbase
Engine
Capacity
Valve gears
Induction
Other engine features
Max power
Max torque
Transmission
Suspension layout
Suspension features
Tires
Kerb weight
Top speed
0-60 mph (sec)
0-100 mph (sec)
Sandero 1.0 TCe
2021
Front-engined, FWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
4088 / 1848 / 1499 mm
2604 mm
Inline-3
999 cc
DOHC 12 valves
Turbo
-
90 hp
118 lbft
6-speed manual
F: strut / R: torsion-beam
-
185/65R15
1072 kg
111 mph (c)
11.0 (c)
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