Supermarkets have been selling value-branded products for years, but it has taken until now for car manufacturers to cotton on to the idea. Leading the charge is Dacia, which is already forging a strong reputation with its no-nonsense Duster off-roader. Now it’s the turn of the Sandero supermini which, at £5,995, is Britain’s cheapest car.
Yes, it only comes with the most basic equipment, but this frugal model is promising a new car ownership experience for thousands less than its cheapest city car rivals. So, is the Sandero the ideal motoring antidote to credit crunch Britain? To find out, we pitched it against three top value-for-money rivals.
Our Car of the Year, the Skoda Citigo, is more expensive, but it sets the standard for quality, refinement and practicality, while the Kia Picanto proves that you don’t have to sacrifice style and kit when you’re saving cash.
Finally, the cheeky Suzuki Alto is currently available with a VAT-free deal, reducing its entry price to within a fiver of the Dacia’s.
If this verdict was based purely on the bottom line, the bargain-basement Sandero would be the winner. No other car is cheaper for buyers wanting a new model that gets your family from A to B.
But there’s more to this test than list price – and as a result the Dacia struggles to make a strong case for itself. It’s old-fashioned to drive and suffers from a low-rent interior and a miserly kit list. On top of that, its ageing engine emits the most CO2, meaning you’ll be lumbered with a hefty bill for road tax each year.
However, it does finish ahead of the Suzuki, which impresses with its keen driving dynamics, but is let down by its tiny boot and cramped cabin.
Second place goes to the Kia, which offers lots of standard equipment and style for the cash. If only it was more engaging to drive. That leaves the way clear for the Skoda Citigo. It’s not cheap to buy and can’t match the Picanto for gadgets, but is practical, well built and great to drive. On top of that, it’s very refined.
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yeah, I will fork out some more money for 'refinement', I am a refined person, it si very nice to be like this, trendy, refined, and all the rest.
I actually read this full article in last weeks AE and how the Dacia is in third rather than last place I will never know. Pretty much everything was slated from the driving experience, looks and equipment (or lack of it). Yet the only thing it seemed to be praised for (and had over the Suzuki) was space/practicality yet the Suzuki was relegated to 4th. A very questionable result. The £5995 Sandero appears to have very little going for it and is obviously a car for those who absolutely must have a new car for the smallest sum of money.
I understand the desire to compare the entry level versions of each model, but this is hardly a fair test, and misses the point somewhat - of course this version of the Dacia is built down to a price.
Much fairer would have been to take the list price of the dearest entry-level variant - in this case the £8045 of the Kia - and see what the other manufacturers offer for the same (or as near as possible) money.
For £8399, you can get an Alto in SZ3 trim, which adds Air-con and pollen filter, driver's seat height adjustment, and remote c/locking.
£8070 will buy you a Citigo in the same trim, but with 5 doors, or you can have the 3 door with ASG for £8285
In terms of the (5 door only) Sandero, £7995 will buy you a top spec Laureate 1.2, which includes Air-con, front fogs, electric heated mirrors, cruise control, electric rear windows, drivers seat and steering wheel height adjustments and on board computer. Or you could have a Stepway in Ambiance trim, offering slightly less kit but with the TCe90 engine. Or for £8245, you could have the Ambiance TCe90 (not Stepway) with a Kia-rivalling 7 year / 100k mile extended warranty? Or £8395 would buy you the road tax free Sandero Ambiance 1.5DCi90.
Some folk seem to have a hell of a lot of disposable cash to spend on Badge Snobbery, and good luck to them. For the rest of us, the VFM offered by the Dacia is VERY attractive. And don't give me that "Poor Euro NCAP score" rubbish - if you actually look objectively at the results (and remember these apply to the old model), its lost marks were for:
1) "Poor Pedestrian Protection" - not a concern for me, as I don't intend to drive directly at pedestrians; Pedestrian Protection surely starts in the mentality of the pedestrian, who should not be stupid enough to step out in front of a Sandero or any other car and expect to escape unscathed.
2) Lack of "idiot-proofing" e.g seatbelt reminders / permanently attached warning labels reminding you to disable pax airbag when using a rear-facing child seat, unclear marking of locations of ISOFIX points!
So, if you're happy to admit to being an idiot, then I agree, you and yours might be slightly more likely to die in a Sandero. If you've half-an-ounce of Common Sense, it's as safe a prospect as any other car.
I wonder if the Autoexpress Test Team would have reached the same conclusion if they compared Dacia Sandero 0.9 TCe Ambience that costs £7,300 - still hundrerds less than 3-door Skoda Citigo and Kia Picanto?
Some extra equipment, some visual appeal and a brand new Renault 3-cylinder turbo-engine that gives an extra turn of speed may have been enough to take the gong away from the two cars from a segment below.
While the Dacia is clearly behind the other cars in terms of refinement and kit, you have compared apples and pears. The Dacia Sandero is easily largest car on test, with more boot space than a Skoda Fabia (320 vs 300 litres) let alone the Skoda Citigo tested (251 litres), making it the most practical car here. It is the only one of the four cars tested that can realistically provide family transport. You say that buyers should, and will, opt for the better specced Ambiance trim – so why didn't you? We know the Skoda has nice plastics and is well built, but it's tiny as are the Kia and Suzuki. You rightly point out that you get what you pay for, but this comparison is verging on the pointless. If you want refinement then buy the Skoda; if you want space then buy the Dacia; if you want a 7-year warranty then buy the Kia. The entry-level Sandero comes without a radio, which means buyers will have to spend £50 in Argos, but they won't be able to buy extra space for the other three cars...
This must be the first time that someone opting for a Skoda, Kia or Suzuki has been accused of "badge snobbery".
The pop-out rear windows of the Alto are highlighted as clear signs of cost cutting, yet this never seems to be a problem when talking about the 5 door versions of the Up, Citigo or Mii.
It's always the same with these reports they never compare like with like and in this case have just compared cars with a similar price. What they should have done is compare cars in the same class i.e. Fiesta and with the same equipment levels. No doubt the Dacia would have come last but the savings would have been greater i.e spare wheel £50. Medianav £250 all these much cheaper than in a Fiesta etc. nd if the German site is anything to go by the amount of optional equipment available is growing by the month. Three years ago you could only get limited add ons and the standard equipment is growing for no significant price increases.
Dacia seem to have no worries as proof of this visit the Dacia Forum site and see the levels of sales and also people are prepared to wait as is witnessed by the number of people ordering Sandero Stepway's wich first deliveries will not be for 3 to 4 months off and no demonstrators as yet.
If AE reads these comments it might make them think a bit more about their comparison tests.
I do take your point, but in that case maybe it would be better to take the £9795 entry-level Fiesta and re-run the comparison?
The Alto isn't a VW group product.
perhaps you ought to read the above again and then you would realise how stupid your comment was.
perhaps you should read the above again and then you would realise how stupid your comment was.
the above was meant for sirwiggum but the site seems to have miss placed it.
my reply to sirwiggum has been missplaced by the site and is below the comment made by Oogly below
1.Picanto 2.Sandero 3.Citi 4...
I agree Fadyady if I was to buy the Dacia that's the engine and trim level I would probaly buy and I am sure most others would do the same, AE u should have tested that model for a farer comparison!!
The pop-out rear window in the VAG Trio is not a cost-cutting exercise though, it's simply because the door narrows too much for you to be able to lower the window.
What is it with this bizarre partisan 'football supporter style' mentality when it comes to cars? Most manufacturers produce a gem in their line-ups and all of them produce a dog or two - if you spend your life driving one brand year in year out it is like going into a sweetshop and filling your paper bag with aniseed balls every time. Get out there and try a few - bury your prejudice and you might surprise yourself.
Perhaps you would realise how its impossible this comparision. I can't think those
i'd rather walk thanks....
Bought a Dacia 1.2 last week to replace an aging Stilo and some of the comments below are correct. It is the only car that will realistically provide for the four of us- two adults and two growing children with the accompanying boot space needed. I can't see how space wise this comparison makes sense?? The Access trim is really hardcore so we spent 600 extra to upgrade to Ambiance which is much more provided for. It doesn't have the refinement, agreed, but the whole purpose of purchasing this type of vehicle is not pontificate on the type of internal plastics, styling or spec. It has what you need from what I can see and I can't afford a new Hyundai i20 , Kia Ceed (more akin family rivals) and I can't afford to keep fixing a 3/4 year old car out of warranty either...that's the whole point. First impressions..a cleverly engineered no-nonsense vehicle...