Dacia Sandero review - MPG, CO2 and running costs

The Sandero now comes with a new dual-fuel petrol and LPG engine, replacing the previous 1.5-litre diesel unit. The TCe 100 Bi-Fuel sits alongside two other petrol engines in the range and offers customers improved economy and lower emissions.

But before you take the plunge, think about how you’ll be using your car. It's probably around town where Sanderos will spend most of their lives, in which case the cheaper petrol engined-models are the best bet. In terms of economy, there's little to separate the two - the 89bhp 898cc TCe petrol turbo returns 47.0mpg, with CO2 emissions of 134g/km, while the 74bhp 1.0 SCe improves on this slightly, delivering 48.7mpg and 129g/km. 

The lethargic 1.0 SCe model is only offered in base spec Essential trim, so unless you're searching for the ultimate in cost-efficiency, the extra outlay on the TCe unit will be worthwhile, as the SCe is particularly slow and noisy. But for young drivers, the low insurance group will make all the difference.

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The TCe 100 Bi-Fuel unit delivers a maximum 49.5mpg, with CO2 emissions at 116g/km. Models are priced at £350 over the TCe versions, so it really comes down to annual mileage. If you plan on using the Sandero for longer trips then it would pay to take advantage of the low cost of LPG at filling stations - which is approximately half that of petrol.

Insurance groups

The main attraction of a Sandero is that it’s cheap to buy and, if the worst happens, cheap to repair, so insurance groups are correspondingly low. The most basic 1.0 sits in group 3 in Access guise, but is in group 5 for Essential and Comfort trims. Specing the newer 900cc petrol bumps the grouping up to 9 and 10 for the respective Essential and Comfort equipment levels.

Depreciation

As you will have paid so little to buy a Sandero, it's hardly going to trouble you how much money you'll lose over three years of ownership. However, the Sandero still manages to hold onto a decent chunk of its value over 3 years and 36,000 miles, keeping around 48% of its original list price.