Making the Dacias Sandero look more like an SUV is a no brainer, but does the Dacia Sandero Stepway's increased ride height and thus price mean it makes less sense?

PROS:

+ Stacked with equipment

+ Chunky SUV looks

+ Comfy to drive

CONS:

- Standard Sandero is better value...

- ...and is slightly sharper to drive

- Poor NCAP crash test rating

Verdict: The Sandero Stepway comes crammed with kit, is good to drive and has the chunky SUV looks people love. Viewed as a small SUV it's good value, but in reality, it's a small car that doesn't offer as much bang for buck as the standard Sandero.

2021 Dacia Sandero Stepway review: the five-minute read

We're not sure if you've noticed, but people love SUVs – mainly because they look tougher, ride higher and feel safer to be in. Even cars that aren't SUVs at all are getting SUV styling to help sales, cars like the Dacia Sandero Stepway.

Of course, this has been going on for a while – there was a Dacia Sandero Stepway before this one and there are alternatives now like the Ford Fiesta Active. However, this Stepway is all-new and a much more grown-up proposition than it was previously.

Dacia is famous for low prices – the standard Sandero is, in fact, the cheapest new car on sale in the UK. But does adding SUV styling and increasing the ride height (and price) mean the resulting Stepway fails to make as much sense?

The Sandero Stepway has wide-ranging competition, everything from jacked-up small cars with cladding to 'proper' small SUVs – of which there are so many, the list would extend far beyond what the internet can accommodate.

The Stepway struggles to stand out, but its creased bonnet and plastic wheel arch cladding help, plus its chunky roof bars which can be swivelled 90 degrees on some models to become a roof rack. It also rides around 17cm higher than the standard Sandero.

Inside the Stepway has the same basic dash as the Sandero, but orange is the order of the day to help differentiate it: you'll find orange detailing on the air vents, seats and doors. Things are sturdily constructed inside, but the Stepway does feel its price is some areas inside, such as the door tops.

Entry-level Essential Stepways force you to use an app on your smartphone as your infotainment, while Comfort and Prestige models get an 8-inch touchscreen unit with Bluetooth, DAB radio, built-in navigation and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The latter works very well indeed next to rival efforts, especially when you consider the Stepway's price.

And the Stepway offers good space inside for that sensible money too. Four adults will sit comfortably inside its boot is one of the better efforts among small cars and SUVs.

The Stepway is offered with the two more powerful Sandero engine options, namely a turbo three-cylinder petrol with 90hp, or a 100hp version of that engine powered by LPG. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard across the range, but a CVT automatic is available with the 90hp engine. The Stepway is also front-wheel-drive only, despite its looks.

So far we've tried the 90hp model, which has more than enough power for town and country-road work, and even feels fine on the motorway most of the time. There's a bit more noise and vibration than in other small SUVs with three-cylinder petrols, but it's never enough to truly annoy you.

And like the standard Sandero, the Stepway is easy to see out of, simple to park, comfortable at low speeds and corners confidently – although its taller body leans a touch more in tight bends. And, despite its size, it also feels planted and comfortable on the motorway too, but don't think that extra 17cm is going to have you driving up and over mountains. The Sandero also scored poorly in its NCAP crash test, mainly due to its automatic emergency braking tech being old hat.

The Stepway is around £1500 more expensive than the equivalent Sandero, which gets you slightly more comfort and added SUV-ness. If you just want a small car, we think the standard Sandero is better value. But if you want a small SUV, then the Stepway looks just enough like one to make it a very good value option that should certainly be on your list.

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Extended read…

2021 Dacia Sandero Stepway interior and infotainment

The Dacia Sandero Stepway feels better than its price suggests inside and everything is very solidly put together, but some areas such as the tops of the doors give away Dacia's cost savings.

Inside the Stepway has the same basic dash as the Sandero, but orange is the order of the day to help differentiate it: you'll find it on the air vents, seats and doors. Things are sturdily constructed, but the Stepway does feel its price is some areas inside.

Entry-level Essential Stepways use an app on your smartphone as your infotainment, while Comfort and Prestige models get an 8-inch touchscreen unit with Bluetooth, DAB radio, built-in navigation and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The latter works very well indeed next to rival efforts, especially when you consider the Stepway's price.

All models come with an integrated phone cradle and a handy high-up USB socket on the dash to go with it.

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2021 Dacia Sandero Stepway practicality and boot space

Viewed as either a jacked-up small car or small SUV, the Stepway offers decent space inside.

It seats two tall adults in the front and back without issue, although three adults sat in the back will be a squeeze. Still, that's the same as pretty much every small car or SUV.

The rear doors also open nice and wide and there are Isofix points on the rear outside seats, but again, like all small cars, you'll need to push the front seats a decent way forward to get a rear-facing child seat in behind.

There's also a decent amount of storage inside, with deep door bins, a couple of cupholders between the front seats and a generous cubby at the base of the dash.

The Stepway's boot is 328 litres in size, making it one of the larger boots among small SUVs. All models get 60/40 split-folding seats as standard too.

2021 Dacia Sandero Stepway engine

The more expensive Stepway drops the standard Sandero's non-turbo three-cylinder petrol with 65hp, leaving a turbo three-cylinder petrol with 90hp, or a 100hp version of that engine powered by LPG.

A six-speed manual gearbox is standard across the range, but a CVT automatic is available with the 90hp engine. The Stepway is also front-wheel-drive only, despite its looks suggesting you might get all-wheel drive.

So far we've only tried the 90hp model, which has more than enough power for town and country-road work, and even feels fine on the motorway most of the time. There's a bit more noise and vibration than in other small SUVs with three-cylinder petrols, but it's never enough to truly annoy you.

The good news is that achieving more than 40mpg from the 90hp engine was no trouble at all on a mixed route.

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2021 Dacia Sandero Stepway driving

The old Sandero Stepway was fairly average to drive, but thanks to this model being based on the brand new Renault Clio, it has improved hugely. It's still not the best small car or small SUV to drive, but it's a seriously good effort given the Stepway's price point.

Around town, the Stepway is easy to see out of, simple to park, and comfortable at low speeds over bumps. Comfort models get rear parking sensors and a rear camera, while the range-topping Prestige models adds front sensors too. That said, the Sandero's great visibility and compact dimensions mean there aren't a deal-breaker.

The Stepway has light steering and soft suspension but grip levels are high and it corners tidily on winding roads, although with its extra height you notice its body leaning that bit more in tight bends than the standard Sandero.

The Stepway is a big step up on the motorway where it feels decidedly more grown-up than before. Cruise control comes as standard, but it's just a basic system and unsurprisingly there's no option to add adaptive cruise or lane keep safety tech.

And crash testing outfit NCAP has given the Sandero Stepway just two stars out of a possible five, which you can probably guess is pretty poor. The Sandero actually scored well for passenger protection – it was its relatively rudimentary automatic emergency braking tech (by the latest standards) that let it down.

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