Renault Sandero

Renault Sandero at a glance

The Sandero is a low-cost supermini built by Renault and its Romanian subsidiary Dacia, sharing much of its hardware with the Renault Logan saloon. The first two generations use Logan-derived underpinnings; the third moved to a low-spec version of the CMF-B platform.

The badge depends on the market: European buyers know it as a Dacia, while Brazil, Colombia and Argentina sell it as a Renault. Plants include Mioveni (Romania), São José dos Pinhais (Brazil), Envigado (Colombia), Casablanca and Tangier (Morocco) and Rosslyn (South Africa). The same low-cost engineering family also produced the Renault Lodgy MPV, and the Sandero sits in the wider history of Renault as the group's volume budget model.

Renault Sandero generations

There have been three Sandero generations, each refining the same low-cost concept.

First generation (2007–2012)

The first Sandero was revealed at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show and went on sale as a Renault in Brazil in December 2007, the first Renault model to debut outside Europe. The European Dacia version followed at the Geneva show in March 2008. It used a slightly shorter Logan wheelbase; ground clearance is quoted as 155 mm (6.1 in).

Second generation (2012–2020)

The second Sandero was revealed at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, reaching the UK in 2013 and Brazil in June 2014. It introduced the 0.9 TCe turbocharged three-cylinder. A facelift shown at the 2016 Paris show replaced the entry 1.2 with a 1.0 three-cylinder. The Sandero RS, released in Brazil in September 2015, used a 2.0 16v with 110 kW (150 hp) and was sold only in Latin America.

Third generation (2020–present)

The third Sandero was presented on 7 September 2020 on a low-cost version of the CMF-B platform, and German sales began in January 2021. It added LED headlamps and, on upper trims, an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A minor update in June 2022 brought the new Dacia logo, and a larger facelift followed on 6 October 2025.

Sandero Stepway

The Stepway is the raised, crossover-styled version with plastic body cladding, offered in all three generations; the European car was unveiled in Barcelona on 7 May 2009. Its details are covered on our Sandero Stepway page.

Engines, transmissions and performance

Every Sandero has a transverse front engine driving the front wheels, mostly with manual gearboxes.

The first generation used a 1.2 16v and a 1.4 (also with LPG), both with 55 kW (75 hp), a 1.6 8v with 63 kW (85 hp) and a 1.6 16v with 77 kW (105 hp), plus the 1.5 dCi diesel.

In the second generation the key engine was the 0.9 TCe: 66 kW (90 PS) and 140 Nm (103 lb-ft), with a five-speed manual or the Easy-R automated manual. The 1.0 SCe gave 54 kW (73 PS), the 1.2 16v 55 kW (75 PS), and the 1.5 dCi carried over.

The third generation dropped diesel. At launch it offered the SCe 65 with 48 kW (65 hp), the TCe 90 with 66 kW (90 hp) and 160 Nm (118 lb-ft) with the six-speed manual or 142 Nm (105 lb-ft) with the CVT, and the ECO-G 100 bi-fuel with 74 kW (100 hp). The October 2025 facelift raised the 1.0 turbo to 100 PS and added the ECO-G 120, a 1.2 rated at 85 kW (115 hp) on petrol and 88 kW (120 hp) on LPG.

Dimensions, interior space and boot

The Sandero has grown only slightly, from 4,020 mm to about 4,088 mm, while boot space has stayed close to 320–330 L.

Key specifications: Sandero III 1.0 TCe 90

Sources differ slightly: one lists the length as 4,094 mm.

Sandero fuel economy and running costs

Official figures are close to 5 L/100 km, but the test cycle matters. The second-generation 0.9 TCe was rated at 4.9 L/100 km (48.0 mpg US) on the older NEDC cycle, while the third-generation 1.0 TCe 90 manual is rated at 5.3 L/100 km on the stricter WLTP cycle, with 120 g/km of CO2.

AUTO BILD names the LPG version as the cheapest to run in the current range. In Germany the facelifted Sandero was listed from €12,790 in December 2025. Used prices quoted by AUTO BILD in May 2026 start at about €800 for a first-generation car, €2,800 for the second and €10,200 for the third.

Sandero trims and equipment

The Sandero uses a short trim ladder: UK reports for 2026 name Essential, Expression and Journey. Third-generation options include blind-spot warning, parking assistance and Dacia's first factory sunroof.

Safety ratings by generation

Each crash-test result applies only to the generation and version tested; Euro NCAP scores rose, then fell as tests became stricter.

In 2008 Euro NCAP criticised Dacia for not making the safety pack standard. In 2021 the radar-only emergency braking detected vehicles but not pedestrians or cyclists, and there was no lane support. The regular third-generation hatchback was not tested separately.

Reliability and common problems by generation

German inspection data show each generation improving, though the Sandero still trails the average. In the TÜV-Report 2026 (AUTO BILD, 21 May 2026), 12.6% of two- to three-year-old Sanderos had defects against a 10.6% average, and only 62.2% of eight- to nine-year-old cars passed without defects, against 71.7% across all models.

• Third generation: the best record, with a solid chassis and brakes. Watch for whining gearboxes and turbochargers, and check that recalls for bonnets that could open while driving and for faulty fuel lines have been done.
• Second generation: springs, dampers and axle mounts wear, ignition locks fail (ADAC reports), emissions-test failures are above average, and there were recalls for steering, brakes and airbags. Lighting faults are common in the second and third generations.
• First generation: rust, worn steering joints and front brakes; fewer than half pass without defects. Recalls covered loosening valve cotters, which could damage the engine, and ABS warning-lamp failures.

Rivals: how the Sandero compares

The Sandero competes with the Kia Rio, Hyundai i20, Skoda Fabia, Volkswagen Polo, Citroën C3 and its group sibling, the Renault Clio. It trades refinement and driver-assistance technology for a lower price and more space for the money. For more options, see other hatchbacks and all Renault models.