Renault Sandero Stepway

Sandero Stepway at a glance

How the Stepway differs from a normal Sandero

The Stepway is not a separate platform. It takes the Renault Sandero and adds raised suspension, grey or black plastic sill covers and wheel-arch extensions, crossover-style bumpers and roof bars. The old version of this page put the first generation's extra ground clearance at about 20 mm for European cars and 30 mm for Latin American ones. It also gave 195 mm for the second generation. These figures come from the old text and vary by market.

What the Stepway does not add is four-wheel drive. Every version, in every generation, drives the front wheels only; buyers who need an all-wheel-drive budget car should look at the Dacia and Renault Duster.

First generation (2008–2012)

Renault launched the Sandero Stepway in Brazil in October 2008, about ten months after the Sandero itself. It had a 1.6-litre sixteen-valve Hi-Flex engine that could run on petrol or ethanol, rated at 82 kW (112 hp). The car was sold in Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Mexico. The old version of this page dated the project's start to 2005 and the first Sandero production to 2007 in Brazil.

The European Dacia Sandero Stepway was unveiled on 7 May 2009 at the Barcelona motor show and reached most European markets in September 2009. The old page placed this debut at Geneva in 2008, the year the Dacia Sandero itself was shown there. European buyers could choose a 1.6-litre petrol with 66 kW (90 hp) or a 1.5 dCi common-rail diesel with 51 kW (70 hp). The old page gave a boot of 320 litres, rising to 1,200 litres with the 60/40 split rear seat folded.

Second generation (2012–2020)

The second Sandero and its Stepway version were revealed at the Paris Motor Show in September 2012, with a design close to the new Logan. In Brazil the Renault-badged model went on sale in June 2014. In Latin America the Stepway was sold under both the Dacia and Renault brands, and from 2020 it became a separate model there.

A facelift was shown in Paris in November 2016. It added LED daytime running lights and new tail lights. Entry versions got a 1.0-litre three-cylinder instead of the 1.2. A further update in 2019 applied only to the Renault-badged Brazilian car.

The old version of this page described two 1.6-litre petrol engines with 60 kW (82 hp) and 134 Nm or 75 kW (102 hp) and 145 Nm. It quoted 12.3 and 11.2 seconds to 100 km/h and top speeds of 165 and 170 km/h. Those figures belong to cars for markets outside the European Union.

Euro NCAP tested the second-generation Sandero in May 2013 and gave it four stars: 80 % for adult occupants, 79 % for children, 57 % for pedestrians and 55 % for safety assist.

Third generation (since 2020)

The third Sandero and Stepway were presented on 7 September 2020 and launched on 29 September 2020, together with the Logan III. They use the low-cost version of the Renault-Nissan CMF-B platform and only three-cylinder engines. In June 2022 the cars got the new Dacia logo, a revised grille and a new steering wheel. On 6 October 2025 a facelift brought a new front end, headlights, wheels and infotainment, plus the ECO-G 120 bi-fuel engine.

The factory LPG versions are the economy choice. LPG is usually cheaper per kilometre than petrol in the countries where it is common, and the car keeps a petrol tank for range. Our fuel cost calculator shows the difference at your local prices.

In the Euro NCAP test of 2021 the Stepway scored 70 % for adults, 72 % for children, 41 % for vulnerable road users and 42 % for safety assist. The result was two stars. Euro NCAP's secretary general, Michiel van Ratingen, said that "a two-star rating shows a lack of ambition, even for a low-cost product", pointing mainly to the basic driver-assistance systems.

Stepway against its rivals

The Stepway is one of the cheapest cars with a crossover look in Europe. Its rivals include the Renault Captur, the Suzuki Ignis and small crossovers such as the Opel Crossland, all of which cost more. Our car comparison tool helps line up their size, power and running costs. More about the two brands is in our history of Dacia and the Renault catalogue.