The Dacia Sandero holds a pretty significant crown – since its launch in the UK, it's been the country's cheapest new car. With a price tag that starts at less than £7,000, buying a new car doesn't get any cheaper than this – and the Sandero even competes favourably with some used models. You might be expecting the Sandero to be a tiny, no-frills city car for that price. But you'd only be half-right, as it's actually a rival for superminis such as the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa in terms of size, while competing with the smaller Ford Ka+ and Vauxhall Viva in terms of price.How does Dacia do it? Well, the company's actually a sub-division of Renault, and as a result it has access to the company's vast back catalogue. While the Sandero is ostensibly a new car, it's actually based on components inherited from the Mk3 Renault Clio – a car launched in 2005. Not only does Dacia not have to foot research and development costs for its components, it builds its cars in Romania – where labour costs are cheaper than most of the rest of Europe.Despite its aged underpinnings, the Sandero uses current Renault powertrains – a pair of petrols and a diesel. If you want that headline-grabbing low price, you'll need to opt for the least powerful engine. It's a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol that makes do without a turbocharger, and as a result puts out just 75hp – but surprisingly, given the Dacia's generous dimensions, it doesn't feel too under 12V socket, 2 speakers, 3 rear height adjustable headrests, 3 speed windscreen wipers, 4x20W radio/CD/MP3 with aux input and fi, 60/40 split folding rear seat, ABS + EBD + EBA, Atom cloth upholstery, Audible lights on warning, Automatic door locking, Bluetooth system, Body coloured bumpers, Boot light, Child locks on rear doors, Chrome air vent surrounds, Chrome headlight surround, Daytime running lights, Door open warning, Driver/Front Passenger airbags, Eco mode, Electric front windows, Engine immobiliser, ESC - Electronic Stability Control + tra, Front courtesy lights, Front passenger airbag deactivation, Front passenger grab handle, Front seatbelt unfastened audible+visual, Front side ai
