Dacia has finally launched in Britain having grown across Europe for much of the past decade, and brought with it the UK’s cheapest car in the shape of the 1.2-litre petrol Sandero costing just £5995 and a philosophy of offering the size of one class of car for the price of the one below that.

We tested the supermini-sized mid-spec diesel model – the UK’s cheapest sub-100g/km car, says Dacia – which costs a heady £8340 compared with the 1.2 petrol, although that’s still £3000 less than a diesel Hyundai i20. But you get what you pay for. The hard, cheap plastic interior is sparse, although remote central locking, electric front windows, Bluetooth and an aux-input are notable benefits over the Access entry model that doesn’t even have body-coloured bumpers. Only the top-spec Laureate gets items such as aircon, body-coloured door mirrors and door handles, and a height-adjustable steering wheel and driver’s seat. Dacia claims best-in-class front and rear shoulder and elbow room, and best-in-class rear hip room, meaning there is more space for five adults than any rival, and it feels spacious in the back for a small car. The boot is also 25 litres lager than a Ford Fiesta’s, although there’s no boot release switch on the tailgate itself.

The car offers an RV better than a mid-spec diesel Fiesta or the Hyundai i20, too, which means this 90hp diesel model loses almost half as much over three years as the Fiesta, and offers a cost per mile of 26.1p compared with 35.6p.

On the road, the lack of creature comforts is apparent and it feels like a cheap car with disconcertingly dead steering around centre. There is also more road and engine noise than you could expect from more established brands. But it’s generally fine, and from a fleet perspective would suit companies that need working vehicles to ferry people around or, indeed, pool car applications. 

Dacia Sandero 1.5 dCi 90 Ambience
P11D price £8340
Model price range £5995-£9795
Residual value 36.9%
Depreciation £5265
Fuel £5201
Service, maintenance and repair £1773
Vehicle Excise Duty £0
National Insurance £483
Cost per mile 26.1p
Fuel consumption 74.3mpg
CO2 (tax) 99g/km (13%)
BIK 20/40% per month £18/£36
Service interval 12,000 miles
Insurance (1-50) group 8
Warranty 3yrs/60,000 mls
Boot space 320 litres
Engine size/power 1461cc/90hp
Top speed/0-62mph 107mph/12.1secs