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Test drive of the All-New Dacia Sandero Stepway ECO-G 100 by Olivier Duhautoy, editor-in-chief of Daciattitude

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The Sandero is Dacia’s best-seller: it has been the best-selling car in France and Europe on the retail market since 2017. With its adventurous look, the Sandero Stepway is the favourite version, accounting for more than half of sales. This third-generation benefits from a 100% new exterior and interior design. And the new features don’t stop there… discover more during our video test drive with Olivier Duhautoy at the wheel of the All-New Sandero Stepway ECO-G100 bi-fuel petrol – LPG.

Presentation of the All-New Dacia Sandero Stepway

With the new Y-shaped front and rear lighting signature, LED headlights, flush-mounted wheels and a flowing roofline, the All-New Sandero Stepway is entering the modern age. It looks lower, more imposing. All thanks to a successful design, as its external dimensions are in fact comparable to those of the previous generation (4.09 metres long).

On this new generation, the Stepway version is immediately recognizable by its specific, ribbed and more domed bonnet and by curved fenders above the fog lights and a body-coloured metal skid plate at the front and rear at the bumper level. But above all it is marked by its crossover features: a 174 mm higher ground clearance, modular roof bars, marked wheel arches and specially reinforced door bottoms.

The roof bars conceal their play well: in a few seconds, thanks to a key stored in the glove compartment and without complex disassembly, they can be transformed into a real roof rack with a load capacity of 80 kilos. Clever, simple and reliable, this patented system truly embodies the Dacia spirit!

The boot is family-sized with 410 litres of space (328 dm3 VDA). The flat floor has an adjustable height floor 2 positions and the rear bench seat folds down 1/3-2/3.

ECO-G: Dacia's LPG technology

Dacia offers petrol-LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) bi-fuelling across its entire range of passenger cars, via its ECO-G label. This is the case with the ECO-G 100 engine in our video test. A guarantee of safety and reliability, the integration of this system is carried out by the manufacturer from the design of the vehicle in the factory. The boot capacity remains identical to that of the other petrol versions because the LPG tank is located where the spare wheel would be. Filling is done at the same place as the petrol tank.

By running on LPG, the All-New Dacia Sandero ECO-G is economical at the pump and emits on average 11% less CO2. But the most spectacular feature is its range of over 1,300 kms thanks to its two tanks, one of 40 litres for LPG and the other of 50 litres for petrol.

A spacious and welcoming interior

On board, the cabin space is worthy of the upper segment with three adult-sized rear seats and a knee radius record for the category.

The interior takes a quantum leap forward in all respects: quality of presentation, materials, finish with textile coating on the dashboard, assembly, ergonomics with steering wheel controls, appearance of new equipment, etc. Everything is new: more comfortable front seats, digital air conditioning, Media Display and Media Nav multimedia systems with an 8-inch touch screen compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The interior of the All-New Sandero Stepway is distinguished by its logoed upholstery, textile inserts and orange piping.

At the wheel of the All-New Dacia Sandero Stepway

Thanks to new seat and steering wheel adjustments, as well as a shorter gear knob, the resulting driving position contributes to driving pleasure.

In town, the size is ideal. The steering, now with 100% electric variable assistance, provides a precise feel of the front axle and facilitates tight manoeuvres, particularly when parking.

On the road as well as on the motorway, the duo formed by the 3-cylinder 1.0L TCe turbocharged ECO-G and the new 6-speed gearbox shines by its versatility and efficiency. With the new lighter and stiffer platform of the CMF-B family combined with new Driver-assistance systems (ADAS) such as emergency brake assist, the All-New Sandero offers a feeling of safety behind the wheel. In addition, air noise reduction, interior soundproofing and running gear filtration have been significantly improved for greater on-board comfort.

Switching from one fuel to the other is imperceptible and simple: simply operate the switch on the dashboard to take advantage of either 90 hp / 160 nm of torque on petrol or 100 hp / 170 nm of torque on LPG. With a cumulative range of 1,300 kilometres, this All-New Dacia Sandero Stepway ECO-G 100 is the queen of versatility.

Olivier Duhautoy's opinion on the All-New Dacia Sandero Stepway ECO-G 100

Olivier Duhautoy is an automotive journalist and the creator, editor and chief editor of Daciattitude magazine.

For Olivier Duhautoy, Dacia has successfully renewed its best-seller. Entirely new inside and out, « The All-New Sandero Stepway is a great discovery« . It progresses on all levels but stays true to Dacia’s values of simplicity, reliability and robustness. Olivier Duhautoy says he had a lot of fun during the test drive.