Text: Dacia Sandero 1.6i Stepway
Even if both are true, in some cases only one needs to be taken abruptly. For example, in politics, but far from only there.
Since the issue of safety is discussed in the automotive sector (it should be noted that the magazine "Auto" with more than four decades of existence was a witness before), the magazine "Auto" sharply and clearly took the position that the minimum safety is much higher than in the automobile one. at a certain point provided by law.
Therefore, roughly speaking or writing, we could say: (also) this Dacia it has no stabilization system not four (let alone six) airbags, so goodbye to the next war.
However, it is worth taking a broader look. Dacia was not created as a result of some personal (literally or, more broadly, as a result of the strategy of an automobile brand) whim, and Dacia does not remain in showrooms as real estate. People buy them. And this is much more than you think.
There are many reasons to buy a Dacia like this. First, it's pretty neat, with a slightly raised chassis and opaque black and metal plastic accessories that make even a five-year-old suspect it could be an SUV. But let's be clear right away: if they raise the chassis an inch or two and add some pretty plastic, they won't get the SUV yet.
Stepway therefore this is not so and also does not want to be an SUV; it is simply a machine that greatly reduces the driver's fear of a higher sidewalk, or perhaps a bulging bogie rail. As it is a time of heavy snowfall, it was a great opportunity to test off-road capabilities on the road and in parking lots. HM. ...
Although they are shod with tires that far exceed the car's price range, these tires appear to be quite wide and in some cases are unable to shovel snow or, in other words, drive a car.
So be careful and again: Stepway is not an SUV (something more off-road from this brand is just coming to the market) and don't be surprised if you get stuck in the snow. Even if you carefully approach a large obstacle in off-road riding style, you will quickly find that the clutch cannot slip more heavily in favor of slower riding. Stinks fast.
It's hard to tell if it's the look or the price before making a purchase decision. Be that as it may, the price is the decisive trump card for cars of this brand. And you need to know right away: if some cars don’t have something, especially the items presented here and to some extent also the appearance, then this is because of the price.
Dacia is a brand that has recently grown on a new philosophy: take everything you don't need which will be cheap. It is more or less known that this brand does not represent itself.
Passers-by say: what, it costs as much as once Golf; weak! Yes, but he forgot two things: the Dacia is new (that is, not as worn out today as the Golf that once cost so much) and better than that Golf (even when this one was new); It has crumpled energy-absorbing collision zones, a reinforced passenger compartment, two airbags, ABS brakes, five automatic seat belts, five head restraints, remote central locking, power windows, manual air conditioning and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
So: in many ways it is close to modern trends in design and performance, but the final price still leaves a strong mark. For example: a dull (cheap) sound is heard when the door is closed... Like before. Despite the surprisingly neat appearance, upon closer inspection, it becomes obvious that the designer had to take care of cheaper products.
interior Works cheap: the design is old-fashioned, too gray, simply crafted and made from cheap materials. And the equipment, as already mentioned, is extremely modest, and in some cases even too modest.
Modesty is understandable given the pricing policy, but it certainly wouldn't hurt if there were more than one light inside, and if the sensors included at least the outside temperature, which not only gives information about the comfort of living outside. but also important safety information about the possibility of slipping on critical sections of the road.
There is also no drawer (there are only two of them in the door, and this one is narrow and shallow), the rear passengers have only one (shallow) slot for a can (that is: no pockets, drawers, 12 volt sockets ...), there are two in the front slots for drinks for passengers, but the plastic heats up so much while driving that they can only be effectively used for tea or coffee.
The mechanics leave a much better impression. The gasoline engine works flawlessly even at low outside temperatures, begins to heat up quickly inside and is very economical. It spins well up to 5.000 rpm, and above it does not seem to want such a push, but this may be due to rather poor sound insulation.
Otherwise, up to fourth gear, it spins to a coarse chopper (6.000, over 160 on the speedometer), then the RPM in fifth (last) gear drops by a thousand and the engine accelerates a little.
In practice, at 100 km / h in fifth gear (2.900 rpm), the cabin is surprisingly quiet, at 130 km / h (3.700 rpm) the noise is still moderate, and at 160 (4.600) it is already quite unpleasant. ... Then additional noise appears in the driver's door (most likely, a poorly fixed bracket), but this is more concrete (i.e. fixable), and not a general case.
Five-speed mechanics Transmission, whose gear ratios are designed more for economy than for driving dynamics, it remains to be well managed. Today we would say that the lever movements are somewhat (but still unobtrusive) long.
There are also old schools power steering, which makes the steering wheel heavy at low speeds and (too) light at higher speeds, which leads to a decrease in directional stability when driving in a straight line. But this is not critical. However, it turned out that this is a raised chassis: because of this, the Stepway's belly not only gets stuck in the snow (or sand, mud) much later, but also eats bumps, such as speed bumps, without stress.
And with everything written and described, the Stepway behind the wheel, as well as on the other seats, made an overall quite decent impression. But there is one more thing to keep in mind: those who claim that it is better to buy a four-year-old (i.e. used) more modern car forgot something - such a Dacia is also much cheaper to maintain. Thus, abolishing the latest security standards that are not mandated by law makes sense in the long run.
It's always nice to have a new car, but not everyone has a personal income of 1.000 or more euros per month. A position that cannot be neglected.
Vinko Kernc, photo: Vinko Kernc
Dacia Sandero 1.6i Stepway
Basic data
| Sales: | Renault Nissan Slovenia Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Base model price: | 8.980 € |
| Test model cost: | 9.760 € |
| Calculate the cost of auto insurance | |
| Power: | 64kW (87 KM) |
| Acceleration (0-100 km / h): | 12,4 with |
| Maximum speed: | 163 km / h |
| Mixed flow ECE: | 7,6l / 100km |
Technical information
| engine: | 4-cylinder - 4-stroke - in-line - gasoline - displacement 1.598 cm? – maximum power 64 kW (87 hp) at 5.500 rpm – maximum torque 128 Nm at 3.000 rpm. |
|---|---|
| Energy transfer: | engine-driven front wheels - 5-speed manual transmission - tires 195/55 R 16 H (Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 M + S). |
| Capacity: | 163 km/h top speed - 0-100 km/h acceleration in 12,4 s - fuel consumption (ECE) 10,2/6,1/7,6 l/100 km, CO2 emissions 180 g/km. |
| Mass: | empty vehicle 1.095 kg - permissible gross weight 1.561 kg. |
| External dimensions: | length 4.024 mm - width 1.753 mm - height 1.550 mm. |
| Inner dimensions: | fuel tank 50 l. |
| Box: | 320-1.200 l |
Our measurements
| T = -2 ° C / p = 844 mbar / rel. vl. = 73% / Mileage condition: 7.127 km | |
| Acceleration 0-100km: | 12,5s |
|---|---|
| 402m from the city: | 18,4 years ( 118 km / h) |
| Flexibility 50-90km / h: | 12,6s |
| Flexibility 80-120km / h: | 18,2s |
| Maximum speed: | 163km / h (V.) |
| test consumption: | 8,8 l / 100km |
| Braking distance at 100 km / h: | 46,1m |
| AM table: | 41m |
| Test errors: | noise and vibration in the driver's door at high speeds |
evaluation
Slightly less sensitive (for the base), relatively neat, decently equipped, quite practical, moderately powerful and very economical car for a decent price, but at the expense of basic safety, cheap design and materials and equipment by today's standards.
We praise and reproach
price
engine savings
general impression (for the price)
open space
rubbed the surface of the rear wiper
visibility, visibility from the car
Appearance
comfortable chassis
insufficient protective equipment
no outside temperature sensor
low cost of construction and materials
rear wiper only works continuously
folding only the rear seat backrest
too wide winter tires
pipe in the left steering wheel
meager equipment
