Dacia Sandero History
History
Revealed at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show and launched in Europe in early 2008, the Sandero was Dacia's answer to a question the rest of the industry had stopped asking: could a genuinely affordable hatchback succeed in Western Europe? The answer turned out to be an emphatic yes. The Sandero became Dacia's highest-volume model and, by 2017, the single most popular car sold to private buyers across all of Europe — a position it has held consistently through the 2020s.
The Sandero Stepway crossover variant, with raised ride height and rugged styling cues, debuted in October 2008 and became the stronger seller of the two in many markets. A performance variant, the Sandero R.S. 2.0 (150 hp), was offered from 2015 during the second-generation era — though it was a Brazilian/Latin American-market Renault-badged model rather than a European Dacia, it was an unlikely but credible hot-hatch moment for a brand defined by frugality.
The third generation (2020–present), launched on the same CMF-B platform as the new Logan, further tightened quality while preserving the price leadership that defines Dacia. A 2025 facelift added a new 1.2-litre turbocharged engine option.
Generations
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First generation · B90
The original budget hatchback that showed Europe an affordable alternative existed; Sandero Stepway variant added Oct 2008.
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Second generation · B52
Photo: “Dacia Sandero II (2016 facelift).jpg” by Antoineets / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Refined styling and improved interior; included the Sandero R.S. 2.0 performance variant (2015) and grew Dacia's European market share substantially.
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2014 Photo: “Dacia Sandero - Mondial de l'Automobile de Paris 2014 - 004.jpg” by Thesupermat / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Third generation · BJI
Photo: “2023 Dacia Sandero III 1X7A6192.jpg” by Alexander Migl / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Launched Sept 2020 on CMF-B; tighter quality and safety scores while retaining Dacia's entry-price leadership.
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2021 Photo: “Dacia Sandero III 1X7A0329.jpg” by Alexander Migl / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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Body styles
- Hatchback
- Crossover (Stepway)
Notable special editions & performance variants
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Sandero Stepway
Raised-ride-height crossover variant with rugged styling; consistently the stronger seller of the Sandero pair in most European markets.
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Sandero R.S. 2.0
A 150-hp performance variant of the second-generation Sandero — a Brazilian/Latin American-market Renault-badged model (not sold in Europe), offering an unlikely hot-hatch take on the value car.
Related models