SA Road Tests

Welcome

This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you can get at home.

*To read one of our archived road tests, just select from the alphabetical menu of manufacturers' names on the left. Hover your cursor over the manufacturer's name, then choose from the drop-down menu that appears.

*Please remember too, that prices quoted were those ruling on the days I wrote the reports.


We review the 2014 Renault Sandero 66 kW Turbo Dynamique

The features without the flash

Posted 4th May 2014

It’s question time and six journalists raise their hands. “Yes, John?” enquires the presenter of someone in the back row. “If this new Sandero has the same specs as Clio lV,” asks John, “aren’t you afraid that, at about 60 grand less, it’s going to cannibalise Clio sales?” Five hands go back down.  Everybody wants to know the same thing.

Fabien Payzan, Renault SA’s vice-president, marketing and communications, chooses his words carefully: “They are different vehicles for different buyers,” he says. “In fact, rather than taking sales away from Clio, Sandero could actually rescue a sale for Renault if it should turn out that the customer cannot quite afford his or her first choice and the bank declines the deal.” Few of those present are completely convinced, but choose to let it ride.

Now that we have had test units of both models practically back-to-back, we see what M. Payzan was on about. While the specs; same engine, similar gearbox, up to four airbags, power windows and mirrors, fog lamps, ABS with EBA and EBD, ESP, ASR, ISOFix anchors, hill start assist, Bluetooth, cruise control, central locking and satellite controls on the steering wheel are common to both ranges, there are dissimilarities that justify price differences.

As anyone who has ever gone house-hunting will know; the description “3 beds, bics, 2 baths, mod. kitch, LUG” doesn’t actually tell you much. The place could be anything from humble home to princely pad. It’s only once you’re inside that you see the differences. So it is with Sandero. The specifications are the same; it’s the execution that’s different.

For example, the seats aren’t quite as luxurious, the height adjustment for the driver’s chair is either “all the way up or all the way down” although to be fair, you could step outside and adjust it more gently – there is an intermediate position. The front window switches and cruise control buttons are on the central tower, rather like a Jeep Wrangler, while those for the back glasses are at the rear of the central console.

Air conditioning and radio controls are simpler, mirror and eco mode buttons are off on their own on the right of the dash, the steering wheel adjusts for height only, the service plan is shorter and the standard of trim in the boot isn’t quite the same. As we said: “3 beds, bics, 2 baths, mod. kitch, LUG” are not all identical. But please don’t get the idea that we think Sandero is shabby. It isn’t – it’s just that you can see where some money was saved.

Our test unit was the uppercrust Dynamique version, so it came with standard air conditioning, a full set of powered windows, powered mirrors, cruise control with speed limiter, an additional pair of airbags, the nicer upholstery package, more brightwork, alloy wheels and fog lamps.

Because it has the same engine, overall performance was practically the same as with Clio although Sandero’s gearing appears to be slightly shorter, resulting in quicker sprint times but seven km/h less at the top end. Fuel mileage was almost identical.
 
From a practical point of view, the fully sized steel spare is in the normal place inside the boot, rather than slung underneath, the loading sill is about three centimetres shallower than Clio’s and there is no rubber pad or key fob button to open the hatch. You work a lever inside or use the key. Sandero doesn’t offer lashing rings with which to tie awkward loads down either. Head, knee and foot space is essentially the same on both models.

Perhaps we could describe them as “Mom’s car” and “kid’s car.” Or see Sandero as a way of getting all the main features without wasting money on flash.

Test car from Renault SA press fleet

The numbers
Price: R141 500
Engine: 898 cc, three-cylinder, turbocharged
Power: 66 kW at 5250 rpm
Torque: 135 Nm at 2500 rpm
Gearbox: Five-speed manual
Zero to 100 km/h: 11,1 seconds
Maximum speed: 175 km/h
Real life fuel economy: About 7,2 l/100 km
Tank: 50 litres
Boot: 292 litres
Warranty: 5 years/150 000 km
Service plan: 2 years/30 000 km; at 15 000 km intervals

To read our launch report on this model click here

To see our review of Renault Clio lV click here



What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.


Comments?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you thoroughly disagree with what I say? That's your privilege, because if everybody agreed on everything, the world would be a boring place. All I ask is that you remain calm, so please blow off a little steam before venting too vigorously.