SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8
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.
This is a launch report. In other words, it's simply a new model announcement. The driving experience was limited to a short drive over a prepared course chosen to make the product look good. We can therefore not tell you what it will be like to live with over an extended period, how economical it is, or how reliable it will be. A very brief first impression is all we can give you until such time as we get an actual test unit for trial. Thank you for your patience.
Pics supplied
I arrived for New Sandero’s launch presentation expecting less. Another facelift with the same elderly 1600 cc, old-tech, eight-valve engine, I thought: So why am I here? But this time, the team surprised me.
It isn’t just the face although that’s now more Clio-esque, more French, less Dacia. The rear, admittedly, is only lightly butt-lifted with new tail lamps and curvier ‘C’ pillars, but the car looks better proportioned and more compact. Reality is that, although marginally narrower and lower, it’s also 37 mm longer. The interior is more modern; a bit more upmarket, a little brighter, but essentially familiar. And the surfaces are softer. What’s really important is what you don’t see.
Renault SA’s director of marketing, Fabien Payzan, outlined the company’s strategy and subtle repositioning of the Sandero brand. Hatchbacks priced below R150 000 form the largest single segment of our local market, accounting for about 93 000 units annually and some 21-percent of share. Approximately two-thirds are affordable cars with engines around one-and-a-half litres, fair people room and a couple of desirable features. The balance consists of entry-level cars with smaller, more economical engines, fewer toys and less space.
Renault’s plan is to combine the best of both with more must-haves than anything else in its class, more space, better fuel economy and competitive pricing. The first step, after the face lift, was to fit the 900 cc turbocharged engine from Clio4. They left off the automatic stop-start feature because it’s expensive and of debatable real value. The little mill provides power similar to most 1,5-litre competitors, the economy and cleanliness of a small motor, and squeezes in under the emissions threshold at 119 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre.
Then they added more safety features because Renault expects to sell many of these to parents for their college-age children. Apart from antilock brakes there’s electronic brake force distribution; electronic brake assist that can reduce panic-braking distances from cruising speed by as much as 25-percent; electronic stability programme to keep things tidy during emergency swerves; hill start assist; anti-skid regulation and a proper three-point belt for the middle backseat passenger. Check the specifications of Sandero’s competitors. The only item in common on most of them is ABS.
As for technology, Renault can offer the base model without an air conditioner but 99-percent of buyers want it, so we won’t quote the price of the under-equipped car. You do get a pair of air bags; electric windows in front; remote central locking; a radio/ CD/MP3 player with input plugs, Bluetooth for phone and music streaming and satellite controls on the steering wheel. A selectable economy driving mode is included. Steel wheels with plastic caps, ISOFix child seat anchors and a decently sized boot with split seatbacks, are standard. That’s the Expression model.
A further R7 600 steps you up to Dynamique. Look for two more airbags, front fog lights, alloy wheels, leather covered steering wheel, powered side mirrors and rear windows, cruise control with speed limiter, and smarter fabric upholstery. Whether for your kid or for yourself, you might as well pay the small premium and get it. Renault noted that a couple of competitors offer two-year service plans, so they matched that.
This new Sandero is built at the Dacia plant in Piteşti, Romania and Renault SA chose to grab it from there immediately, rather than wait for the local plant to tool up. The Rosslyn factory immediately switched the freed-up capacity to additional NP 200 pickup production, so Nissan Division is happy too.
The familiarisation drive took us on a long loop from Lanseria airport to the centre of Pretoria via freeways, country roads and, well, Pretoria at lunch time on a working day. While my co-driver was piloting, I noted that the glove box is decently sized if a little narrow and stretching most of the way to the front bumper (teasing), there are vanity mirrors for both front occupants but they aren’t lit, the auxiliary and USB plugs are in the middle of the dash and easy to get at, the seats are comfortable and the radio works well.
During my driving stint I noted that the engine performs willingly (like a good 1400 but with better low-down pulling power), it has a joyful little rasp when put under pressure (although my young co-driver didn’t particularly like it), steering is light and responsive and it’s rock-steady at speed (Oops, did we really get up to 150? Sorry about that.)
For once, the term “new” means what it says and boasts about “affordable value proposition” are actually true. I approve.
Information gathered at a manufacturer-sponsored launch event.
The numbers
Prices: Expression (with a/c) – R133 900, Dynamique – R141 500
Engine: 898 cc, three-cylinder, 12-valve, turbocharged
Power: 66 kW at 5250 rpm
Torque: 135 Nm at 2500 rpm (90 percent available from 1650 rpm)
Gears: Five-speed manual
Zero to 100 km/h: 11,1 seconds
Maximum speed: 175 km/h
NEDC combined cycle fuel consumption: 5,2 l/100 km
Tank: 50 litres
Boot: 292 litres
Warranty: 5 years/150 000 km
Standard service plan: 2 years/30 000 km; at 15 000 km intervals
To read our review of this model click here
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.
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8