DACIA

Sandero TCe 100 2026: €14,950

The cheapest car in the Dacia lineup in Portugal currently costs €14,950. This is the Sandero Essential TCe 100, the entry-level version of the brand's range; it is priced lower than the Sandero Stepway, the electric Spring, and other models available on the domestic market.

According to Dacia Portugal, the €14,950 figure represents the recommended retail price (RRP) for mainland Portugal, including taxes but excluding administrative fees, transport costs, and the vehicle circulation tax (IUC). The final price should therefore be confirmed with a dealer.

Under the hood lies a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder turbo gasoline engine producing 100 hp and 200 Nm of torque, paired with a six-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive.

Is the Dacia Sandero a good car? As cars get more complicated and expensive, the Dacia Sandero’s no-frills approach is quite refreshing. It’s a budget small car which you could consider instead of the Renault Clio or Vauxhall Corsa, but it’s much cheaper than either of them.

It’s a bit like comparing a white T-shirt from GAP to one from Asda George - both do the same job, neither will turn many heads but one is way more affordable.

Just like a white T-shirt, the Sandero is a smart-looking thing, but it won’t make you stand out in a crowded car park. If you do want to add a splash of colour, you’ll have to pay extra for any shade beyond white.

If you want to elevate your Sandero even more, both figuratively and literally, there’s a jacked-up Stepway version which has a faux-SUV vibe about it. No matter how you look at it though, it’s not as exciting as the stylish Peugeot 208.

You’re in for a pleasant surprise when you step inside, because the Dacia Sandero has a nice interior for such an affordable car. There’s no disguising its budget roots thanks to the swathes of hard black plastic, but the clever fabric on the dashboard lifts things nicely and it feels really solidly built.

The Essential version measures 4.10 meters in length, features five doors, and seats five occupants. The trunk offers a minimum volume of 221 liters, expanding to 1,152 liters with the rear seats folded down.

It’s a spacious cabin as well. The driving position is spot-on and gives you a great view out, although the seats aren’t all that supportive so you may get a touch of backache after a few hours behind the wheel.

There won’t be any complaints from your rear seat passengers either, because there’s plenty of room back there for such a small car. The Sandero’s boxy profile allows for good headroom, although a Skoda Fabia is slightly more spacious. The same goes for the boot, which is about average for this sort of car, but it falls short of both the Fabia and the Volkswagen Polo.

Interior style, infotainment and accessories...Because of its price, you might think the interior will feel cheap and incredibly dated. However, even the entry-level Essential trim looks a tad more upmarket than you might expect, with clear analogue dials, sharp horizontal lines across the dashboard and a decent level of fit-and-finish. There are still vast swathes of hard plastic throughout the cabin, but it manages to avoid looking like it has been built down to a price.

Smart rotary knobs control the heating and ventilation system and the steering wheel is equipped with buttons for the cruise control, while the audio system gets its own stubby adjustment stalk below the wiper controls. A 12-volt socket and USB port are located below the temperature controls and the top trim even gets keyless entry.

The Expression trim adds a leather-covered steering wheel, funky-looking fabric on the dashboard, plusher seat material and an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen – the base model requires you to use your smartphone instead. The screen incorporates a rear camera to go along with the parking sensors that are also part of the Expression trim. The system is simple enough to use and offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity if you prefer to use your own apps. 

Essential version...Inside, the Media Control system includes a DAB radio, steering wheel controls, and Bluetooth connectivity, while the instrument cluster features a 3.5-inch TFT display. Basic versions of the Sandero are pretty spartan inside. There’s no central screen, just a mounting point for your phone, and it gets steel wheels as well. You do still get cruise control and a DAB radio as standard, but you’ll probably want to step up to the mid-spec version to get a touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

Out on the road the Dacia Sandero will ferry you from A to B with minimal fuss. The steering is a bit vague, but it’s really light which makes the car easy to slot through tight car parks. It’s also comfortable on the motorway with an acceptable amount of wind and road noise for a car at this price point.

100 hp and six-speed transmission...The TCe 100 engine powering this version uses a 999 cc, three-cylinder block. Dacia claims an output of 100 hp and a peak torque of 200 Nm, with power sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. The brand also states a top speed of 180 km/h for this powertrain. For those seeking an alternative to the petrol-only engine, the Sandero lineup also offers the Eco-G 120—capable of running on both petrol and LPG—including a version equipped with an automatic transmission.

Eco-G 120... The Eco-G 120 engine in the Dacia Sandero city car combines a 3-cylinder engine with a dual-fuel petrol/LPG system. Switching between fuels is seamless, thanks to an integrated switch. Also available with an automatic transmission.

Choosing an engine for your Sandero is easy, because there are just two of them. The entry-level 90hp 1.0-litre petrol is peppy enough and will easily return 50mpg in the real world, and there’s also a 100hp option which can run on LPG - a cheaper fuel than petrol.

All cars get a slick five-speed manual gearbox as standard, and a CVT automatic is available on top-spec Journey models. It’s an adequate gearbox, but the manual is better for extracting as much performance from the Sandero as possible.

The Dacia Sandero may not be the most stylish small car out there, but there’s a refreshing honesty about it which makes it very easy to like. This is an affordable car which isn’t pretending to be anything but, and it’s spacious and good to drive.

If the Dacia Sandero tickles your fancy, browse the latest Sandero deals to see how much you can save. You can also check out used Sanderos, the latest lease deals or have a look at the best Dacia deals. If you need to sell your car, you can do that through Carwow as well.

The new Dacia Sandero is a step up from its forebear, with much-improved refinement at motorway speeds. You do have to work the engine to get up to speed, and it can be quite noisy as the revs rise, but it settles down nicely once you're cruising along. There's a bit of wind noise, but nothing unbearable.

You’ll get a quieter ride in some pricier alternatives, but the Sandero copes well on long journeys and is spacious enough to accommodate four adults and a few small bags at the same time.

The soft suspension settings that give the Sandero its forgiving ride quality around town mean that enthusiastic cornering is not its forte. It grips the road well but the body will lean in the bends when taken at speed, something that you’re not exactly likely to do in this car anyway.

Safety and security...The latest Dacia Sandero is a big step up from the previous model, not least because it’s now based on the current Renault Clio underpinnings. You might expect this to mean that it would achieve the same five-star Euro NCAP safety rating as the Clio, but unfortunately the Dacia Sandero Stepway (the high-riding version of the Sandero) scored a lowly two-star rating. The regular Sandero hasn't been tested, but it's identical in most ways.

While the 70% and 71% adult and child occupant safety ratings are passable, the poor 42% score for advanced driver assistance systems let it down. For what it’s worth, were it not for the limited efficiency of the automatic emergency braking system, the Sandero Stepway would have received a four-star rating.

All Sandero models come with hill start assist, advanced emergency braking (although only effective in avoiding other cars and not pedestrians or cyclists), six airbags and cruise control. The Expression trim adds keyless entry, a rearview camera and rear parking sensors.

What comes as standard for €14,950? Despite being the cheapest version, the Sandero Essential includes LED low-beam headlights and LED daytime running lights, cruise control and a speed limiter, rear parking sensors, electric front windows, remote central locking, a height-adjustable driver's seat, and a 1/3-2/3 split-folding rear seat. Air conditioning is not included as standard on this version; it is available as an option for €750. It is also possible to add a spare tire for €150, among other equipment.

The list of safety and service systems is relatively extensive. It includes city-focused automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition with speed alerts, driver fatigue and attention monitoring, a safe distance warning, electronic stability control, and hill-start assist.

It also features the E-Call automatic emergency call system, ISOFIX anchor points on the outer rear seats, indirect tire pressure monitoring, and seatbelt reminders for all seating positions.

The "Essential" is just the first of three trim levels; above it sit the "Expression" and "Journey," offering progressively more equipment.

In addition to the advertised price of €14,950, Dacia is currently offering a "My Revision" maintenance plan covering 24 months or 50,000 kilometers, whichever comes first. This offer applies to private customers and new orders placed by October 31, 2026. 

 

by Autonews