Renault Launches Logan and Sandero Automatic Versions in Russia. What About Dacia?

The local Renault division has just announced that in July, the Logan, Sandero and Sandero Stepway will be able to change their own gears.

The models in question will be equipped with the same 1.6-liter petrol engine that's currently offered, making 82 horsepower. The gearbox is a 5-speed robotized manual called EasyR which is built with components from ZF. Essentially, this is like a regular manual, but a computer takes care of clutch operations and changing gears.

If you're curious how it works, we found a video from Brazil detailing how the Logan 1.6 EasyR functions. In Russia, a Logan without the clutch pedal will cost 508,000 rubles.

Believe it or not, but the Russians are also getting a more powerful auto model. It's still a 1.6, but this time it delivers 102 horsepower. In this case, they used a conventional DP2 automatic with four only four speeds. Unless we're mistaken, this is the exact powertrain that used to be available on the Clio 3.

All the extra tech is expected to increase prices for the most powerful Logan automatic to 546,000 rubles.

Just to make sure the Brits are jealous of the Russians, we'll tell them they also have an automatic Duster with a 2-liter petrol engine.

Why does Russia get automatic cars that aren't available in the rest of Europe? Because Renault has a factory there that caters exclusively to the local market. They use different components for the windshield, suspension and electric system that are designed to cope with the cold.