DACIA Sandero Stepway 2009-2012 Photos, engines & full specs

While the world struggled to survive the financial crisis, the Romanian automaker Dacia performed well thanks to its low-price vehicles and dependability.

Dacia was bought by the French automaker Renault in 1999 and slowly began to introduce new models on the market. Since it was a budget brand, its products were affordable for many customers, and the production cost was also small. That's why this brand added money into Renault's accounts when the world financial crisis started in 2008 instead of draining them. The French automaker noted that and pushed harder for the Romanian brand to add a new version of the small-sized hatchback Sandero, the Stepway version.

Even if customers were more focused on buying economical vehicles, the addition of a crossover version of the Sandero was welcomed on the market. With its black, unpainted moldings on the bodywork, it looked ready for conquering the next picnic camp. In addition, the silver lower shield offered an improved off-road look for the otherwise mundane city vehicle. Also, the chrome door handles and the roof rails added more flair to the car.

Inside, it was the same Sandero as the rest of the range, with hard plastic on the dashboard and door panels. Yet, the upholstery was upgraded and received "Stepway" logos embroidered onto the seats' seatbacks. Again, like the rest of the Dacia range, it offered adequate room for four passengers and decent trunk space. In addition, the split-folding (60/40) rear bench increased the luggage area from 320 liters (11.3 cu-ft) to 1,200 liters (42.3 cu-ft).

Under the hood, the carmaker installed a choice of four engines, gasoline, and turbo-diesel, paired with a five-speed manual.