Fourth dacia model to enter the UK market is another great priced model

Dacia looks to banish British pence per litre worries forever with Logan MCV - UK’s most affordable new estate car, from £6,995

• Daciac onfirms pricing and specification for its fourth UK model – Logan MCV (Maximum Capacity Vehicle) from £6,995
• Logan MCV’s 573-litre boot (1,518 seats down) gives it executive class Volvo V70-rivalling boot space (575 litres) for city car money. In pence-per-litre terms - with a jaw-dropping price tag from £6,995 and a 573-litre boot a paltry 12.2p
• Three versions to choose from: Access, Ambiance and Lauréate
• Numerous options available, including seven-inch touchscreen MediaNav, leather upholstery and rear parking sensors
• Two attractively prices accessory packs: Protection and Touring
• Choice of three frugal engines, including new three-cylinder 0.9 TCe 90 petrol and 1.5 dCi 90, both with ECO mode

Available to order from today. Available for test drive in Dacia Retailers from July 2013
If it’s not the weather getting us Brits down, it’s our obsession with pence per litre. Renault Group’s smart buy brand Dacia is capable of many things, but conjuring up the sun might be a stretch too far, even for them. But, on a brighter note, when it comes to pence per litre – we’re talking bootspace for your money here, not the stuff which comes out of the fuel pumps - it can help cash-conscious new car buyers. The Logan MCV (Maximum Capacity Vehicle) becomes the “UK’s most affordable new estate car” today, with prices from a whisker under £7,000.

The fourth Dacia model to hit our shores arrives in July with a boot to take on a Volvo V70, let alone one to shame every other supermini estate. Or, in layman’s terms, executive class-sized load lugging for city car cash. In pence per litre? With a jaw-dropping price tag from £6,995 and a 573-litre boot with the rear seats in place, a paltry 12.2p. With the seats down and a cavernous 1,518 litres freed up, it drops to only 4.6p. You can’t even get a couple of Black Jacks or Flying Saucers from the corner shop for that these days.

To get anywhere near its unrivalled value-for-money, for the same outlay, most buyers would be left trudging forlornly around used car forecourts on the hunt for a worn-in supermini estate up to four years old. Even then, as a comparison, a Skoda Fabia Estate only musters a 505 litre boot. And at these prices, it'll more than likely be well outside its standard manufacturer warranty period.

For those looking to buy a rival supermini estate from new it just gets worse. As examples, the list price for its Czech rival starts at £11,105. Its Iberian VW Group stablemate, Ibiza ST, at £12,260. Oh yes, both a whopping £4,000 to £5,000 more than the Dacia. With another £1,700 or so in their pockets compared to the Spaniard, buyers could easily put two Logan MCVs on their driveway instead. It’s not quite buy-one-get-one-free, but you get the idea. Care to know their equivalent pence per (boot) litre stats just to round off their miserable showing? A rather hefty 21.9p and 28.5p respectively.

Of course, those with a more care-free approach to life, could always fulfil their “bootylicious” dreams with an older, larger motor. Like say, the aforementioned Volvo V70. But, then you’re talking six- to seven-year old ones. With up to 100,000 miles on the clock. And funnily enough, still no manufacturer warranty left.

Whichever way you look at it, if Dacia’s ‘You do the maths’ ethos is anything to go by, their sums simply don’t add up.

Like every other Dacia model, the current version of Logan MCV has been a global smash hit. So, while Renault’s Romanian offshoot won’t be importing the Logan saloon into the UK, it’s expecting its spacious new arrival to find plenty of new homes. The new five-seat model is effectively an estate version of the Sandero supermini, sharing exactly the same underpinnings, engines and transmissions, but with a different look beyond the driver’s door.

Whether it’s going to be used as the family workhorse, taking dogs to the park, carting mountain bikes around for dirty (riding) weekends, or loading up with the latest season’s gardening essentials, Logan MCV is built to make life simple. That its boot is vast is immediately obvious, but backing up its impressive practicality is an equally helpful low loading lip. Just 589mm up from the ground. The boot opening’s a decent size too, with a 787mm entry gap up to the roof, combined with a 1011mm boot opening width. Forget the sink, with those kinds of figures, it’s plenty big enough to take the entire kitchen.

It would be churlish to think Dacia is expecting buyers to buy its new baby only for its unpretentious practicality. Underneath its smart looks, Logan MCV has plenty more to offer. Including bulletproof reliability and very low running costs.

LoganMCV– UK’s most affordable new estate from £6,995

In true Dacia ‘simplicity’ style, the Logan MCV line-up mirrors its sister car, Sandero, exactly. The only difference is £1,000 in price between comparable versions, to account for its estate body. Three easily distinguishable trim levels are on offer, Access, Ambiance and Lauréate, priced from only £6,995 to a still scarcely believable £10,795 for the range-topping diesel.

Trim level Engine CO2 emissions MPG
(combined) Benefit-in-kind On-the-road
price
Access 1.2 16V 75 135 48.7 18% £6,995
Ambiance 1.2 16V 75 135 48.7 18% £7,595
          0.9 TCe 90 116 56.5 14% £8,395
          1.5 dCi 90 99 74.3 13% £9.395
Lauréate 1.2 16V 75 135 48.7 18% £8,995
          0.9 TCe 90 116 56.5 14% £9,795
          1.5 dCi 90 99 74.3 13% £10,795

The starting point for this load-lugging frivolity is Access. Unlike its Sandero and Duster siblings, it even comes with the stylish addition of body coloured bumpers. Naturally, the 15” steel wheels round off its practical, rugged look.

Daciahasn’t skimped on safety kit though, with ABS with EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), ESC (Electronic Stability Control), ASR traction control, ISOFIX points in both outer rear seats and four airbags all fitted as standard. The all-new Sandero/Logan ranges have yet to be tested by Euro NCAP.

On the inside, its 573 litre boot versatility grows with a 60/40 split rear folding seats. Its characterful, no-nonsense nature is reinforced by manual windows and pre-wiring for the optional accessory fit radio and speakers which will be available to buy through official Dacia Retailers.

Only £600 more takes buyers up to Ambiance, the mid-point of the range. There, a whole array of additional style and comfort features kick in. Among them are a radio CD player with fingertip remote controls, USB/AUX input/ Bluetooth™, remote central locking, electric front windows, 15” ‘Colorado’ wheel trims and black roof bars. Befitting its name, trading up to this version also brings with it some plush interior touches such as chrome surrounds for the air vents, instrument dials and steering wheel logo.

Like other Dacias, the range-topping Lauréate is likely to account for the bulk of sales. With an extensive equipment list and prices from £8,995, it’s easy to see why.

Typifying Dacia’s approach of offering big car features for small car prices, the Logan MCV range-topper comes packed with air conditioning, heated and electrically adjustable door mirrors, cruise control and electric rear windows as standard.

Things get even better with a height adjustable driver’s seat and steering wheel, leather steering wheel and gearknob and an upgraded radio CD player with MP3 CD reader, fingertip remote controls and four speakers. The interior also becomes more upmarket with a graphite look finish for the centre console surround, front door handles and steering wheel lower insert.

Its modern looks are also made even sharper with 15” ‘Kalahari’ wheel trims, chrome front grille, front fog lights, body-coloured door handles and door mirrors and satin chrome roof bars.

Engines…

Not only will Logan MCV be affordable to buy, it’ll also be economical to run.

Powering it are a choice of three frugal engines. The first, the 1.2 16V 75, one of the Renault Group’s most tried and tested engines, is on offer with every trim level. The even more frugal, yet powerful, TCe 90 and dCi 90, can be had with both Ambiance and Lauréate.

Even the heaviest Logan MCV only weighs in at 1090kg, so in spite of its heady load-carrying ability, it hasn’t got a hulking great body to haul around. Proving it, the smallest powerplant, the four-cylinder 1.2 petrol delivers 48.7 mpg on the combined cycle with CO2emissions of 135g/km, enough for road tax band E. That means road tax of just over £10 per month.

The second engine for Dacia’s new supermini is the TCe 90. It’s relatively new to the brand, following its launch on Sandero, after debuting in the Renault Clio with the added bonus of Stop&Start technology. In Logan MCV, the 0.9-litre three-cylinder turbocharged unit is capable of 109 mph, with fuel economy of 56.5 mpg and CO2emissions of just 116 g/km. That adds up to just £30 in road tax every year, with absolutely zero to pay in the first. It also comes with Hill Start Assist on UK models.

Rounding off the series of modern engines is the new dCi 90. Belying it’s 1.5-litre diesel size, it delivers 74.3 mpg and sub-100 grams of CO2 per kilometre emissions. In other words, you don’t owe the taxman a penny when it comes to road fund licence, plus, London drivers will currently be able to sidestep the Congestion Charge.

The two top engines also boast an ECO mode to limit engine torque, both to help you eek the most out of your tank – by 10% - and save you valuable pennies at the pumps. Combined with a gearshift indicator, they’ll also no doubt help you do your bit for the environment too.

…the options

Dacia’s motto is to eliminate the unnecessary, giving its customers the option to pay for what they value and not be forced into buying things they don’t want or need.

This philosophy lends itself well to options and accessories, where buyers can treat themselves to the latest equipment, either because it’s their first new car, or simply because they’re moving across from another brand, or even a larger car, but still hanker after the finer things in life.

Among the luxuries on offer are a seven-inch touchscreen multimedia system and even leather upholstery. Yes, we are still in so-called value territory here, but only just.

The former, MediaNav, is available as an option on the flagship Lauréate for just £250 including VAT. Packing an AM/FM/LW radio, satellite navigation, USB and AUX connectivity, Bluetooth and even steering column-mounted fingertip controls, it’s arguably the most comprehensive and best value car manufacturer system of its kind on the market.

The latter, leather, is more affordable than ever, at just £600, again, on Lauréate.

Three other popular options are likely to be metallic paint at £495, 15-inch ‘Sahara’ alloy wheels for £425, both available for Ambiance and Lauréate. Rear parking sensors cost £250 on the range-topper too.

When it comes to enhancing the smart looks of Logan MCV, several paint colours are available. Access comes exclusively in white, with the other two trim levels able to be specified in one of five metallic shades: Cinder Red, Mercury, Pearl Black, Sargasso Blue and Stone.

As well as a series of options fitted at the Pitesti factory, the UK’s most affordable new estate also proffers two equally cost-sensitive accessory packs. Both of which are likely to appeal particularly to estate buyers. The first, Protection Pack, costs £225, and features a boot liner, rear parking sensors and rear carpet mats. When it comes to keeping the interior, not to mention the boot, looking as pristine as possible, free from caked in mud and assorted detritus courtesy of the kids or the family mutt, it’ll likely prove invaluable.

The second, Touring Pack, is ideal for getting away from it all. And hopefully, after making a substantial saving upfront, they’ll be plenty left in the pot for frequent breaks. The three items in the aptly named ensemble are front centre armrest, boot luggage net and transversal roof bars, for £280.

As with the other three Dacia models in the UK, Logan MCV comes with a competitive warranty of 3 years/60,000 miles. Plus, 3 years/60,000 miles free roadside assistance to boot. Those seeking even more peace of mind can opt for 5 year/60,000 miles and 7 year/100,000 miles upgrades, costing just £395 and £850. Dacia even offers the possibility of 5 for 5 for 5 – its five-year warranty, for £5 per month, over five years, on hire purchase.