WHAT CAR AWARDS - The Dacia Sandero takes the best small car for the fifth year running.

• New Dacia Sandero wins ‘Best Small Car under £12,000’
• Fifth consecutive win for Dacia supermini at What Car? Awards
• New Sandero now on sale with specification and design upgrades and a new SCe 75 1.0-litre engine
• New Sandero available from £5,995 on-the-road
• More than 90,000 Dacias sold in the UK since launching in 2013

The Dacia Sandero has been awarded ‘Best Small Car for less than £12,000’ for the fifth consecutive year by What Car? at an awards ceremony in London this evening.

The Sandero first picked up the award in 2013, following Dacia’s entrance into the UK car market, and again in 2014, 2015 and 2016. 

Having undergone a series of recent updates for the 2017 Model Year, the supermini has taken the honours once more, underlining its ability to provide a class leading mix of practicality, comfort and low running costs. 

Its shockingly affordable £5,995 price tag is just half the amount of the category it competes in.

Commenting on the decision to give the award to the Sandero for the fifth time, Steve Huntingford, Editor, What Car?, said: “You won’t find this much space for so little in any other new car. 

A recent facelift brought an updated, higher quality interior. The Sandero also feels better to drive: the handling is tidy enough and the ride is surprisingly comfy for such a cheap car. You can buy a Sandero for less than £6,000, but we recommend spending a little more to get mid-range Ambiance trim. 

This adds niceties such as air-conditioning, central locking, electric front windows, a DAB radio and Bluetooth. It also replaces the standard black plastic bumpers with body-coloured ones that look a lot smarter. At this price point, only the Ford Ka+ comes close, and although that’s better to drive, the Sandero is more practical and a fair bit cheaper.”

Commenting on the result, Louise O’Sullivan, Head of Dacia UK said: “We’re delighted that the Sandero has been recognised by the judges at What Car? for a fifth consecutive year. The New Sandero offers customers even more value for money with upgrades to the interior and exterior as well as enhanced level of equipment while remaining the most affordable new car in the UK.”

The Dacia Sandero is a five-door hatchback, available in three trim levels with a choice of two petrol engines and one diesel engine. Pricing starts from £5,995, making it the lowest priced new car on sale in the UK today. The new interior and exterior upgrades for 2017 provide a more elegant and contemporary finish whilst providing the customer additional value and practicality.

The specific Ambiance version chosen by What Car? now comes with more features as standard such as air conditioning and DAB radio – it is the most affordable car on sale in the UK with air conditioning as standard. This is in addition to Bluetooth connectivity, electric windows and remote central locking. The new SCe 75 1.0-litre engine produces the same power as the outgoing 1.2-litre but delivers up to 10 per cent more efficiency.

The Dacia brand continues to go from strength to strength with 26,499 new Dacia vehicles sold during 2016, it’s best-ever year of sales in the UK.