• Lots of room for such an inexpensive car
• Slightly raised driving position
• Standard 60/40 split rear seat

How much space is there?

If you consider the Sandero Stepway as a rival to other carmakers’ superminis, then it’s positively huge inside. It’s a fair bit larger than cars such as the big-selling Vauxhall Corsa and Renault Clio on the outside, so there’s consequently more leg and headroom both in the front and rear.

It’s also light and airy inside thanks to a large glass area, and easy to get in and out of because of its big, wide-opening doors. In short, despite being aimed at people who buy superminis and more traditional small cars, the Sandero Stepway also makes an excellent family car.

Boot space and storage

The Sandero Stepway has a generously sized boot that’s well-shaped. It comes with a 60/40 split-folding rear seat and a two-level floor that gives you reasonable flexibility. Boot capacity is quoted as 328 litres with the rear seats in place, and 1,108 with them folded flat, quite a bit more than similarly priced city cars such as the Kia Picanto. The Bi-fuel’s LPG tank sits below the boot floor, so you can’t option a spare tyre with that engine, though.

There’s adequate storage space inside for your family’s odds and ends, but the large glovebox is welcome, as is the storage tray in front of the gear selector. Dacia says that there’s 21 litres of storage space in cubby holes and pockets throughout the cabin. The door bins are far from generously sized, though.

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Is it easy to park?

The Stepway is well-sized for cities – nice and compact exterior dimensions mean it’s easy to park in tight spaces, but you certainly feel its additional width over the aforementioned small cars.

All four corners are easy to see from the driver’s seat, but mid- and top-spec models come with a reversing camera and rear parking sensors.

Safety

• Euro NCAP award the Stepway two stars
• There’s more safety kit on offer than before
• Two Isofix points in the back

The Stepway has a lot more focus on safety equipment than its predecessor, even if its maker has said that a five-star Euro NCAP rating isn’t the top of its list of priorities. There are plenty of systems as standard, even if it’s not blessed with the latest tech, but tougher new standards mean the Stepway achieves two stars despite offering good crash protection for its size.

All Stepways are fitted with Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) that keeps tabs on the distance to the car in front (between 4 and 106mph) and triggers an audible and visual warning if there’s a risk of a collision. Brake force can be applied if not enough action – or none at all – is taken by the driver to slow down.

Blindspot warning – standard on the Prestige – is new to the model. It warns the driver of a risk of collision with another vehicle located next to or behind the car during lane changing. Four sensors around the vehicle monitor the driver’s blindspot area, and activates a flashing LED in the door mirror if another vehicle is detected.

It’s also worth noting that although the Sandero Steway gets a disappointing Euro NCAP score, it does meet the new European Global Safety Regulation 2 (GSR2) legislation. This stipulates that all new cars must now feature a host of equipment that works to improve road safety for all, including pedestrians and cyclists, and the Sandero comes with all that.

Watch: Dacia Sandero Stepway Euro NCAP crash test video