The electric Dacia Sandero will have a range of 400 km and a very competitive price to rival Chinese models.
The Dacia Sandero, Europe’s best-selling sedan, will receive its fourth generation in 2028. While it will still offer hybrid versions, it will also feature a 100% electric variant for the first time. The Romanian brand is aware that electrification is advancing rapidly in Europe and will adapt quickly to stay ahead.
According to the British publication Autocar, internal company sources say Dacia can no longer dominate the market alone: Citroën and FIAT, Stellantis’ entry-level brands, are offering increasingly competitive prices, which, combined with the influx of Chinese manufacturers, is putting pressure on Renault’s cash cow brand.
The Sandero will continue to be based on the RGMP Small platform (formerly known as CMF-B), the same one used in the Renault Clio. There will also be no significant changes to its dimensions (4.10 meters in length), and it will retain elements such as the A pillars, roof, door structure, windows, etc. In other words, to cut costs, only the parts that customers can see (the exterior trim) will be changed, though structurally it will derive from the current model. Its trunk capacity is likely to be around 400 liters.
The electric model is expected to use the 110 CV engine from the updated Renault 5 Five, along with a 44 kWh LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) battery. This battery pack is set to arrive next year for the R5, replacing the current 40 kWh NCM (nickel, cobalt, manganese) intermediate battery. All indications suggest its range will exceed slightly over 400 km WLTP.
The electric Dacia Sandero will still have a Stepway version
It will be more expensive than the new Spring but cheaper than the R5; therefore, it should cost around 20,000 euros before subsidies, entering direct competition with the Citroën ë-C3, FIAT Grande Panda, Geely E2, and Leapmotor B03. To keep production costs in check, it will continue to be manufactured in Morocco; however, it is unclear how the new “made in Europe” regulations will affect it.
Originally, Dacia planned to replace the Stepway version with a separate B-SUV; however, in the fall of 2025, the new management decided to cancel the project due to cost reasons. As a result, the Sandero will once again have a Stepway variant, which will feature a higher ground clearance, roof rails, and plastic body protections.
Recent rumors suggest that to replace its upcoming B-SUV, Dacia will introduce its own version of the Renault Bridger in Europe, a model originally designed for emerging markets. There is no official confirmation yet. Dacia plans to launch a total of four electric vehicles by 2030, three of which have already been confirmed: Hipster, Spring, and Sandero.
Source | Autocar