The Dacia Sandero will gain a hybrid powertrain as part of a mid-life update for the supermini and its seven-seat Jogger sibling, which also includes a new look and added equipment across the board.
In around a year's time, Dacia will equip the range-topping Sandero Stepway with its new Hybrid 155 powertrain, which combines a 108bhp four-cylinder petrol engine with a 49bhp electric motor and a starter-generator for 154bhp and 125lb ft - chunky gains over the Sandero's current most powerful engine.
As deployed in the flagship Dacia Bigster SUV, this arrangement features a 1.4kWh battery for short-distance EV running and a clutchless automatic gearbox that has four ratios for the petrol engine and two ratios for the motor.
Dacia has yet to reveal full performance and efficiency figures for the Sandero Stepway Hybrid 155, but the same powertrain in the much larger Bigster returned 72.4mpg in urban driving and around 55mpg in higher-speed running in an Autocar road test - figures that the lower and lighter Sandero should improve upon.
The Hybrid 155 powertrain has also been introduced to the Jogger, where it replaces the previous Hybrid 140 system as of now, bringing a claimed 10% improvement in fuel consumption and emissions.
Dacia has no plans as yet to introduce the powertrain to the standard Sandero, however.
Product performance boss Patrice Lévy-Bencheton told Autocar the lower-slung supermini must remain as affordable as possible to maintain its position as Europe’s best-selling car on the retail market.
“What is very interesting is that customers for the Sandero and Sandero Stepway are quite different,” he said.
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Sandero (and the Dusters) success is visible month after month, year after year: #1 in Europe, with England the expection.