Dacia Sandero: Interior of the Romanian best-seller

We reveal all the secrets of the Dacia Sandero's interior. The essential and the concrete are its main assets.

By: Alberto Carmone

Oct 4, 2024 at 3:51am ET

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For years, the Dacia Sandero has been one of the absolute leaders in terms of sales across Europe. Appreciated for its practicality and affordable entry-level price, the Romanian compact has made minimalism (as well as a comprehensive range of equipment in the richer versions) one of its strong points. This latter aspect is particularly apparent on board the Dacia, where the company's recipe for success is clearly evident in the general layout.

Dacia Sandero, the dashboard

The interior of the Sandero offers practically everything you need for everyday use, without too many frills. The dashboard isn't overly elaborate in style, but it's not as spartan as the previous generation's either. In fact, by playing with the colours and textures of the various materials, the impact on the cabin is more than positive.

The air conditioning vents are as angular as the exterior, while the infotainment system comes in a variety of formats. There's the basic one, where you can put your smartphone and use it with the Dacia Media Control application. Then there's the 8-inch screen with essential, intuitive graphics and, separately, the smartphone holder for better orientation during navigation.

The instrument cluster is fully analogue, while the steering wheel has a modern look thanks to the Dacia lettering. The physical controls for the automatic climate control are easy to use, and practical storage compartments are scattered around the front. There's a small glovebox in front of the gearbox, while under the armrest there's a fairly large well. In total, the capacity of the various pockets is 21 litres.

Dacia Sandero, finish and materials

Obviously, the finish and materials are designed to keep production costs to a minimum. Nevertheless, the Sandero has soft upholstery in the centre of the dashboard, while the majority of the cabin is dominated by hard plastics, even where you put your elbows.

The centre console of the Dacia Sandero

Overall, however, the various gloss grey inserts raise the perceived level of quality, while the top-of-the-range 'Extreme' versions also have orange trim that adds character to the interior.

Dacia Sandero, interior space

The Dacia's boot is one of the largest in its class, with a capacity of between 406 and 1,186 litres. However, in the LPG version, it is not possible to place the spare wheel under the floor, as the space is taken up by the fuel tank, as is often the case on LPG-powered vehicles.

Despite this, the compartment offers plenty of capacity, although the load sill is high and unprotected, which can lead to scratches.

The seats of the Dacia Sandero

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There are four tie-down hooks, two on each side, and a halogen lamp, but there is no charging socket. The rear seat can be folded in a 60:40 configuration, although a hinge remains in the middle position and a fairly noticeable bump is formed.

Access to the rear seats is easy, thanks to doors that open to almost 90°. Inside, there's ample knee room, even for people over 190 cm, and plenty of headroom. The centre seat is also very comfortable, thanks to the shallow centre tunnel. The centre console is equipped with a 12V charging point, and the roof is fitted with practical handles.