When Dacia first launched the Logan back in 2004, and the Sandero subsequently in 2007, the last thought on anyone’s mind was refinement. These were highly practical, budget-friendly family cars, with a focus on cheap maintenance and good fuel economy.
At first, entry-level specs didn’t even
come with air conditioning, ABS or power steering – and this went on for
multiple years. Things are much different now with these new 3rd-gen cars,
thankfully. The all-new Sandero, Sandero Stepway and Logan all ride on a new
modular CMF platform that enabled the carmaker to make three major
improvements.
The first one is acoustic in nature. All
three models feature a lighter and stiffer cradle, front block and body
structure, resulting in reduced vibrations across the board. The second
involves the widening of the tracks by 41 mm on the Sandero and 29
mm on the Sandero Stepway, which improves handling and overall
road manners. The third concerns active and passive safety, with the
integration of the latest generation driver-assistance systems (ADAS).
Also new are the shock and spring settings
which enable these models to “turn flat without rolling.” Translation: they
should wobble around less, which is a very good thing. The steering meanwhile
is 100% electric, resulting in 36% less effort when compared to previous-gen
models. Back to acoustics, it’s important to note that vibrations into the
cabin have been reduced by an average of 3 to 4 dB. Airborne noise has also
been reduced thanks to the ‘framed’ doors (eliminating cavities between the
doors and the body) and the redesigned mirrors with a seal at their base. We
won’t know just how major these improvements will feel until the first reviews
start coming in, or until we grab a Logan/Sandero test car of our own. So far
though, they sound fairly promising.
