Dacia Sandero and Jogger restyling, full hybrid and LPG engine with automatic transmission arrives

Dacia Sandero, Sandero Stepway and Jogger are preparing for an update on the design and content front. Having achieved major milestones, starting with the Sandero becoming the best-selling car in Europe in 2024 and the first Dacia to surpass 300,000 units sold in one year, they are updating by offering equipment and engines unthinkable until a few years ago in combination with the Romanian brand owned by the Renault Group.

The Sandero, Sandero Stepway and Jogger are the brand's first models to adopt a new light signature consisting of an inverted LED T positioned above the new headlights, all integrated into a revised bumper. Bumpers also change at the rear, with updated LED pixel headlights. Sandero Stepway and Jogger introduce Starkle guards that extend over the wheel arches, underbody and fog lamp covers. This material invented by Dacia engineers and first introduced on the third generation Duster contains 20 per cent recycled plastic. A composition that includes white particles that create a speckled effect. The adoption of this raw, unpainted material reduces the carbon footprint during production and exposure to scratches in everyday use. The new amber metallic body colour makes its debut on Sandero Streetway and Sandero Stepway, while the Sandstone colour is now available on Sandero Streetway and Jogger.

On-board are inverted T-shaped air vents and the dashboard and front doors feature new upholstery in blue fabric on the Expression trim and blue denim on the Journey version. Seats in the Essential and Expression trim are upholstered in black fabric on the Jogger and Sandero, and blue fabric on the Sandero Stepway. The Journey version introduces blue denim interiors, while the Extreme version reconfirms the washable Tep microcloud upholstery in a mix of green and black, just like the rubber mats provided for the front and rear seats and the boot. The steering wheel has also been revised, with improved ergonomics, and on the automatic versions Hybrid 155 and Eco-G 120 comes the new E-Shifter gearstick control as well as paddles behind the steering wheel to change gears (available only on Eco-G 120 with automatic transmission). On the connectivity front, Streetway, Sandero Stepway and Jogger can be equipped with a new multimedia system with 10-inch central display and connected navigation as well as a smartphone induction charger available as standard on Jogger Extreme and Journey and offered as an option on other models in Extreme and Journey trim. The 7-inch digital instrument cluster interface has a new design. Available as standard on the Essential trim, Media Control is a multimedia system with steering wheel-mounted controls, capable of displaying information and phone calls on the dashboard display. It also includes four speakers, Bluetooth connection, Usb-C port and an integrated smartphone holder in the dashboard. With the new interface of the free Dacia Media Control app, which is even more intuitive, the driver can manage multimedia and radio functions as well as access other features from their smartphone display. Available as standard on Expression, Extreme and Journey trims (optional on Essential), the Media Display system offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wireless connectivity, in combination with the all-new 10-inch HD touchscreen central display (up from 8-inch previously). Available as standard on the Jogger Journey and as an option on other models in Expression and Extreme trim, the Media Nav Live system adds connected navigation offering real-time traffic information and maps updated for 8 years. Media Nav Live also offers an Arkamys 3D Sound System with 6 speakers. Automatic headlamps, multiview camera and electrically folding rear-view mirrors are also included in the Driving Pack that comes as standard on the Jogger Journey and as an option on other models in the Journey and Extreme trims. On the adas front, comes the My Safety button for quick access to customised driver assistance device configuration.

But when is the Dacia Sandero hybrid coming out? Inaugurated on the Bigster, the new Hybrid 155 powertrain is now also available on the Jogger, replacing the previous Hybrid 140, and at the end of 2026 it will also be available on the Sandero Stepway, which will thus be equipped for the first time with an electrified powertrain. The Hybrid 155 consists of a four-cylinder, 1.8-cylinder petrol engine with 109 hp, two electric motors (a 50 hp motor and a high-voltage starter/generator), a 1.4 kWh (230 V) battery and an electrified automatic transmission. The latter has four gears dedicated to the heat engine and a further two to the electric motor. This combined technology is made possible by the absence of a clutch.

The restyling introduces on the Sandero Streetway, Sandero Stepway and Jogger LPG the new, more powerful 3-cylinder, 1.2-litre bi-fuel turbo engine (120 hp compared to the previous 100 hp), which for the first time allows all the advantages of LPG to be combined with those of automatic transmission. A smooth and responsive 6-speed dual-clutch transmission is therefore available on all models (also offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox). Thanks to the larger LPG tank, the gas autonomy increases by 20 per cent and the overall range reaches 1,590 km on Sandero Streetway and 1,480 km on Stepway and Jogger. The same engine will also be available on Duster. Updates also for the 3-cylinder, 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine of the Sandero Streetway, which reaches 100 hp compared to the previous 90 hp. The 110 hp manual Tce engines on Sandero Stepway and 65 petrol on Sandero Streetway are confirmed.