This week, we take a look at Mercedes-AMG's new hyper-pram, but first Dacia's UK boss tells us how he defines good value.
Access denied
When the current Dacia Sandero was launched in 2020, it became Britain’s cheapest new car, priced from £7995.
Since then, though, the range has been trimmed from the bottom, and it currently starts at £13,595 – a chunk more than the now cheapest Kia Picanto. But Dacia UK brand director Luke Broad isn’t bothered about that title: “I’m concerned about being the best value. What does that actually mean?”
He highlighted the Sandero’s larger footprint and generous kit list as good reasons for the premium, adding: “If we just wanted to tick a box, we could bring the Access model back to the UK and it would be the cheapest car in the UK, no doubt. But people weren’t buying it, so we wanted to simplify the range and focus on what we sell.”
AMG One and under
Yes, the new Formula 1-engined Mercedes-AMG One hypercar is all well and good, but it’s hardly one for the family, is it?
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I don't see why this is an issue really. If no one was buying it, why even bother making one in RHD? It makes sense from a business decision point of view, if not a marketing. It is still thousands cheaper than equivalent from Skoda, Ford or VW for example.
Unfortunately Dacia seem to be following in Skoda's steps.
As a recent example, they were making a huge fuss about the Jogger costing from £14,995 - yet after a couple of weeks from launch that rocketed to £16,645!
That's still cheaper than other extortionately priced new cars but with a cost of living crisis going on, people with average incomes and below have no chance of affording anything other than an old banger with lots to go expensively wrong on it.
Cheapest Sandero didn't even have a radio. I'd bet a lot of sales were PCP based on the monthlies "for just £15 more a month you can upgrade to the next spec with a stereo, alloys, parking sensors..."