Dacia's new SUV

Dacia has announced that it will produce a new, four-wheel drive model.Francois Fourmont, president of Dacia, describes the vehicle as “a kind of SUV”, but sources maintain that there are two possible routes Dacia could take.The first option is a small, high-riding crossover based on the budget Sandero hatch that will go on sale in the UK in 2009. Renault was recently seen testing a tall, 4x4 Sandero at the Romanian factory.It's also possible that the Dacia SUV could be based on the Steppe concept seen at the 2006 Geneva show. Offered with front-wheel drive as standard, all-wheel-drive will be available as an option, making it the first Dacia 4x4. The car will be available with a 1.5 dCi engine, tuned to produce more than 85bhp.Dacia faces plenty of other challenges before the SUV becomes reality. The Geneva show this March will see the launch of the Sandero hatchback, which is intended to attract younger buyers and mark the beginning of a new image for the Romanian brand. It may also be the first car to wear a new company logo. The new hatch goes on sale in Romania later this year starting at just under £5000, with range-topping models fetching as much as £7500.You'll have to wait until 2009 before Dacia makes it to the UK, but you can find out how the new hatch is received at Geneva by watching Autocar.co.uk on March 4th.

Laurentiu Mandu