Renault Sandero soon to be made in SA

Renowned for its chic town cars such as the Clio and Twingo in Europe, Renault South Africa is making a significant push into the volume sales segment with its Renault Sandero hatchback.

Soon to be locally made and set for launch early in 2009, Renault hopes to corner youthful buyers looking for a stylish, practical car that still offers low cost of ownership.

European response is that it is a robust product with a solid-build quality that offers best in-class boot and interior space. This is not something one could associate with Renaults in the past, but indicative of where its future success in South Africa lies.

Expect to find it in showrooms in either the 55kW/1,4-litre engine or 64kW/1,6-litre engine, with the Renault Logan, both matched to a five-speed manual gearbox. Pricing has not been announced.

The Sandero is another value- for-money offering that has seen the light of day thanks to the Renault and Nissan alliance. Let’s hope the Sandero can maintain the attitude local buyers have come to expect from Renaults.—Ray Leathern