Official: Renault/Dacia Sandero SUV Revealed

Renault do Brasil, which is the Brazilian outfit of French car manufacturer Renault, is updating its Sandero lineup in October with the Sandero Stepway, ten months after launching the Sandero brand there. Sandero (branded as a Dacia in Eastern Europe) has been quite successful in Brazil, with 18,500 units sold in the first half of this year alone. The Stepway has a 1.6-litre 112 bhp 16 valve engine, the Hi-Flex one with bio-ethanol abilities. At 112 ponies it is Renault’s most powerful bio-ethanol powerplant in Brazil.

Sandero will be popular because of its interesting styling, as well as higher ride height that makes drivers feel on top of the traffic situation. This should increase its popularity with the females then. With Stepway you also get chrome-finished pipe, exclusive bumpers and grille and roof bars with an integrated spoiler.

Renault is aiming to move up from its current fifth position in the Brazilian market. Sandero Stepway is its fifth model out of six to foster this position in the next year. With established markets slowing down significantly, auto manufacturers are increasingly looking at developing countries like Brazil for expansion, which explains why this car is next on its way to Argentina after Brazil.