Renault Sandero Stepway Plus Review

Soon after, the Stepway iteration was launched. With roof rails, a raised ground clearance and black plastic mouldings around the outside, this was the more rugged Sandero – perfect for those who wanted the look and feel of a crossover.

Having previously spent a year at the helm of that 2011 Renault Sandero Stepway, I was eager to see what this new Stepway Plus – the replacement for the previous Stepway Dynamique – has to offer.

What do you get?

The Stepway Plus is available in two colours – Dune Beige and Cosmo Blue. Like its predecessors, it comes with a higher ground clearance over the regular Sandero and has styling features that resemble those of an SUV/Crossover. This includes black cladding on the body, chrome-look accents on the front and back bumpers, larger wheels (16-inch in this instance) and roof rails.

Inside you will find a wide range of nice-to-haves such as front power windows, a seven-inch touchscreen navigation system and a music system that includes Bluetooth connectivity, USB connectivity and CD/MP3 options.

Standard spec includes 7-inch touchscreen, rear park assist with rear view camera

Things you can’t immediately see, but are great to have include a rear park assist with a rear parking camera – this came in handy while parallel parking in the city, central locking front airbags, ABS braking system with EBA and more.

How does it go?

With a 900cc turbocharged 66 kW petrol engine (that it shares with the Nissan Micra), the Stepway Plus feels rather zippy in the lower gears. Climb higher up, however, and I felt as though the Stepway was losing some of that zip. The uphills proved slightly tricky, but shifting down a gear or two was more than enough to help it along.

There is an eco-mode function available across the range that helps the Sandero Stepway Plus achieve a claimed consumption of 5.4 litres/100km and CO2 emission levels at 124g/km.

In terms of dynamics, there’s little feel in the steering wheel so you can’t sense what the wheels are doing. But overall, the Sandero Stepway Plus prodded along comfortably enough. No one’s going to purchase this car based on how well it handles around corners or tackles a racetrack.

The driving dynamics are suited just fine to the daily commute, the odd family visit and to any obstacles that your weekly shopping trip may throw at you.

Okay, let’s wrap this up

The Renault Sandero Steway has come a long way in the last couple of years. The previous Stepway was very much an entry-level car, perhaps better suited to the lifestyle of a student or a young 20-something. This new iteration, however, has clearly grown up.

With a raft of standard features that certainly make life easier and safety spec that compares well to its closest rivals, it difficult to ignore the value that the Stepway Plus presents. It’s not going to get you anywhere in record time, but if you’re shopping in this segment, do you really care?

And, if you’re out there groaning about the fact that it’s a French car and parts will have to be imported and it’s expensive, etc etc, well  Renault’s Gauteng-based Parts & Distribution ensures that parts availability is running at 95% plus. So ja.