► Dacia refreshes the Sandero for 2026
► New look, extra tech and new hybrid option
► Arrives in the UK in 2026
Dacia’s core car, the Sandero, has been given a refresh and a tech update that will arrive in 2026. The refresh applies to the regular Sandero hatch as well as its ever-so-slightly-crossovery Stepway model – and the Jogger MPV.
Its face is a little techier, with new DRLs and a grille pattern that looks like pixels. That pixel look continues with the rear lights and the new look includes a black strap with the Dacia lettering across it – much like the Spring EV. The Stepway model (and the Jogger) benefit from new cladding in the brand’s ‘Starkle’ recycled plastic cladding that launched with the latest Duster, and new colours launch.
The interior design hasn’t changed too much but the tech has been given an upgrade. The main infotainment display is now the same one used on the Spring, Duster and Bigster – a 10-inch infotainment screen that has a pretty simple UI – and digital instruments arrive, too. Tech like auto headlights, a reversing camera and powered door mirrors are included, as is new tech designed to adhere to safety regulations.
A three-cylinder turbo with a six-speed remains the base engine, now bumped up to 99bhp. Stepway models get 10 extra horsepower.
But the bigger engine news is the arrival of the Hybrid 155 model – a first for Sandero. The powertrain, which is also on the Duster and Bigster, is designed for big efficiency numbers and much quicker acceleration – we’ll have to hang on a bit for official figures.
The refreshed Sandero will arrive at some point in 2026, with the brand confirming that the new Hybrid 155 model will launch toward the end of that year. And, new CEO Katrin Adt (who replaced long-standing Denis Le Vot) confirmed to car that it is still the plan to launch a battery-electric Sandero in 2027 – as the brand maintains it current plans under new stewardship.
Jake has been an automotive journalist since 2015, joining CAR as Staff Writer in 2017. With a decade of car news and reviews writing under his belt, he became CAR's Deputy News Editor in 2020 and then News Editor in 2025. Jake's day-to-day role includes co-ordinating CAR's news content across its print, digital and social media channels. When he's not out interviewing an executive, driving a new car for review or on a photoshoot for a CAR feature, he's usually found geeking out on the latest video game, buying yet another pair of wildly-coloured trainers or figuring out where he can put another car-shaped Lego set in his already-full house.
By Jake Groves
CAR's news editor; gamer, trainer freak and serial Lego-ist
