On the motorway you need to work it hard, especially if it's loaded. Respectable mid-range pull and comfortable suspension set-up combine to make it a very relaxing car to drive gently. But it is a cruiser – relax and take it easy, the engine noise recedes into a background hum and it covers distances very nicely indeed.

In 99bhp 100 TCe Bi-Fuel (LPG) form, it never sounds or feels too harsh, no matter how hard you drive it. The Stepway drives every bit as well as you'd hope. The days of putting up with sub-standard build and tech in an entry-level car have long gone. The easy-to-use controls and roomy interior, and (in our mid-spec model) a very usable infotainment set-up, are also real positive points. It impresses with its modern styling, chunky stance, tight panel gaps and excellent paint quality. The Stepway makes a great first impression. But the Stepway undercuts all of the above in cash terms – it really is uniquely priced and specified for your money. If crossovers are your thing and you're on a budget, perhaps the bargain-priced MG ZS or SsangYong Tivoli are other cars on your list. Go on price alone and you're looking at entry-level small cars, such as the Citroën C3, Skoda Fabia or the underrated Suzuki Ignis, or, for a little more SUV attitude, try a used example of the much more expensive Ford Fiesta Active or the now-discontinued Hyundai i20 Active. If you're here, you'll have already concluded that it doesn't have many rivals for the money. But it's still cheap if you look at it as an alternative to any other crossover. This compares with £7995 for the much more stripped-out Sandero Access and £9170 for the equivalent Sandero Essential TCe 90. Entry-level is the Essential model, which comes in at £10,995.

There's no escaping the fact the Stepway is expensive compared with a Sandero. It's a recipe that works these days – the Stepway outsells the Sandero 6:4.

Dacia sandero stepway