THE first pictures I saw of the Dacia Stepway had a gadget at the back which makes it very easy to carry bicycles. I’m sure it would be an attractive extra for people who would like to bring their bikes on holiday, but it reminded me of a different era in Irish life.
Readers over 50 might remember going into their local town or village in their parent’s car and meeting up with a neighbour who had earlier cycled into town.
It may have been raining and your father would offer the neighbour a lift home, but getting the bike into the boot was a real problem. That was in days before wheels were easily detached from the frame and one wheel ended up dangling outside the boot and possibly scratching the paintwork, while you needed a rope or twine to tie down the boot.
But of course there is much more to the Stepway than the bike carrier which will cost you an extra e537. Basically the Stepway could be described as an SUV version of Dacia Sandero supermini, which I wrote about on these pages a few months ago. Its raised ride height gives you a commanding view of the road; black wheel arch extensions, side sills, front and rear scuff plates and roof rails all help to make it a robust looking SUV.
Externally it looks very neat and the Azure Blue version I drove certainly got a few curious glances. Inside there is ample room for five adults. The controls on the dash are simply laid out, but it may take you a few minutes to realise that the largest button on the dash is not for the volume, but for changing stations.
The Stepway is available in two versions; the basic Alternative and the more stylish Signature, which comes with cruise control, air conditioning and rear parking sensors as standard. The car is also available in Glacier White, Platinum, Fire Red and Pearl Black.
There is a decent-sized boot, 320 litres to be exact, but even though there was space left for a spare wheel, you just get is a repair kit. Regular readers will know that I am a member of the spare wheel
‘fan club’ and I suppose the only other thing I didn’t like was that the switches to open the front windows are located low down on the dash and not on the doors like most other cars.
Only available in a 1.5 diesel, with prices starting at
?¬12,290 for the Alternative version. The top of the range Signature version I drove will cost you
?¬15,690. Dacia describe their cars as
‘shockingly affordable’ and it’s hard to disagree with that marketing line. Lynne Boucher, marketing manager for Dacia Ireland said:
‘
‘It’s all about smart buys nowadays and Dacia is the ideal smart buy for these tough economic times.”
C02 emissions are very low in the diesel engines and road tax is only
?¬190. Dacia has finance available for potential buyers and you can get a Stepway for around
?¬129 per month. Naturally terms and conditions apply. Log on to www.dacia.ie for more information.