Dacia has reportedly given internal approval to a new subcompact SUV that could sit between the Sandero Stepway and Duster. The vehicle may use the Sandrider name, extending the identity currently used by Dacia’s Dakar and World Rally-Raid Championship prototype to a road-going model, although the name has not been confirmed by the company.
According to Profit.ro, the crossover would measure less than 4.20 meters long and arrive with three powertrain choices: a fully electric version, a hybrid and a 1.2-liter mild-hybrid model.
- Fully electric powertrain
- Hybrid powertrain
- 1.2-liter mild-hybrid powertrain
The electric version is said to be targeting a price of around €20,000, while the mild-hybrid model could cost several thousand euros less. Those figures remain unconfirmed, but would place the project in the increasingly competitive compact electric-SUV segment alongside models such as the Jeep Avenger, Volkswagen ID.Cross and Skoda Epiq.
The report says the model was initially considered as a replacement for the Sandero Stepway. Dacia is now expected to retain the Stepway and position the new SUV above it instead, creating a closer two-model approach similar to Volkswagen’s T-Cross and T-Roc strategy.
Sandrider is currently the name of Dacia’s rally-raid prototype for Dakar and the W2RC, itself inspired by the Manifesto concept. Dacia has not announced a production Sandrider, and the motorsport-derived name remains speculative for the reported road vehicle.
A possible unveiling is reportedly planned for late 2027, with sales following in 2028 around the same time as the next-generation Sandero. That future Sandero is expected to use a platform compatible with electric propulsion, potentially providing a technical link between the two projects.
Manufacturing has not been decided publicly. The report identifies plants in Morocco as one possibility, citing production costs and a shared platform with the Sandero, while Dacia has yet to confirm the vehicle, its final name, price or production location.
