YOU'VE probably never seen a Dacia Sandero supermini, but that's about to change.

The Romanian-built motor is on its way to the UK and it is being billed as the UK's cheapest new car.

The five-seater, in its basic specification Asset trim, will set you back just £5,995, and what you get is pretty basic - it doesn't even have a radio.

But what it does have is much more room than anything else on the market at a much higher price.

It seats five adults in comfort and has a decent boot space and split-folding rears seats which allow bulkier items to be moved.

The Dacia budget brand, owned by Renault, has proved very popular on the continent, even capturing big sales in Germany, France and Holland.

To look at the Sandero isn't a wow, but neither is it cheap looking and there are some nice style features which compare well with other superminis on the market.

Its front grille is wide and sporty and its flared wheel arches give it a robust look and the sweeping windscreen adds to its sleek look.

The interior is, to be honest, a bit drab, with hard plastic dash and the seats are a bit thin which wouldn't add pleasure to a long journey.

There are a few useful storage spaces inside and there's plenty of leg room in the back.

The steering wheel is adjustable for rake only but the driver's seat can be adjusted for height which means you can get a decent driving position.

Driving and safety equipment have not been ignored to keep the price down, the Sandero has anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, emergency brake assist and emergency brakeforce distribution as standard.

Engines for the Sandero are a 1.2-litre 16-valve 75bhp and the Renault TCe 90 turbocharged 898cc 3-cylinder unit which is also fitted to some Renault Clios. There's also a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel in the line-up.

On test drives I found the TCe 90 to be the best performer offering fair acceleration and it was reasonably quiet and refined. Top speed for this model is claimed at 109 mph with the 0-62 mph time at 11.1 seconds.

Dacia claims it will return 54.3 mpg on a combined run and it produces 116 g/km CO2.

The Dacia has a power-assisted hydraulic steering system which probably isn't the best. It gives a vague feel when cornering and I found I had to adjust my angle of approach on tight bends. There's also a bit of oversteer and body roll on faster corners, but most owners won't be driving on a demanding test route.

I also found the long-throw gear change a bit notchy.

The ride is pretty good with most bumps ironed out with a decent suspension set-up.

Access is the entry level model, but Dacia says most people will upgrade to either the Ambiance or Laureate models which come with much more kit, which can include cruise control, sat-nav, trip computer, CD and MP3, leather seating, etc.

This could be a problem for Dacia. The Ambiance will start at £6,595 and the Laureate can rise to as much as £9,795 with a full load of equipment.

These prices are beginning to approach those of more established brands' superminis and you could also get a pretty recent second-hand model with an established reputation.

It will be interesting to see how the Dacia Sandero does in the UK where people buying a new car expect to get some kind of discount.

Renault says it won't offer anything off the price and if UK buyers don't accept that decision the Sandero will be withdrawn.

Overall the Sandero is what it is, a bargain basement priced motor which drives pretty well, has plenty of room and offers cheap to buy and run motoring.