A RELATIVE newcomer to the UK motoring scene, Renault's budget Dacia brand is winning over customers with its blend of no-nonsense styling, decent equipment and rock-bottom prices.

The hype surrounding the Romanian built cars has been intense. Billed as the selling the cheapest car in Britain, it has done exactly that with the Sandero supermini starting at just £5,995.

Dacia also holds the crown for for the cheapest SUV with the Duster which costs from a whisker under £9,000.

A recent addition to the range is the Sandero Stepway, a beefed up crossover version of the Sandero supermini. With prices from just £7,995 it has been wooing buyers with its faux 4x4 looks and excellent kit.

Combining the value for money and low running costs of the Sandero with the ruggedness of an off-roader, the test car in flagship Laureate trim costs £10,995.

Options including leather trim, metallic paint, a satnav mapping upgrade, extended five year warranty and a Touring Pack (transverse roof bars, centre armrest and boot luggage net) pushed the price up to £11,675. Still amazing value.

Despite its chunky looks, however, the Stepway is only a two-wheel-drive car. Powered by an 89bhp 1.5-litre diesel engine, the test car took 11.8 seconds to get from zero to 62mph. Top speed is 104mph.

The oil-burner is the same that is found in parent company Renault's Clio although it doesn't have quite the same refinement as its French cousin. The gearstick also looks the same but again, there isn't the same slickness as in the Renault with notably more notchy gearchanges.

Overall, however, the Stepway's performance perfectly fits its no-frills persona - doing the job it was designed to do in getting  from A to B without fuss.

Despite its macho looks the Stepway is at home in the city and feels a little out of its depth in the country. There's plenty of body roll and the car can feel twitchy through bends if it's driven too enthusiastically. 

It is best suited in town with supermarket and school runs its bread and butter rather than long, fast cross-country journeys where wind and road noise levels, comfort and performance are much less acceptable. It may not have the ride and handling of rival, much more expensive cars, but that does not make it a bad car. Far from it. Its boxy shape makes it easy for owners to park in tight spaces. The top spec Laureate even has rear parking sensors.

Compared to rivals, the interior is pretty spartan but who cares when you have this sort of value on offer. Kit levels on the Laureate include s cruise control, tinted windows, 16-inch wheels as well as a seven inch multimedia touchscreen system including including satnav.

Factor in the Stepway's bargain basement price tag and its efficiency figures - an official 70.6mpg and CO2 emissions of 105g/km - and it's an attractive proposition.

I couldn't match Dacia's claimed fuel figure and didn't really come close with an average of 50.1mpg but most of that motoring was done on stop/start urban roads rather than out on the open road where averages will climb.

Comfort levels are pretty good over short runs and there's bags of space inside. The seats have enough support to make most journeys comfortable although better side supports could improve things a lot.

Four adults will easily fit into the Stepway but five would be a squeeze. With all the seats in place the boot has 320 litres of space but this expands to 1,200 litres with the rear seats folded. There are plenty of cubbyholes scattered around the cabin while the door pockets and glovebox are a good size.