THE Renault-owned Romanian budget brand Dacia has hit the ground running in the UK.

The market was crying out for some cheap motoring and Dacia delivered in bucketloads.

We have seenlow-priced Eastern European cars before with brands such as Lada and Polski Fiat, but most had poor build quality and soon came to the end of their shelf life.

But not so with Dacia, which has undergone a transformation under Renault.

It is now sold in the UK as Renault's budget brand and among the line-up is a low-priced estate that ticks a lot of boxes as far as carrying people and loads are concerned.

It is the Logan MCV. MCV stands for Maximum Capacity Vehicle and it outstrips its rivals with up to 1,518 litres of user-friendly space available when you flip-fold the rear seats. Even with the back seats in place, there's a kitchen sink-swallowing 573 litres on offer.

The range kicks in at £6,995 but the better equipped Laureate dCi 90 1.5 diesel model costs £10,795.Still a very low price for a high-capacity estate.

Equipment specs follow the pattern set by the Dacia Sandero hatchback with a three-grade line-up of Access, Ambiance and Laureate. They focus what Dacia knows customers consider important rather than racking up the cost with inessential kit.

There's no compromise on safety, so all versions come with ABS and electronic stability control and four airbags.

Tipped to be best seller, the Laureate comes with the healthy specification of the mid-range Ambiance, but includes 15-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, electric windows front and rear and a multi-function trip computer.

So how do they do it for the price? The secret it keeping options simple and relevant plus a limited choice of colours and equipment.

Following Sandero's lead, Logan is made all the more attractive thanks to the fact it has collared some of the best engines and technology the Renault group has to offer.

The 1.5 diesel is Renault's global top-selling engine in 90bhp form, to offer impressive day-to-day running costs with excellent fuel consumption and low emissions. The 99g/km CO2 emissions from the dCi 90 mean there's no annual road tax to pay.

Owners will also appreciate the simple servicing schedule and the benefit of long-life parts, including a timing chain that will last as long as the engine.

For those with long memories, Dacia sold cars in the UK some years ago. The car in question was a licence-built Renault, showing the long connection the company had with the Romanian national car builder.

But it certainly did not take off like the modern Dacia which has the full Renault machine behind it.

One the road the diesel is a surprisingly good performer with 74.3mpg in its sights with it sub-100 g/km emissions figure making for some very economical motoring. It is mated to a five-speed manual transmission.

Full marks go the standard power steering which features added weight at higher speeds.In spite of Logan's estate car body style, it has a tight 10.82m turning circle.