THE Dacia Sandero range - Europe's best-selling car for the past two years - is gaining full hybrid power for the first time, with Sandero and Sandero Stepway hybrid 155 adding greater efficiency and electric driving around town.

Priced from £17,995 for the Sandero and £19,295 for the Sandero Stepway, the hybrid 155 powertrain brings Dacia's full hybrid technology to two of its most accessible models.

There's no need to plug in or change the way you drive with the cars' system managing petrol and electric power automatically, always starting in electric mode and allowing up to 80 per cent of urban driving to be completed on electric power alone.

It also delivers fuel consumption up to 40 per cent lower than an equivalent petrol engine, helping make everyday journeys easier on fuel without adding charging stops to the weekly routine.

Already proven elsewhere in the Dacia range, the hybrid 155 powertrain combines a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors - a traction motor and high-voltage starter/generator - plus a 1.4kWh battery and an electrified automatic gearbox.

Its clutchless transmission uses four gears for the petrol engine and two for electric operation, automatically choosing between the different combinations of petrol and electric power.

Both the Sandero and Sandero Stepway hybrid 155 accelerate from 0-62mph in 8.3 seconds.

The Sandero hybrid 155 is available in Expression and Journey trim levels, priced from £17,995 and £19,295 on-the-road respectively.

Available in Expression trim from £19,295 on-the-road and Extreme from £20,595 on-the-road, Sandero Stepway also features modular roof bars that can quickly be reconfigured when there's more kit to carry.

Both models offer 410 litres of boot space with the rear seats in place, and accommodate up to 1,455 litres with them folded.

Lina Ribeiro, Dacia brand director for the UK, said: "Sandero has always been about giving customers more of what they actually use, without making them pay for things they don't. Hybrid 155 fits that thinking perfectly. It brings automatic driving, electric power around town and lower fuel consumption, but there's nothing extra to plug in or worry about. Whether you prefer the straightforward simplicity of Sandero or the more rugged character of Sandero Stepway, you now get those same useful hybrid benefits while keeping everything that makes each model such a strong Dacia."