It might be my thrifty Yorkshire mindset coming to the fore, but the Dacia Sandero certainly seems to represent exceptional value for money.

This supermini, priced from just £7,995, offers many of the same qualities found in vehicles that are two or three times more expensive.

The Sandero has been redesigned from the ground up, and features LED Y-shaped headlights, hill start assist and emergency brake assist all as standard.

For the price, it’s a well-rounded machine, offering decent interior space, an economical engine and looks that are far from offensive.

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: The Sandero pictured with a West Yorkshire backdrop

The latest Sandero is based on current Renault Clio underpinnings, meaning it’s bang up-to-date underneath and contemporary in its styling.

My test car came in the higher-spec ‘Comfort’ trim level which, at £11,595, is still cheap and comes with rain-sensing wipers, rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera, electric rear windows, and an 8.0in infotainment touchscreen.

The 999cc TCe 90 engine powering this version of the Sandero felt sufficiently punchy for the car of this size.

It offers a good deal of low and mid-range power that makes it feel swifter than the 0-62mph time of 11.7 seconds might suggest.

But the real rewards from this engine are to be found in its frugal nature, with the Sandero using very little fuel. For once, the official fuel economy figure of 53.3mpg on the combined WLTP scale didn’t feel wildly out of reach.

Handling-wise, it’s trustworthy enough, with the steering feeling sufficiently weighty to give you confidence when cornering briskly.

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: The Sandero pictured with a West Yorkshire backdrop

There’s a bit of body lean to be aware of, but grip levels are generally good.

In terms of looks, the car has an angular front end that includes a smart headlight signature flowing nicely into the central grille.

A couple of sharp creases in the bonnet add a bit of a design flourish, as does the jutting-out casing that contains the lower front lights.

Viewed from the side, it’s all fairly standard, while the rear end has a curved effect, with the upper part of the bodywork shaping inwards to create the impression of the Sandero having broad shoulders.

Inside, you’re met with an interior that’s well designed, functional and generally quite cheerful.

Yes, there are some scratchy plastics on the inner door panels and the dashboard, but there are also some softer touch materials dotted around, including some nice ‘fabric deco’ inlays across the central part of the dash and surrounding the electric window controls on the doors. Meanwhile, the steering wheel has a soft feel.

The central touchscreen sits in a prominent slot high up on the dash and is ideally positioned for the driver’s reach and view.

Through that user-friendly screen, you control functions such as radio, media and smartphone integration.

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: The interior

You can also change the vehicle settings through the screen to adjust things like the active braking, park assist and how you access the vehicle, such as whether you want the car to unlock as you approach with the key.

Interestingly, you can also click on a ‘Driving Eco’ button which displays a star rating system to rate the driver’s acceleration, gear shift and anticipation out of five.

At one point, a message popped up to say ‘Congratulations, your gear changing is very efficient!”

The seats are comfortable and supportive while, space wise, front seat occupants will have no problem spreading out.

The rear seats also offer decent amounts of room, although you’d be cramped to get a six foot passenger behind a similar sized driver. The boot is deep and spacious, although the depth does come at the expense of a substantial load lip. which makes unloading large items tricky.

In conclusion, the Sandero lives up to its billing by providing 'a lot for not a lot.'

Dacia Sandero Comfort TCe 90

PRICE: £11,595 on the road

ENGINE: 999cc 91hp petrol

PERFORMANCE: 0-62mph in 11.7 seconds and top speed of 111mph

EMISSIONS: 120g/km

ECONOMY: 53.3mph combined

TRANSMISSION: Six-speed manual, front wheel drive