When we drove the last generation Dacia Sandero the experience was similar to going back to the future. It felt like a clapped-out Renault 25, we drove a brand new Dacia Press car. Dacia proudly boasts the Sandero is the cheapest SUV money can buy. And we agree with Dacia, the Sandero is remarkably cheap because it is remarkably shitty. It is very easy to say just how shitty the Dacia Sandero is, indeed it feels flimsy, is uninspiring to drive and it is generally shitty. But people love a bargain buy and are prepared to put up with shittiness so they can buy a holiday home in Mallorca they can’t afford.

The entry-level new-generation Sandero starts at £10,995 and rises to £13,795 for higher spec, fully-loaded trim levels. The engines are supplied by Renault so you are guaranteed short-term reliability and long-term pain. If you go for the entry-level Sandero Stepway standard equipment includes 15-inch steel wheels, an automatic emergency braking system, a speed limiter, front electric windows and six air-bags. That is all.

Exotic equipment such as wheel covers, air-con and an infotainment system are added at the next trim level up. And the higher up the Sandero trim level you go the better quality of life you will have. Lovely.

But the reason why the Dacia Sandero is crap isn’t that it was made to be crap. It’s all to do with wage stagnation. The average real wage as of today in 2020 is the equivalent of earnings in the 1970s. In other words, real wages haven’t increased in real terms since the 1970s. This is a deliberate policy orchestrated by business and politics.

Over a quarter of Romania’s population lives on less than US$5.50 a day, the highest poverty rate in the EU. Renault has taken advantage of Romania’s low wage and beaten down working class to make the Sandero as cheaply as possible. And that is why buyers in the UK can look forward to buying that house in Mallorca they can’t afford.