It’s About Time Dacia Did Its Own Budget Hot Hatch

Nissan has Nismo. Renault has RenaultSport. Alpine needs no elaboration. Even Infiniti has been getting in on the performance action. And though it may not so much anymore, Mitsubishi is no stranger to amped-up performance models, either.

The one brand in the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance that doesn’t have its own line of performance models is Dacia. And looking at these renderings, we’d say it’s about time that changed.

Drawn up by Kleber Silva, this theoretical Dacia Sandero Sport would be just the kind of no-nonsense, bare-bones hot hatch we’ve been looking for. No fancy electronics, no dual-clutch transmission, no Nurburgring lap records… and no big price tag. Just an eager engine, an old-school stick-shift, a beefed-up suspension, and some bigger brakes.

Sound familiar? You could be thinking of the Sandero RS (pictured below in white) that Renault rolled out in Latin America, where it represents Dacia’s model line under its own name (for the time being). The Sandero RS boasts all of 145 horsepower from its 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, posing little threat to the Type Rs and GTIs of the world. But it’s an accessible, zero-frills driving tool that we bet would be a real hoot to drive on narrow, twisting roads where hot hatches thrive.

Unfortunately we can’t get our hands on one, which makes us wish that the Romanian automaker would roll out its own DaciaSport line. We’re sure the team at RenaultSport would be glad to help. Heck, they could call it whatever they want. Just give us a happy little hatchback that won’t go all to pieces the second you throw it at a corner… and won’t break the bank, either.