At the 2026 Paris Motor Show Dacia presented two confirmed debuts—the second generation Spring city EV and the Striker crossover—while whispers from the rumor mill have focused elsewhere: a potential new subcompact crossover that could supplant the Sandero Stepway trim.
The suggestion is not official. Reports circulating among industry watchers say Dacia may retire the Stepway badge on the Sandero and promote a standalone B-segment Sandster to sit below the Duster as a very affordable CUV option. The brand has plenty on its plate: the Sandero remains a top seller across Europe after eight months of 2026, the Duster and the new Bigster face pressure from competitively priced Chinese entrants, and Dacia recently refreshed the Sandero as part of its value-focused strategy.
Those market dynamics help explain why the Striker, built in Turkey, and the Europe-made Spring, now produced in Slovenia rather than China, featured so prominently at Mondial de l'Auto 2026. Dacia is expanding its CUV range while leaning into accessible, straightforward products. The Sandrider motorsport project has also raised the brand's profile: a Dacia entered the Dakar Rally in January 2026 and won the 48th running with Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Fabian Lurquin in only its second attempt.
From rumor to render
Digital artists have been quick to translate the speculation into images. Romanian virtual designer Marian Valentin Cilibeanu, who posts under the handle marianvalentincilibeanu on social media, produced a set of Sandster renderings based on the circulating reports. His interpretation borrows Dacia's current styling cues introduced with the Striker and applies them to a compact, rugged package meant to read as a distinct model rather than a Stepway-clad hatchback.
The unofficial concept emphasizes a higher, squared stance and pronounced plastic body cladding. Front graphics in the render show T-shaped LED daytime running lights paired with a full-width LED light bar, echoed by a matching rear bar. Additional touches include hexagonal LED fog lamp housings, a dual-tone finish and large, protective plastic surfaces around the wheel arches and lower body—details aimed at signalling robustness without premium finishes.
These images do not confirm engineering, dimensions, powertrains or trim structure. They do, however, reflect the specific claim from rumor threads that Dacia intends to elevate the Stepway’s role into an independent model positioned as an entry-level crossover, a B-segment CUV priced and equipped to stand beneath the Duster in the lineup.
Whether Dacia will follow this path remains unannounced. For now the company continues to roll out the Striker between the Duster and Bigster, reassign production locales for the Spring and press the refreshed Sandero in showrooms. The Sandster name and concept exist for the moment only in speculative coverage and creative renderings from artists such as Marian Valentin Cilibeanu, known on social media as marianvalentincilibeanu.
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Is this even true? The Sandster render looks cute but sounds like rumor soup, Dacia might just rename Stepway. curious..