Dacia is showing themselves as a manufacturer who offers good, well-built, and affordable cars. For those of you who didn’t know it, Dacia belongs to Renault, and on account of this they share a lot with Renault vehicles from the past and present. This week we are looking at the Dacia Logan MCV (Maximum Capacity Vehicle).
With the Logan MCV, Dacia has created a machine that is spacious, comfortable enough, very fuel economical and extremely affordable in comparison with other cars in its segment.
Boot space of the Logan MCV is more than ample offering a staggering 573litres (or 1518litres with the back seats down). This is because it has a relatively small bonnet, which means you can fit more into the vehicle itself. Legroom and headroom is certainly not to be complained about and it does make a good family car. The length of this Logan is 4492mm and the wheelbase measures in at 2634mm. The bonnet is actually nice and the Dacia logo sits proudly on it. Other than the bonnet it does appear to be a bit boxy on the outside. The interior offers more than I would have expected in terms of technology. The Logan MCV offers USB connectivity, Bluetooth and CD/radio. The dash and plastic surrounding these mod cons look slightly dated though.
The starting price for the Logan MCV is only €11,190 (this price is for the ALTERNATIVE spec with a 1.2 16V 75 engine). By my reckoning the majority of people on Irish roads are really only after three things when it comes to buying a new car. Firstly, safety is of the utmost importance. Secondly, the car must be reliable. Thirdly, the customer has to be able to afford it. As far as I’m concerned the Dacia Logan MCV, and indeed most Dacia cars, tick these boxes to some degree.
When you’re a bit more interested in cars this machine may not necessarily suit though. For example, I found that it had an over-dependency on lower gears. When I was driving between 80 and 100km/h I needed to be in a gear lower than I would be used to. I found the gears to be stiff too.
There is also a lot of outside noise coming into the car. I drove this Logan through the Dublin Port tunnel and it was loud. The engine of the machine I tested was their 1.5 litre dCI90 diesel, and if it’s not the wind you’re hearing it’ll be the rumble coming from the bonnet that’ll keep you entertained.
In terms of performance this particular Dacia Logan MCV will offer you 0-100 km/h in 12.1 seconds. The fuel economy is extremely good, I averaged 5.5 litres per 100km (I found the Dacia Duster to be pretty economical too).
In terms of safety the Logan MCV houses driver and passenger airbags, front side airbags, isofix points, ABS, EBA, ESC with ASR, and warning systems to say seatbelts are not on and doors aren’t closed properly.
To be honest I would be among the first to recommend this car. I’m fully aware that this won’t be for everybody, especially for those of us who prefer extra luxuries. But this car ticks so many of the right boxes – one in particular – PRICE. This is a “no frills” machine. Sure it doesn’t offer all of the mod cons, but there is an audience out there for people who want to keep things simple.
