Dacia Sandero Eco Cup: the affordable one-make rally series in Spain

When we think of a rally car, the 100-horsepower Dacia Sandero Stepway running on LPG isn’t exactly the first one that comes to mind... 😊

And yet, the Romanian brand’s low-cost city car has become one of the most popular promotional formulas in some countries, especially among our Spanish neighbors.

Thanks to its Dacia Sandero Eco Cup program, the brand (through Renault Spain and Driveland Motorsport) offers young drivers and amateurs an affordable and educational series designed to start rallying and learn the fundamentals of driving with a reasonable budget 👍

With several regional and national championships organized throughout Spain, the Dacia has even allowed some future rally stars to get noticed.

Dacia Sandero Stepway 100 ECO-G: the ideal car to start rallying?

Far from the complex and expensive machines like Rally1 or even Rally2, the Dacia Sandero Stepway 100 ECO-G focuses on simplicity and robustness 💪

Under the hood, there’s a 999 cc turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 101 horsepower, paired with a standard 6-speed manual gearbox. Nothing flashy on paper… and that’s exactly what makes it so interesting for rallying 😉

The emphasis is on reliability and reducing running costs: the engine remains largely stock, which keeps maintenance expenses low and lets drivers focus on driving.

Also read: "Getting started in rallying : Buying your first race car"

With a curb weight of around 1,080 kg, the Sandero Stepway offers a stable yet demanding handling. No room here to make up for mistakes with traction control or excess power: lines must be clean, the engine kept in the right rev range, and every acceleration carefully anticipated—or the stopwatch will mercilessly punish you at the stage finish 🥵

In short, the perfect driving school, teaching young drivers to play with inertia and make the most out of limited traction. It’s the kind of promotional formula where tenths of a second are earned through precision, not brute force.

ℹ️ Did you know? Eliott Delecour, son of legendary French rally driver François Delecour, competed in a Dacia Cup… but in Romania, in the renowned Cupa Dacia, which follows a very similar philosophy to Spain’s Eco Cup. Delecour Jr. also raced in Spain, notably at the 2024 Rally Sierra Morena (photo below).

This new 100 ECO-G Sandero replaces the previous model, launched in 2014 with the creation of the Dacia Sandero Rallye Cup RFEDA.

Back then, the Spanish motorsport federation and Renault joined forces to offer a single-make asphalt cup using the Dacia Sandero with a 1.2 L engine producing only 75 hp. The car was available as a kit starting at €12,000 excl. VAT, or fully assembled for €17,000 incl. VAT, already making it an ultra-competitive entry point into rallying. The car’s development was entrusted to Codony Sport, while the competition kit was supplied by the renowned French company Oreca.

A Sandero that's "ECO" in every sense of the word

When it comes to fuel, Dacia has gone for originality with a dual-fuel system: LPG and petrol ⛽

The car is equipped with two tanks. LPG is mainly used on liaison sections, where low consumption and high range are real assets. However, during timed special stages, drivers usually switch to the petrol tank to ensure optimal performance, especially during acceleration phases and technical sections 🔥

This technical choice allows the organizers to claim one of the most "sustainable" rally championships in Spain. It’s also one of the most cost-effective for competitors, who benefit from LPG’s lower fuel prices 💶

Behind this "ECO" philosophy lies a clear intention: to make rallying more accessible by keeping running costs under control. That’s also why the Sandero remains deliberately close to its original configuration, maintaining its reliability and minimizing maintenance expenses, while still being an excellent learning platform.

Preparing your Dacia Sandero for rallying: a complete kit at a budget price

No need to invest tens of thousands of euros to turn this Dacia into a real rally car: the kit developed by Driveland and Renault is sold for just €8,499 + VAT 💰

Also read: "FR6 FFSA Trophy: info and prices"

The idea behind this single-make cup is clear: deliberately limit modifications, keeping the Sandero close to its stock form. No modified engine or specific gearbox: only safety components and a few essential items are installed to meet N3 regulations and ensure a reasonable operating cost 👍

📝 This kit includes in particular:

• Homologated 6-point roll cage,
• KRS single-way suspension (developed by driver Enrique García Ojeda’s company),
• RRS bucket seats and harnesses,
• FIA fire extinguisher, kill switch, and hydraulic handbrake with brake bias adjuster,
• Practical and aesthetic kit: reinforced bumpers, underbody skid plate, co-driver lamp, hood pins, front LEDs, and even integrated helmet holders,
• Tires: standard Michelin.

In other words, you buy your stock Sandero Stepway 100 ECO-G (around €16,000 new, or on the recent used market), add the kit, and you're ready to hit the stages ✌️

ℹ️ You can find a used Sandero Eco Cup, but the current model is very new, so listings are rare. As for the older versions (the 1.2L 75 hp Sandero), they sell for around €5,000 to €7,000, but are no longer eligible for the current cup.

➡️ See rally car listings on GoToTheGrid

Onboard camera in a Dacia Sandero Eco Cup!

2025 Calendar for Sandero Eco Cup Championships (asphalt, gravel, and regional)

🏁 Sandero Eco Cup Asfalto (Asphalt Championship)

The Sandero Eco Cup Spain is part of the SuperCER (Spanish Super Rally Championship) and features 5 asphalt rounds across Spain. It follows the Clio Trophy Spain Asphalt championship.

The entry fees are as affordable as the car:

• €1,500 + VAT for the annual registration,
• Or €500 + VAT per rally for drivers wishing to enter individual events.

In addition, each round awards prizes of up to €2,000 excl. VAT for the winner, plus a final season prize of €10,000 to be used for spare parts 😋

Drivers compete on equal terms, in a friendly atmosphere, on some of the best stages in the Spanish championship, right alongside the official SuperCER teams 🤩

2025 Calendar – Dacia Sandero Eco Cup Asfalto 2025

• Rallye Cidade de Narón
• Rallye Recalvi Rías Baixas
• Rallye Villa de Llanes
• Rallye La Nucía-Mediterráneo
• Rallye Ciudad de Valencia

🏁 Sandero Eco Cup Tierra (Gravel Championship)

One year after the launch of the new Sandero Eco Cup Spain Asfalto, which already gave birth to two regional cups in Galicia and Asturias (Sandero Eco Cup Galicia by Rodosa and Volan FAPA by Sandero Eco Cup), Dacia is expanding its motorsport program with a brand new event supported by the RFEDA (Royal Spanish Motorsport Federation): the Sandero Eco Cup Spain Tierra 💥

For the first time in 2025, a Gravel Championship will be organized. This series will include four rallies and over €20,000 in prize money 🤑

2025 Calendar – Sandero Eco Cup Tierra

• Rallye Tierra de Galicia
• Rallye Princesa de Asturias
• Rallye Ciudad de Granada
• RallyRACC Catalunya-Costa Daurada

🌄 Volan FAPA by Sandero Eco Cup

Different setting, different atmosphere: in Asturias, the Volan FAPA by Sandero Eco Cup has just replaced the Peugeot 208 R2 after five loyal seasons of service.

Organized by Driveland in partnership with the Asturian Motorsport Federation (FAPA), this regional single-make cup also includes 5 rounds as part of the Asturias Championship.

The entry fee is even lower:

• €600 + VAT for early registrants, then €1,200 + VAT after the deadline.
• Good news: the fee is fully reimbursed to those who complete all 5 rallies! 😍

2025 Calendar – Volan FAPA by Sandero Eco Cup

• Rallye Picos de Europa
• Rallye Virgen del Viso
• Rallye Montaña Central
• Rallye Ciudad de Langreo
• Rallye Cangas

Cherry on top: the overall winner earns a spot in the Clio Trophy Asphalt the following year—a perfect step toward climbing the ladder to the top 📈

On top of that, each round offers prize money of up to €1,000 for the winner.

🌊 Sandero Eco Cup Galicia by Rodosa

Finally, in Galicia, the Sandero Eco Cup Galicia by Rodosa also offers 5 regional events. The concept remains the same: maximum accessibility, close single-make battles, and cash prizes at each round.

2025 Calendar – Sandero Eco Cup Galicia By Rodosa

• Rallye Mariña Lucense
• Rallye de Pontevedra
• Rallye Sur do Contado
• Rallye Comarco do Carballiño
• Rallye de San Froilan

Dacia rally cars are turning heads beyond Spain too!

While the Sandero Eco Cup is a big hit in Spain, Dacia didn’t stop there in its mission to make rallying more accessible. Several European countries are relying on the Romanian brand to offer affordable and educational championships 👨‍🎓

Cupa Dacia – Romania

Launched in 2007, the Cupa Dacia has become a true institution in Romania. The cup, part of the Romanian National Rally Championship, has trained many young local drivers… including Eliott Delecour, son of François Delecour, who got his start here before moving on to more advanced cars.

Here, the early Dacia Logan 1.6 MPi generations were used for many years, before being replaced by the Dacia Sandero 0.9 TCe, always in the same spirit: accessible rallying and close racing on asphalt or gravel with simple yet educational cars.

ℹ️ The Cupa Dacia is now one of the longest-running single-make cups in Europe, with over 15 consecutive seasons. Want to know more? Check out the official Cupa Dacia website.

Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup – Ireland

In Ireland, the Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup plays the role of an "entry-level" series. Launched in 2025, it's part of the national rally championship and targets crews who want to start rallying without blowing their budget. The single-make format also focuses on pure driver and co-driver development, with a strong grassroots spirit.

Want to know more? Visit the official Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup website.

Competitions that confirm Dacia’s commitment to grassroots rallying internationally

Whether in Spain, Romania, or Ireland, the goal remains the same: make racing more accessible while emphasizing driver skill.

What makes the Dacia Sandero Eco Cup so successful is its unbeatable entry cost. A controlled initial budget, affordable entry fees… the Spanish formula is far ahead of many similar programs.

For under €25,000 all-inclusive, a driver can compete for an entire season in a modern, race-ready car. Got a better deal? I sure don’t... 😁

Also read: "How much does it cost to hire a rally car ? (Prices 2024)"

Take for example the FR6 Trophy in France: a recent and well-designed series for beginners… but much more expensive. Just buying the car costs nearly twice as much as a fully prepped Sandero 💸

Dacia in rallying: it’s about driving, not horsepower

With 101 horsepower for 1,080 kg, the Dacia isn’t a powerhouse, sure. But it’s a fantastic driving school, where every braking point, every acceleration, every line matters. No limited-slip differential or overwhelming electronics here: it’s all up to the driver 👌

The result: often tiny gaps between competitors and battles right down to the last corner. A true lab to learn how to drive clean and efficiently under pressure. That’s also why many young drivers from this series move on to more prestigious cups like the Clio Trophy Spain or even R2/Rally4.

👉 Less horsepower, more action: that’s the winning recipe, and it’s what makes the Sandero Eco Cup just as fun to drive… as it is to watch from the side of the stage! 😎

A sustainable and effective driving school

With its low cost, more affordable LPG fuel, and 100% single-make format, the Dacia Sandero Eco Cup checks all the boxes of a true stepping-stone series. In Spain, it has quickly become one of the most accessible entry points for anyone dreaming of diving into rallying.

Behind its "ordinary city car" look, the Sandero Stepway proves to be a real training tool, capable of bringing out new talent and teaching the essential skills of tarmac rallying.

A budget often cut in half—or even in thirds—compared to other European cups. It perfectly reflects the Dacia philosophy: drive smart without breaking the bank. And when you consider that some winners walk away with a full program in the Clio Trophy, you realize it’s quite the smart bet 🏆.

So, who said you couldn’t learn rallying in a Dacia? 😀