The Dacia Logan MCV (standing for Maximum Capacity Vehicle) isn’t just the cheapest estate car on sale in the UK – it’s one of the cheapest cars, period, beaten out only by its closely-related sibling, the Dacia Sandero.

But Dacia knows that the UK market has a craving for rugged, beefed-up crossovers, and while it offers the Duster SUV to compete in this class, executives obviously think there’s scope to provide other options. Enter the Dacia Logan MCV Stepway, a version of the regular Logan MCV but with chunky SUV styling cues and a slightly increased ride height.

As with the regular Logan MCV, it’s essentially an estate version of the Sandero hatch (which also offers a Stepway variant). The appeal for buyers is first and foremost the styling, but Dacia’s brand values remain – so it’s still cheap to buy and maintain, simple to operate and should prove resilient.

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Not that cheap, though. The starting price of a Stepway is nearly £4,000 more than that of a regular Logan MCV, and despite added equipment, that stings. It also brings it perilously close to the price of bargain rivals – such as the MG ZS, SsangYong Tivoli or, yes, even the Duster.

More space than any other cheap car

The Logan MCV – whether in standard or Stepway form – offers one thing in abundance, and that’s space. The 573-litre boot isn’t just class-leading, it’s class-smashing – easily eclipsing the 445 litres of the Duster or the 423 litres of a SsangYong Tivoli.

Drop the seats, and this area grows to an incredible 1,518 litres – with a maximum load length of 2.3 metres. It’s no wonder Dacia’s named this car the Logan MCV, for Maximum Capacity Vehicle.

The Stepway loses no load space to the standard car, but its additional ride height makes it even easier for passengers to climb into and out of the car’s spacious rear seats. Three can sit abreast, but it’s quite narrow, so two will be more comfortable – and once in, they’ll find ample head and leg room. If you need a new family car on a budget, you’ll struggle to beat this for space.

No added capability for Stepway

Despite the rugged looks, the Logan MCV Stepway isn’t an off-roader and it can’t be fitted with four-wheel drive. This is very much a car for the tarmac, then, but it should at least prove to be fairly rugged – as these vehicles are designed for unmade roads in their native Romania.

In addition, the raised ride height will at least  provide a modicum of extra ground clearance as well as easing ingress and egress.

In keeping with its position at the top of the Logan MCV range, Dacia doesn’t offer the Stepway with its entry-level 75hp engine. Instead, it’s available with either a 0.9-litre turbocharged petrol, or a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel, both with 90hp.

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It’s the diesel that’s the best fit for the Sandero, but it adds £2,000 to the already rather steep (for a Dacia) asking price, so our pick of the range is the turbocharged petrol. Sadly, it’s nowhere near the best in its class. It delivers power in great lumps, making it rather difficult to drive smoothly, and when loaded, performance is sedate to put it generously.

Limited standard equipment

The Logan MCV Stepway’s standard kit list reads a lot more pleasantly than its standard sibling – you do get air-conditioning as standard, for example, plus cruise control, rear parking sensors and a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment  system.

But that’s pretty much it – those who might be stepping down from a more prestigious model could be left disappointed that they’re not able to specify climate control, heated seats or a parking camera.

Worse yet, safety equipment is seriously lacking. The Logan MCV Stepway only offers four airbags and doesn’t feature any of the clever safety aids you’ll find on rivals such as autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure warning or blind-spot monitoring. That’s reinforced by a mere three-star Euro NCAP crash test safety score.

Could the Dacia Logan MCV be the family car for you? Read our full review to find out.