Pseudo-SUV Sandero Stepway

“You’re pompous”, she said succinctly – this pretty thing who had recently accompanied me to one of the most auspicious events in my young life. Naturally, I was astonished that such belligerence was possible from someone with such a sweet-looking exterior.

But after a few minutes of digesting what had been said, followed by a few hours of self-assurance to soothe my damaged ego, I realised that we all put on a haughty facade occasionally, conveying a contrived image that isn’t what we truly are the rest of the time.

Whether it’s the habit of memorising lines from famous literature and throwing them in with your daily speech to seem more cultured, or that “Save the Whales” T-shirt worn to appease the eco-minded friends you rarely consort with, but otherwise lays folded at the very back of your cupboard, we’re all guilty of being pretentious.

You see this in the automotive world too – pretentious cars posing as products for applications they’re really not suited to. Just think of BMWs SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle) line-up. In the press release images, you always see surfboards, skis and other recreational paraphernalia strapped to the roof-rails of these vehicles. But I’ve never seen this in reality – most people who splurge on these cars never venture anywhere near wet grass, let alone use them as an accompaniment to an extreme sport. 

The Renault Sandero Stepway which is anticipated to arrive in showrooms by November this year is another such car. It is, essentially, a modest Renault Sandero with a slightly raised ride height (you won’t really notice 20mm), clad in some rugged-looking plastic mouldings and garnished with some chrome embellishments – a quasi-SUV that really isn’t fooling anyone. 

Although it has yet to be announced, pricing is almost certain to be a bit more down-to-earth, as the Stepway is locally manufactured alongside the other more humble Sandero derivatives in the Rosslyn plant.

Brenwin Naidu
Photo Credit: Quickpic