Sandero was fun on Durban spring break

I do not know if it is just me, but spring is always synonymous with the coast.

So as spring sprung, it was only natural that would take a trip to South Africa's playground - Durban.

I could have flown there in under an hour from Joburg, but where is the fun in that?

Instead I opted for a six-hour road trip with friends.

To accompany me on this journey I looked to the MotorMania fleet, where I found our long-term Renault Sandero just waiting for me.

Okay, this was my reasoning: since I was going off to SA's fun-filled playground it would be great to have fun in a rather playful vehicle too.

The Sandero did not disappoint. It has the right spirit of adventure - and just makes driving easy and pleasurable.

The 1.4-litre engine is not weak at all, managing to make light work of inclines all the way to the Zulu kingdom.

The suspension is quite good, since we hardly felt the bumps on the uneven N3 highway.

I will admit, though, to missing some of those luxuries - such as electric windows.

But the air conditioning kept our vehicle at a temperature that we were all happy with.

By the time we reached Harrysmith, which was our first pitstop, the weather had changed but we hadn't even noticed it until we stepped out of the car. I must admit though, that by the time I eventually made it to Durbs my back was not happy.

The Sandero is a sleek city car but is not made for long distances. After an hour or so the seats get really uncomfortable.

I was just happy that all the luggage for four people fitted easily into its amazingly spacious boot.

The car really impressed me as we drove around Durban. It is small enough to fit anywhere. As a person who doesn't know Durbs, I found myself in some very hilly places in Umlazi but the Sandero handled it all.

In the city its size was a bonus but on the highway, the Sandero tended to get a bit unsteady when passed by large trucks. It is light and the driver needs steady hands.

Overall this is a great little car - and the fact that it is manufactured in South Africa is just an added bonus.

It felt really good, and I ended up clocking 1200km in it.

Even though, after the long trip, I felt in dire need of little Chinese women with their little feet walking on my back, the Sandero was really not a bad drive at all.

At first I the only thing I liked about it was its beautiful blue body paint, but after spending a romantic getaway with it at the coast, I am sold ... and grateful to be proudly South African.

The Specs:

Renault Sandero 1.4 Ambiance

Engine: 1 390cc 4-cylinder

Power: 55kW at 5 500rpm

Torque: 112Nm at 3 000rpm

0-100km/h: 13.0 seconds

Top speed: 161km/h (claimed)

Fuel consumption: 7.0l/100km

: 164g/km

Price: R104 900