Like Skoda, Yugoslavian car maker Yugo decided that the late 1980s should be the point at which it became a Euro competitive manufacturer. It was, until the launch of the Sana, the much derided builder of outdated Fiat derived cars. Skoda went to Bertone for help with developing the Favorit. Yugo went for the bigger names, Giugiaro and ItalDesign. The somewhat square rigged result was less pretty than the Favorit, but very practical, thanks to three huge windows on each side of the five door body. Under the skin was the Fiat Tipo’s 1.4 liter engine, built under license in Belgrade, and beneath the floor Yugo’s engineers had taken inspiration from the effective simplicity of the Mk 2 Volkswagen Golf chassis. Despite these sound underpinnings, the Sana was seriously hampered by the poor quality of the interior plastics and the approximate nature of its construction. However, the design and some of the switchgear were very much up to date. The overall solidity of the car and the lack of refinement meant it was well behind the Euro hatch standards of the day. Driving pleasure was out of the question.
Most road testers reported heavy, unassisted steering that weighed up in corners, and an obstructive gearbox. The low price and sizeable cabin did not make the car a success with the price conscious. Its intended buyers probably went instead for a nearly new Ford Escort, and production was eventually brought to a close by the Yugoslavian civil war.
