Poshest Duster still cleans up on value
Revised SUV is a well-made bargain
WELCOME to the all-new Dacia Duster – except that much of it isn’t new at all.
It looks different because it has a new front end, new wings, new bonnet, new rear end, bumpers, and tail lights that are square instead of being upright as they were on the original car.
The basic platform, though, is the one used on the second generation Clio. Fortunately Renault made that shell very strong so it could achieve a five-star safety rating. The new Duster, therefore, provides good protection.
There’s another thing that hasn’t changed much and that’s the price. If you buy the twowheel-drive bottom of the class Access model, which granted very few buyers do, you will pay £9,995 for it.
That’s quite remarkable for a car that is spacious and almost as long as a Nissan Qashqai.
The interior is new but it’s still pretty plasticky. But so what? There are no rattles and squeaks while other clever savings include the absence of costly rear air vents.
Two engines are available right now with a third coming early next year. The current motors are a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and a 1.5-litre diesel that both produce 115bhp.
The powerplant that’s on its way is a 130bhp turbocharged petrol engine which will probably be the pick of the bunch. Not least because the Duster, when fitted with the current petrol engine – the one we’re testing – is a bit slow. I say this because it’s unusual
You get a multi-view camera and blind spot detection
these days to have to change down a gear on a motorway when you hit an incline. Still, as ever with the Duster, it does the job well enough.
However, you’ll want that gruntier engine if you’re going to be towing or packing it full of all the family and their luggage.
Our Duster is in top-of-the-range Prestige spec with twowheel drive and the aforementioned 1.6-litre petrol engine. In this configuration you get a five-speed manual gearbox. Go for 4x4 or the diesel engine and you get an extra cog in the box.
The two-wheel-drive models also use a simple torsion beam rear axle whereas the 4wd versions have a fully independent rear suspension.
The ride quality over bumps with the former is acceptable but certainly not in the plush bracket. I suspect the 4x4’s suspension is better at soaking up bumps.
Electric power steering has replaced the old Duster’s hydraulic system and the result is less steering effort at low speeds.
Prestige trim brings you 17in diamond cut alloy wheels, part leather upholstery, heated seats, climate control and the infotainment system that comes as standard in the Comfort trim that sits underneath Prestige (there’s Essential below that before you get to the stripped back Access).
Oh, and you get a multi-view camera and blind spot detectors – all for £14,395. Dacia doesn’t offer many options because this keeps production costs down – metallic paint, full leather, European mapping and a spare wheel are your only choices.
I’ve recommended the Duster to numerous friends but only a couple have taken my advice. The rest are too snobbish to abandon their Audis and even Nissans for a brand that offers tremendous value for money and doesn’t charge you for stuff that you didn’t want in the first place.
Those who have bought Dusters are delighted with them. How could you not like saving this much money and still own a practical, reliable, well-made car?