Can the new Dacia Duster be the ultimate off-roader for decent value?
Exterior – Front
So, lets start with the design and the Dacia Duster hasn’t really changed that much compared to the previous Duster. We get a set of slimmer Part LED headlights with a Y Shaped LED Daytime Running Light Graphic. These headlights are connected with a rectangular grill with white dashes and the new White Dacia Logo. Lower down we get a blocky big central air vent which houses the fog lights, and we also get some rectangular side vents. The bonnet also has some hunches in it to give it an offroad muscular look.
Exterior – Side
Moving round to the side of the Duster and it does look like it has grown inside but it actually hasn’t. it is because the roof line is lower than before giving it the illusion that it is longer. We will have to see if that has affected the practicality of the new Duster so stay tuned. So, we get some blocky wheel arches and side cladding as well as some plastic cladding on the front door which looks like an air vent and all of the cladding is made from 20% recycled materials. The windows fit better than before too and the rear door has a hidden door handle giving the Duster a more premium look. Finally, we get some decent wheel designs to give the duster again a premium look. Wheel sizes range from 16 inches to 18 inches.
Exterior – Rear
Moving round to the back and we get a similar design to the front. We get some arrow designed taillights that almost mimic the Y shaped LED Daytime Running Lights up front. Now these aren’t LED but they still look quite decent and modern. The boot has some sharp creases and houses the Dacia lettering and a black bar for the number plate light. The lower bumper has a blocky design just like the front with some black and dark grey cladding. Overall then a decent improvement over the older design. It feels more premium whilst being budget. This brings me onto the engine and gearbox options. Lets have a look and see what it is like.
Car and engine specs and price
So, the new Dacia Duster is based on the new CMF-B Platform and because of this you can now get a hybrid version of the Duster. There are also other versions too including a petrol and LPG version and 2 mild hybrid versions. lets start with the base model. This is the TCe 100 Bi-Fuel. This uses petrol and LPG and is a 1 litre turbo unit which has 99 bhp and a 0-62 time of 13.2 seconds on LPG and 14.1 seconds on petrol. It is also front wheel drive and can be had with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The next engine is called TCe 130, and this uses a 1.2 litre turbo engine, and this produces 128 bhp and a 0-62 time of just 9.9 seconds. This can be had with a 6-speed manual. The next version is the same version but this time it has 4-wheel drive but because of this it has a 0-62 time of just 11 seconds. Finally, we get to the top of the range full hybrid version. This uses a 1.6 litre turbo which has 94 bhp and an electric motor to create 138 bhp. this can do 0-62 in 10.1 seconds and can only be had with an automatic gearbox. The price of the new Dacia Duster starts at £18,745 and for the full hybrid it starts at £24,245 which actually isn’t that bad. Right, lets have a look and see what the interior is like.
Interior – Design
So, climbing inside the new Duster and we get a whole new design that feels more premium than any other Dacia before it. To start with we get a premium dashboard design that looks rugged. It houses octagonal air vents which also has Y shaped panels in them. we also get a new infotainment system which is 10 inches in size and runs android automotive which works very well and gives you access to the Google Assistant and Google Maps as well as the Play Store. This gives much better connectivity to the Dacia than ever before. lower down below the central air vent we get a row of climate control buttons which are easy to access. We also get some on the infotainment system too, but I am ok with that is most of the control can be controlled with physical buttons. Lower down in the centre console we get a wireless charger as well as a gear toggle selector like what you would find in a Volkswagen Golf. The driver also gets a digital instrument cluster which isn’t the best, but it does house all of the critical information that the driver needs. We also get a new flat bottom and top steering wheel that looks very modern, and I hope that we see this in the new Dacia lineup very soon. Finally, we get some very comfy Renault seats which are very supportive and look premium and we also get a decent amount of storage, an arm rest and a phone holder. Lets have a look like what the rear space is like.
Practicality
So, getting into the back of the new Dacia Duster and you get a decent amount of legroom and headroom is also decent considering it has a lower roof line. The seats are also quite comfy too and you also get a rear portable light adapter and 2 USB C ports. Sadly, there is no air vents or an arm rest in the back though. Lets have a look and see what the boot space is like.
Boot Size
So, opening the boot and you are welcomed with 594 litres with the seats up, but this does drop to 520 litres for the 4-wheel drive version and 496 litres for the hybrid version, but I wouldn’t let that worry you as the space is still very useable and decent for a small SUV. It is also 149 litres bigger than before for the regular petrol and 51 litres bigger than before if you have the hybrid. Folding the seats down and you get 1,696 litres. The boot opening area is better than the previous generation which means loading items in is much easier than before.
Summary
So, in summary then what do I think of the new Dacia Duster then. Well, it is a huge improvement over the old model now being based on the new Renault CMF-B Platform as it has brought so many technological improvements over the old model, and you can now get a hybrid powertrain too. The new Duster looks the part on the school run and it is also practical for a medium sized family too. Really this is the best essential family SUV you could ever want.
Exterior 5/5
Interior 5/5
Practicality 4/5
Total 14/15
Model | Dacia Duster Journey |
Engine | 1.6l Turbo Full Hybrid, 138bhp, 0-62 = 10.1 Seconds, Front Wheel Drive |
Transmission | CVT Automatic |
Price | £25,945 |
On Sale | Now |
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