Back to Newsroom

Dacia Duster – in review

On the launch of the new Dacia Duster advert we’ve reviewed the popular model.

The Dacia Duster stands out on the road.

The Dacia Duster stands out on the road.

Dacia as a brand has had massive growth over the last three years, since launching in the UK with sales increasing by 10% in 2015. Dacia is renowned for their affordability and no-nonsense approach to motoring, the Duster included.

Check out Dacia’s latest ad – Another one drives a Duster

The Dacia Duster is a family friendly small 4x4, it features on our list of the top seven to buy. Dacia’s latest model features a stylish grille, and roof bars for all trim levels.

Affordability

The low price is the main selling point for the Dacia Duster, especially considering the amount of car you get for your money. The entry level Core trim is under £10k and the top of the range model is still reasonably priced at less than £16k.

Choice

There are four trim levels available; Core, Access, Ambience and Lauréate. The entry-level model is fairly basic but includes tinted windows and roof bars as standard.

The range topping Lauréate brings with it chrome roof bars, 16-inch alloy wheels, heated and electronically adjustable door mirrors, electric rear windows and a leather steering wheel.

Design

A chrome front grille and its rugged exterior shape mean the Duster certainly makes an impact on the road, with its chunky, muscular shape and impressive size.

The interior offers space and comfort with the boot offering an impressive 475 litres of space with the seats up, fold them down and you get a massive 1,636 litres. Three can sit comfortably in the rear and the space in the front is good too. Soft suspension means that long journeys are reasonably comfortable as the bumps in the road are undetectable. Visibility is good thanks to the high-ride position.

Safety

The Duster gets a three-star Euro NCAP rating however we’re sure this will be boosted, as additional safety features have been included as standard since the rating was awarded, such as anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control.

All models have ISOFIX points on the outer rear seats, as well as front side airbags, passenger airbag with deactivation function and driver’s airbag.

Engines and drive

It’s available in two and four-wheel drive with two engine options; a 1.6-litre petrol and a 1.5 dCi, the diesel is the more efficient of the two returning an average of 56.5mpg and emitting 130g/km of CO2.

The Duster is only available with a manual five-speed gearbox with the basic two-wheel-drive petrol model and a six-speed gearbox with all diesels and the four-wheel-drive petrol.

Award winning

The Duster won the Green Apple Award in 2015 for the best small SUV thanks to its performance, economical figures, the way it behaves and drives in the real world.

In 2014 the Duster won the Carbuyer award for best small SUV for the second year running, where cars are rated for their running costs, practicality, value for money and comfort among other criteria.

Overall the Duster is a great value practical family SUV.

About the Author

Nicole Ferguson

Staff writer at Arnold Clark

Comments