Dacia's Duster resets value expectations for buyers of small SUVs in this third generation form. Jonathan Crouch reports
Ten Second Review
The third generation version of Dacia's Duster is a much more advanced thing. But in many ways the spirit and value of its sensible, practical small SUV predecessors still remain. Don't buy another small, lifestyle SUV until you've looked at this one.
Background
'The best bargain on the market'. That's quite a claim isn't it, particularly for a car that starts from around £20,000. But this third generation version of Dacia's Duster SUV just might be. It's not an EV but it's the first Duster that's been in any way electrified and, thanks to use of existing Renault Group tech and cheap manufacturing in Romania and Morocco, it offers easily the best value compact family SUV proposition on the market.
You could argue that the Duster always has, ever since it first arrived back in 2010. Alongside the Sandero hatch, it's been the brand's biggest seller since then, updated in second generation form in 2017 and along the way notching up 2.2 million registrations. All that's been founded on a back-to-basics approach to SUV design and a platform originally created by Renault in the '90s. A structure which of course couldn't accommodate the kind of electrified engines a car like this must now have. So this MK3 Duster adopts the same Renault Group CMF-B platform of other Dacias, a move additionally supposed to benefit practicality and refinement, though one that's also pushed the price up. But as we said earlier, the Romanian brand still thinks it's a bargain. Is it? Let's see.
Driving Experience
The range kicks off with a rarely-chosen TCe100 Bi-Fuel LPG model but the two engines that Dacia wants to talk about here are both more conventionally-fuelled electrified petrol units. One is a mild hybrid TCe 130 three cylinder powerplant that features a 48V system harvesting energy into a tiny 0.9kWh battery that uses it to aid acceleration. The other option is the Hybrid 140 powertrain already used by the brand in the Jogger (borrowed from the Renault Clio). This full Hybrid setup blends a 93bhp 1.6-litre four cylinder unit with a 48bhp electric motor energised by a 1.2kWh battery which can, Dacia claims, entirely drive the car for up to 80% of the time during urban motoring.
You'll have to have an automatic gearbox with the Hybrid 140, but the more affordable TCe 130 mild hybrid version offers manual or auto options; and can be had with 4WD as an option (the first time that the rear wheels have been driven on any Renault Group model fitted with this car's new CMF-B platform). This MK3 Duster has also been engineered for a simpler un-electrified TCe 100 engine, partly because Dacia wants to continue to offer the Bi-Fuel LPG system (hugely popular in Europe) that works with this unit. Of diesel power there is no sign; Dacia thinks 'diesel is dying' in this segment, so hasn't bothered with it.
Which might be a disappointment to the significant proportion of customers likely to want the mild hybrid TCe 130 4WD version. This gets an evolved '4x4 Terrain Control transmission' system with five settings. Most of the time, you'll choose 'Auto', which distributes power between front and rear depending on traction and speed. There's also an 'Off-Road' setting that actively distributes torque between the axles. A rotary knob on the centre console also allows you to select either 'Snow', 'Mud/Sand' or 'Eco' options, plus in the middle of the dial there's a Hill Descent Control button to control your speed on slippery downhill slopes. Dacia claims approach and departure angles 31 and 36-degrees and up to 217mm of ground clearance.
Design and Build
Were you to be familiar with this model line, you'd just about still know this was a Duster - but only just, so radical is the redesign here. It's the same length as its predecessor, but slightly wider, lower and stockier, with beefier bumpers and chunky wheel arch cladding made of a trademarked partly-recycled material called Starkle. Parallel lines across the smarter grille flow into a distinctive daytime running light signature built into the new headlamps. At the side (where the rear door handles are now embedded in the C-pillar) a slight slope in the roof line breaks up the old squarical profile. And at the back, there are C-shaped rear lights that mimic those of the 2022 Bigster concept that heavily influenced this design.
At the wheel, it's a step up from the previous Duster, but the materials used aren't as smart as in some rivals. Above base trim, you get a 7-inch instrument display and a modern 10.1-inch central touchscreen, the latter with over-the-air updates and the usual smartphone-mirroring. As with previous models, rear seat space is more generous than you'll find with obvious rivals, further aided here by the packaging benefits of the new CMF-B platform. And there's a decently-sized boot too (6% larger) at 464-litres below the parcel shelf for the TCE (with a spare wheel) or 400-litres for the Hybrid. It's all accessed via an wider tailgate aperture.
Market and Model
Prices kick off at around £19,000, but that's only for the TCe100 Bi-Fuel LPG model you probably won't want. The more conventional TCe130 4x4 model starts in base trim for just over £21,000, which is still exceptionally affordable for an SUV large enough to serve for family duties. Think closer to £25,000 if you want a really decent spec and either the Hybrid 140 version or the 4WD variant. But that's still very good value indeed. There are four trim levels - 'Essential', 'Expression', 'Journey' and 'Extreme'.
Base 'Essential' spec gets you a 3.5-inch media screen on the dash, along with a smartphone holder. But otherwise, your Duster will come with a 10.1-inch centre screen which gives you 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' wireless connectivity, plus a reversing camera. There's also 7-inch drivers instrument display and 17-inch alloy wheels.
Over 70% of Duster customers though, usually opt for the higher trim levels. 'Journey'-spec comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, keyless entry, automatic air conditioning, an electric parking brake, a wireless smartphone charger and an uprated sound system. Top 'Extreme' trim gets you navigation, power-folding mirrors, washable upholstery, rubber floor mats and copper brown styling additions inside and out.
A key factor for customers to consider across the range is the car's latest accessory system called 'Youclip'. With this, a series of square mounts positioned around the car can take compatible accessories like a cupholder, a bag hook, an induction charging phone holder, a portable torch and a tablet stand - and in each case can take around 8kg of weight.
Cost of Ownership
Here's an area where this third generation Duster is streets ahead of its predecessors thanks to the addition of electrified tech. The mild hybrid 1.2-litre three cylinder petrol engine claims a 10% improvement in emissions thanks to its electrified system. You'd expect an even bigger step forward in efficiency figures with the Hybrid 140 variant - and you get it. Combined cycle fuel economy is rated at 55.4mpg with up to 114g/km of CO2. Compare to 51.3mpg and 124g/km for the front-driven TCe130 model. With the base TCe 100 Bi-Fuel version, you can conceivably get yourself a Duster that's even more economic. In this form, the car packs a 50-litre autogas tank alongside the regular fuel tank and together, these will enable an 807 mile combined range without stopping.
On to the warranty. Dacia offers its latest Zen warranty which can cover you for you to 7 years provided you get your car regularly serviced at a Dacia franchise. This is backed by three years or 60,000 miles of roadside assistance. Service intervals are every year or every 12,000 miles and since most Renault dealers look after Dacias too, you shouldn't be too far from a specialist workshop. It also helps that there's a timing chain that'll last as long as the engine. Dacia offers a choice of pre-paid servicing schemes covering you for either two years and 24,000 miles or three years and 36,000 miles.
Summary
This is without doubt the most sophisticated Dacia Duster we've seen yet. But is a Dacia Duster supposed to be sophisticated? The original version certainly wasn't. And it cost around a third of the amount that most customers will be paying for this one; it's unlikely that your salary has increased by two-thirds since 2010. But your expectations of what a reasonably compact family-suitable SUV certainly have and there's no doubt that this third generation Dacia meets them - so impressively that you might wonder whether it's still true to the simple, no-nonsense concept of what a Duster should be.
But some of that still remains in some areas of cabin decor and the cheap manufacturing origins and hand-me-down engineering from other brands - things that have always characterised this Romanian marque. And even the claims for continuing outstanding value stack up when you consider that for Duster money, all other brands will give you is a tiny style-led crossover no use for much but urban trips and a commute to the gym. This Duster, in contrast, can do more: take a family, take a longer trip - even, if specified properly, go off road. In all these respects, it's a true Duster. And we can see why you might like one.
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