13 years ago, an SUV from some Romanian characters, especially to people in Western Europe, seemed like a joke. Today, on the other hand, I am laughing at Dacia, because this Duster was sold in 60 countries of the world, 2.2 million units were sold, and by 2022 Duster was the best-selling SUV in Europe.
Almost a thousand new pieces of speed are produced every day, that is one vehicle per minute. It turned out that a large group of people, in short, want a car that is robust, simple, can handle uphill roads and doesn’t cost a lot of money. For that, he asked for the most modern electronic aids.
The design of the new generation shows that it is still a Duster, but a lot of things have changed. The front mask with new lights is very nice, with a similar profile from the front as well. The overall exterior has gained in robustness, especially the length of the cladding, which remains black and is not painted in the car’s color like many other cars. Due to this, Dacia has changed the colors of the modern edition to be environmentally friendly, but mainly emphasizes that these bumpers will never lose their original color, even when they are scratched or worn, because the inserted plastic is itself colored.
Dacia resisted the temptation to make the Duster intergenerational, perhaps also because it is preparing the first Bigster sibling for the fifth year. The external dimensions of the new generation have practically not changed. The length increased by only 2 mm to 4,343 mm, and by 9 mm to 1,813 mm without mirrors, and on the other hand, the roof without thin lines fell from 1,693 to 1,656 mm. Somewhat surprisingly, the wheelbase changed from 2673 to 2657 mm.
This does not mean that the air in the interior space. Passengers still have plenty of space in both doors, and the luggage compartment has grown to 517 liters in the case of the version with a gasoline engine and front-wheel drive. This is not the case for a number of cars this week. The tykolka will have 456 liters, the LPG version 453 liters and at least the new hybrid 430 liters. In the basic volume of the gasoline version, the Duster beats competitors such as the Koda Kamiq or the MG ZS. The luggage compartment itself has not two lanes, so its entrance opening is vt and ir. There is also a package for sleeping, similar to the Jogger, when the box in the trunk will be able to be folded into a comfortable double bed.
Digitization
We can also find a lot of new things in the interior, which, although the entrance is made of cheap hard plastic, which is something that you have to deal with (by the way, it is being maintained for a long time), but there is a 7-inch digital instrument cluster in front of you (only in the lowest trim level) 3.5-inch TFT), in the middle of the dashboard from the second level of equipment, there is a new 10-inch display, and the top and bottom mesh steering wheel is completely new. Infotainment can connect Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly. In your equipment, the infotainment is connected to the navigation, and next to it there are six standard speakers.
Despite the digitization of the interior, the Duster still did not give up on simple ergonomics. So, the main function of the air conditioning can be controlled with physical buttons, the latest mandatory assistant, which automatically announces the speed limit, can be easily turned off with one button. But this particular assistant is an example of the senselessness of the owner, who put him in two cars. What is the use of a safety assistant that can be easily turned off? Almost everyone will do it, because it’s not a song, you’ll see a sign, but Dacia has to put not only it in your car, but also the traffic sign system and connect everything with navigation and acoustic warning. This is only so that almost everyone can turn it off with one press after starting.
A new interesting gadget is a service called YouClip. If it was in a codebook, it would be called Simply Clever. YouClip is a simple system that allows a practical and safe attachment of a number of specialized accessories to various places in the cabin. The new Duster is equipped with 4 or 6 grip points, depending on the level of equipment. One on the dashboard, one on the passenger side of the console, one in the back of the center console, two in the trunk on the left and right sides, and one on the inside of the two trunks. With the help of the additional handle of the headrest, 2 points can then be added. You can put your phone, tablet or portable light on it.
Diesel is over
Don’t expect a diesel drive under the hood, it was replaced by a full hybrid drive. It consists of a 1.6-liter gasoline engine with a power of 94 hp, an electric motor with a power of 49 hp, a high-voltage starter/generator and an electrified automatic transmission, which has 4 stages for the combustion engine and 2 for the electric motor. A total of 104 kW, or 140 hp, means the most powerful drive in the Duster, because there are two gasoline engines with an output of 150 hp.
The dynamics are good, the car reaches 100 km/h in 10.1 seconds. In the Renault Clio, this drive is great, in the Duster, I think there is a bit of unpleasant noise, especially at high speeds on the highway. The system evaluates that you need to burn gasoline not only to drive the car, but also to recharge the batteries, and the engine is thus cranked up. The vehicle promises a consumption of 5 liters during a leisurely drive, which, according to our first ride, is not an unfair value at all. I’m selling this drive at the cheapest price of 622,900 K, and I’m not sure that a typical Dacia order will be applauded.
There are, of course, cheaper drives, and it is generally accepted that Duster’s competitors are very expensive, in my opinion, resistant and with less terrain capabilities. But the duster is not so cheap. Dacia built its rush on an excellent price/utility value ratio. The manufacturer is trying to maintain this ratio with the new generation, but the emission regulations are quite strict against it.
In 2018, the Duster was sold from 260 thousand. It would be crazy to see such a starting price today. For the price, the end of the generation starts at 410 thousand with a TCe 90 hp gasoline engine. The new generation, though in stock, only cost 429,900 K with a factory conversion on LPG with a 100 hp engine. In the last generation, this engine was sold for practically the same 425,500 K.
For a little more, but still affordable, the intermediate-generation TCe 130 gasoline engine cost 502,500 K in the Journey trim, today 536,900 K. The main difference is that the TCe 130 engine also comes in two versions in the basic Expression trim for 463 500 K. For some, this unit is a little paradoxical, not a powerful hybrid, it reaches 100 km/h in 9.9 seconds. Opt for a quiet idea, this basic engine is a great choice. As long as it is quite flexible, when you don’t wear it too much, thanks to the better noise reduction, you will consume only half a liter less than the pepper hybrid, 5.5 l/100 km.
In total, there were six versions with a price tag under half a million, new only those, and this one is the one level of equipment with the basic LPG drive. The variable gasoline engine TCe 130 is the cheapest classic engine in the range, but it is a mild-hybrid. It can also be had as a minivan from 598,900 K. Dve was the cheapest minivan for 574,000 K, one with a powerful TCe 150 engine.
LPG is a great drive in that long-term operation is more suitable than gasoline, the difference between individual modes is imperceptible, and thanks to the 50-liter tank for gasoline and 50-liter for LPG, it goes to one or own two gas stations, drive 1300 kilometers. Dacia customers generally love this type of drive, and in some models it makes up less than half of the orders, so you will be satisfied with the offer of the new Duster.
According to our information, after the full production run, the range of equipment and engine combinations should start to expand, and buyers of the classic gasoline engine will also be able to get progressive versions. And not long ago, a relatively large car from the previous generation arrived at dealers, which, although the price at the end of its life cycle has not been reduced, will offer you suitable financing in the form of operational leasing.
A durable classic
Natst and dog you price is a new generation still the old one, good Duster. It is not possible to take it to a stop on an asphalt road, both because the engine is running, and you light things and set the chassis, where in a faster pass the stop very soon and the track dries up the ESP. However, the durability and robustness of this model proved itself on broken roads, or completely off-road. The new generation has not lost anything on its driving characteristics, on the contrary, it has improved them a lot. Duster is built on the same CMF-B chassis platform as Sandero or Jogger. In addition to the fact that it allows the construction of various types of drive, including a stick, it means intergenerational progress in driving comfort and reduced noise.
The handlebar has five driving modes: Auto, Snow, Mud/Sand, Eco and Offroad or Lock, which closes the drive line between the gears in a 50:50 ratio. e Duster doesn’t stop at all in the off-road, as evidenced by the 217-mm-wide wheelbase, the same as in the previous generation. Rather than two, there are 31 in the front and 36 in the rear for the 44 version.
The car will also be equipped with a speed control system when driving downhill. On the central screen, you can not only view the camera image in the rear view, so that you can see where you are going, but also a lot of information, such as the degree of inclination of the vehicle. And as we convinced ourselves during the first rides, the Duster is still at home off the paved road. It passes a little more than two, and it’s hard to break dirt roads, when even at speeds of around 30 km/h, it filters all the potholes and bumps.
