Dacia Duster SUV (2024 - ) review

Dacia is yet to share a UK price list for the new Duster, but we do know it will start below £20,000 and will be slightly more than the outgoing version. Pricing will be confirmed mid-summer with first deliveries expected by November. Given how much of a step up the new car feels compared to the old, it’s sure to remain impressive value. However, if you are after a bargain the final deals on the current generation look generous even by Dacia standards. The new Duster will be available as a mild hybrid with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. On the motorway the two-wheel drive version managed a respectable 46 mpg so it’s likely to be frugal to live with. For the first time the Duster will also be offered as a hybrid using the same system already in the Jogger. This will be more expensive to buy but it’s your only option if you are after an automatic. As a self-charger, you’ll forgo the Benefit In Kind advantage offered for cars with a plug, although this does mean you can enjoy it in electric mode without having to wrangle cables. On our test drive the Duster Hybrid claimed to average around 57 mpg and Dacia says 80 percent of your city driving can be done in electric only mode.

Dacia generally gains solid scores in the reliability rankings and owners clearly rate their cars highly with many remaining loyal to the brand. Given a lot of the underlying technologies are borrowed from sister brand Renault, the new Duster should be as robust as it looks. Dacia has recently launched the Dacia Zen programme, a service activated warranty extending your basic three-year cover by an extra year every time your car is serviced by Dacia. This applies until your car reaches seven years old and is similar to plans offered by Suzuki and Toyota. Even existing Dacia owners can benefit, provided their car is under six years old and has done less than 75,000 miles.

Dacia has a rather rocky relationship with NCAP, the car safety rating body and in the latest round of tests other Dacia models gained only one or two stars. However, the new Duster comes with much more safety kit than before so it will be interesting to see how it scores. Dacia says its safety policy is to provide essential protection for occupants whilst balancing affordability against driver assistance technology. The new Duster has six airbags as standard and complies with the latest European safety regulations. This means it has features such as traffic sign recognition with speed limit alerting, rear parking sensors, driver attention alerting, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assistance and emergency calling fitted as standard. These can be configured to your personal preferences allowing you to turn off features you find too intrusive via a shortcut button. The Duster also has a speed limiter and cruise control. Additional safety features such as blind spot monitoring and extra cameras can be added as options.

Moving from the current car into the new Duster there’s a noticeable difference in interior space, so you might think it’s a much larger car. However, while the new Duster is slightly wider, it has similar overall dimensions to the old one. The design of the interior is bolder with the y-shape of the LED headlights present throughout the cabin. We particularly like the new steering wheel that’s been flattened at the top and bottom, giving a chunkier feel. The seats remain squishy and while they may lack a bit of support on longer journeys, they are comfy enough for day-to-day. On cars with Extreme level trim, you’ll even get washable upholstery. Teaming this with rubber floormats the Duster is ready to withstand almost anything you can throw at it, including our lunch. While most manufacturers wouldn’t dare risk their interiors, Dacia took a rather devil-may-care approach, packing us off on our test drive with a bowl of tomato soup secured only by the flimsiest plastic lid. Although there were no spillages, a testament to the Duster’s improved ride quality, we were confident we could have cleaned up any evidence without leaving a trace. In the back there’s enough head and legroom to sit three people, though those in the middle will have the centre console to contend with and Dacia has moved the rear external door handles up into the pillars which could make them trickier for small children to reach.

A key feature of the new Duster is the use of a material called Starkle comprising of 20 percent recycled plastics. Made without using any paint, it has a slightly sparkly pebbled effect best seen on the front door details. It is used all over the car on the bumper and wheel-arch guards adding to the Duster’s tough and sturdy appearance. The Duster will be available in four trim levels, starting with the most basic Essential grade. Like the previous generation this grade will be totally stripped back. It won’t feature the new digital driver display and you’ll have to bring your own screen to clip into the centre of the dashboard. Moving up to Expression you’ll gain that digital dashboard and a 10.1-inch touchscreen with reversing cameras and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Interestingly most Duster customers choose one of the range topping models in Extreme or Journey trim. Both are offered at a similar price with Extreme geared towards outdoorsy adventurers while Journey is slightly plusher for the less hardcore. With these options you’ll get integrated satnav, automatic air conditioning and keyless entry. Rather than borrowing the Google powered infotainment system from Renault, Dacia has used its own less fancy tech focusing just on the essentials. It’s a little clunky but keeps things simple and is a big improvement on the infotainment in the previous car. Another nifty addition is Dacia’s new YouClip attachment allowing you to slot accessories like a phone holder, a torch, a cupholder or a hook onto little square anchor points dotted around the car. There’s also the Sleep Pack, a three-in-one removable box that folds out to create a double bed with a side table and storage space ready for adventures out in the wilderness.

The Duster may not be designed for speed, but it is made to go just about anywhere. We started out in the hybrid version which felt the most modern compared to its predecessor. It was easy to drive with light steering as we snaked up and down the Spanish hills on our route. When in electric only mode the Duster was quiet and smooth, but it was noticeably less refined as the petrol engine kicked in. Switching over to the two-wheel drive mild hybrid we enjoyed being in a manual as we felt it fitted the rugged spirit of the Duster better. Even without power to all wheels it tackled a rocky dirt track admirably, taking the substantial ups and downs in its stride. Very impressive given most people wouldn't even make their four-wheel drives work so hard. Back on the Tarmac we needed to work the gears for overtaking on the motorway but being relatively light helped the Duster to pick up speed. Finally, we tried out the four-wheel drive model on an off-roading course where it excelled. Five driving modes have you covered for most eventualities with Auto, Snow, Mud/Sand, Off-Road and Eco all doing as the names suggest and you’ll also get hill assist and hill descent control. All-round cameras give you a view over the crest of a hill and help you navigate obstacles, while the suspension works to soak up all the bumps. In reality this is much more than your average person would ever use but Dacia’s commitment to building a car with substance and style is to be applauded.