The Dacia Duster Cargo came to us on a key-for-key loan after a week with the company’s Spring Cargo compact electric van and feels like a grown-up version of the smaller Spring. The result is something that offered us a dose of familiarity in some areas and pleasant surprises in all the right places. For example, the Duster has a small rear window, blacked-out side rear windows and a low-profile windscreen resulting in a dimly lit interior and limited blind spot visibility… a bit like the Spring Cargo. And yet, the Duster Cargo feels like a far more capable car-derived commercial vehicle because it is bigger, but being a car-derived van its limitations mean it will only ever attract a niche audience. However, it can carry up to 430 kg in its 1.14-cubic metres of load space (less than we expected but usable), seat two passengers comfortably in the front, and provides strong fuel efficiency from its mild hybrid and full hybrid powertrains (the latter of which we tested). That it benefits from all the tax breaks a light commercial vehicle should is, alongside its £23K (ex VAT) starting price, the icing on the cake. If you like what you see, test drive one and work out if the visibility issues and size of the cargo space are deal breakers. If they’re not, the right monthly price on a good finance or lease deal will seal it.
Renault Group (Dacia's owner) was joint-first with Polestar in getting our green-rating survey back to us. The Duster Cargo uses a petrol engine as part of the lineup's hybrid powertrains, meaning it loses some green points for producing tailpipe emissions. However, the Renault Group demonstrates a clear policy on supply of cobalt from conflict-affected areas, and closed loops are active for the recycling of copper, polypropylene and precious metals extracted from end-of-life vehicles or production scrap metal. Suppliers for batteries, steel, aluminium, polymers, tyres, electronic components and glass will be required to provide the Carbon Footprint Record of their parts (covering scopes 1, 2, 3) and to submit proposals for reduction of such footprint to the group.
Cargo & practicality
The Duster Cargo’s conversion from car to commercial vehicle follows the same course most car-derived vans take – remove the back seats, level off, insert a bulkhead, maybe add a cargo cover, black out the rear side windows, add some lashing points… job done. The result is a classic car-derived van capable of carrying nearly 450 kg in its 1.14 cubic metres of load space. The boot hatch provides access to the cargo compartment, which includes a handy load cover to shield your payload from prying eyes and four lashing points. However, we couldn’t get the rear side doors to open on the test model we were loaned… which drew a raised eyebrow or two. Luckily, it’s not the longest load area so leaning into the rear to retrieve cargo wasn’t a massive issue. In short, the Duster Cargo is practical enough for a van of its size and it feels like a better option than the smaller Spring Cargo because of its size… and strong pricing.
Expert rating: 3/5
Interior
The Duster Cargo has a pretty nice cabin with two snug seats and good connectivity throughout, but that’s to be expected considering the base vehicle. Our verdict section made mention of the low-profile windscreen, tiny rear window and the blacked out rear side windows reducing blind spot visibility. These are just facts to be aware of, but there are other car-derived vans out there that don’t suffer with these issues. The infotainment screen is a good size and crisp, with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. We liked the storage in the centre console and the cupholders were conveniently placed and low to the vehicle’s floor meaning we didn’t bump our elbows on the cups… sounds like a small thing but who wants coffee all over the floor because of an elbow-related accident? Not us!
Expert rating: 3/5
Running costs
The two-wheel-drive model we tested running the full hybrid powertrain can offer well over 500 miles of driving range. Regenerative braking also keeps the battery nicely charged and we experienced a loss of only half the battery’s power during our week with the van. We found the vehicle started in electric drive mode and only ever shifted to petrol power when more oomph was needed going up hills or on longer motorway stretches. You can also choose a mild hybrid powertrain, which also offers good fuel efficiency. The upfront purchase prices start around the £23K (ex VAT) mark, which is good for a car-derived van where competitors like the Rexton Commercial from KGM start around £35K (ex VAT) and the Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial will set you back over £50K (ex VAT)... although both competitors offer more payload, among other things.
Expert rating: 5/5
Reliability
The Dacia Duster Cargo is covered by a standard three-year/60,000-mile warranty. Drivers can take out an additional warranty package called Dacia Zen, which extends the warranty by one year for up to seven years or 75,000 miles. Reliability of the Duster base vehicle is considered ‘good for the price’, with older models experiencing diesel particulate filter issues, electrical glitches, software bugs, and aesthetic issues with plastic wear. The new hybrid powertrain is far better than the diesel engines of the previous Dusters, and it will be interesting to see how reliable they remain over time. We will keep you updated here!
Expert rating: 3/5
Performance
As car-derived vans go, the Duster Cargo does a good job of being a light commercial vehicle. The price point alone justifies checking one out if your load-carrying requirements are low and you want something good looking to drive to pricing runs or small jobs. The rear doors not opening is a pickle we can’t quite fathom, but as we stated further up the load space itself isn’t long enough for that to become a major issue. The fuel efficiency and tax breaks will be key for potential drivers and we have no doubt it will perform the tasks laid before it… as long as they don’t try to push beyond the vehicle’s limitations.
Expert rating: 4/5
Ride and handling
The full hybrid system we were able to test on the two-wheel-drive model provided good power and maintaining speed was never an issue. We drove the van in the towns and country roads around Hemel Hempstead, drifting onto the M1 for a few stops along the way… and really enjoyed how planted to the road the Duster Cargo felt compared to the Spring Cargo we’d had before. The bigger vehicle handles the roads ably, with the hybrid system switching nicely between electric and petrol power at what felt like the right moments. It’s no race car, but then speed under load isn’t what it’s made for. We did like the big bonnet sweeping out ahead of us through the windscreen, reminding us of driving a pick-up truck. Visibility out of the small back window and impaired blind spot visibility aside, this drives the Duster base car. It doesn’t roll too much, has enough power to get you away from traffic lights and a relatively quiet cabin at speed.
Expert rating: 3/5
Safety
The Dacia Duster Cargo’s single trim level has a fair few safety systems, including six airbags, cruise control with speed limiter, traffic sign recognition with speed alert, intelligent speed assist, rear parking sensors, rear-view camera, driver attention warning, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, advanced emergency braking system, emergency E-Call, vehicle dynamic control and hill start assist. The Euro NCAP safety rating sits at three stars, which is better than average, and justifies the three-star score here. It’s as safe as you’d expect for the price point!
Expert rating: 3/5
Equipment
Available in one simple trim level, the Dacia Duster Cargo does offer a good equipment level. Highlights include 17-inch Tergan diamond-cut alloy wheels, roof bars, automatic wipers, front electric windows with driver-side one-touch operation, an electric parking brake, a great central armrest with storage, six-way adjustable driver’s seating, four-way adjustable front passenger seating, air conditioning, a seven-inch digital driver display, and the 10.1-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. It’s a good package for the price!
Expert rating: 4/5
Why buy?
You’ll buy a Dacia Duster Cargo because you’re looking for a snazzy car-derived van at a strong price that offers great fuel efficiency. You’ll overlook the van’s limitations because of the financial benefits… which we have mentioned at least five times during the course of this review. But be careful not to expect this to replace conventional small vans, which on a lease or finance deal will do more jobs and carry more weight for equally competitive monthly payments.
