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The Dacia Duster is a small, rugged that costs about the same as a small family hatchback. The low price point means it's competitive enough to take on the best of the best in the SUV and family hatchback segments of the market.
If you look it as a cut-price, you might start questioning whether you really need to spend more for 'the real thing'. The Duster's range is pretty easy to get your head around, but the entry-level model is basic.
In Access spec, there's black plastic everywhere, steel wheels and no radio inside; cheap and cheerful is the name of the game. Ambience and Ambience Prime versions add more toys, while the the higher-spec Laureate and Prestige models offer a genuine alternative to mainstream rivals - with cruise control and electric windows all round. The range was subtly updated in late 2015 with a slightly revised front end, and again in 2016 with a new turbo petrol engine and dual-clutch automatic model. It does have its issues, particularly its three-star Euro NCAP crash test safety rating and engines that aren't quite as economical as more expensive alternatives. The Duster does fight back with a flexible interior, appealing looks and pretty decent driving manners. Fans of East European will remember the name from the 80s and 90s, most notably the 12-based Denem and the original Duster.
The Dacia name returned to the UK in 2012, with the Romanian company having been under Renault ownership since 1999. The Duster was the first car to be sold here under the new corporate umbrella, offering a refreshingly old-school take on the formula. It uses running gear from Renault and models, but economies of scale mean it offers -levels of practicality for the price of a. As such, direct rivals are few and far between, but from a size perspective, it's up against the likes of the, and. Image 4 of 13 Prices start from a headline-grabbing £9,500, but the entry-level Duster Access is basic in the extreme. The white paint, black bumpers and 16-inch steel wheels deliver a UN-spec vibe, while 'luxuries' are kept to the minimum. On the plus side, a 4x4 system can be added for £2,000, creating a bargain basement full-fat off-roader.
The Duster Ambiance still runs on steel wheels, but the styling is improved courtesy of body-coloured bumpers. Other upgrades include front fog lights, a /FM/AM radio and a USB connection for MP3 players. Manual air conditioning isn't part of the Duster package until you reach the Laureate trim level, which also adds 16-inch alloy wheels, leather steering wheel, chrome roof bars and cruise control.
The Prestige trim delivers diamond-cut alloys, sat-nav and a reversing camera. At the top of the range is the aptly-named SE Summit, which gains bespoke alloy wheels, grey metallic paint, body side and wheel arch mouldings, orange trim upholstery and burnt orange air vent surrounds. You can add more premium features to the Duster, such as leather upholstery for around £500, but cloth trim and a slightly more pared-back kit list better suit the Dacia’s honest, down-to-earth character. Items such as climate control or go aren’t even available as options, but the Laureate model offers enough gear to make it usable at an accessible price. That’s why with the well proven 1.5 dCi engine it’s the pick of the range.
Although it’s cheap, the Duster has plenty of appeal for drivers who aren’t badge snobs. Dacia is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, and so many of its mechanical components are tried and tested from other group models.
The Dacia Duster seats five comfortably, and will even take you some way off-road if you opt for the 4x4 option. Most people will choose front-wheel drive, though, and both drive systems can be mated to a 109bhp 1.5 dCi, a 114bhp petrol 1.6 (but only in the entry model), and a 124bhp 1.2-litre turbo petrol on top-spec Laureate and Prestige models. If you buy a front-wheel-drive diesel, Duster, there's also the option of a twin-clutch EDC auto gearbox on Laureate and Prestige models. The Dacia Duster is a simple, straightforward car and this is reflected in the way it drives. If you’re looking for something a bit more engaging, look to the Ford Focus: the approach here is focused on delivering a decent ride and safe, foolproof handling, rather than the ultimate in driver enjoyment. Long-travel suspension and a soft set-up mean the car absorbs bad bumps with greater composure than its rivals, sailing down the road where the Tivoli would skip over the surface. It does mean there’s some significant body roll in bends.
Hit a bump, and the Dacia’s steering kicks back fiercely, shaking the car off your chosen cornering line. The wheel also weights up significantly in corners. It means you can actually feel what’s going on with the tyres, but it’s best to make the most of the Duster’s comfortable ride at a slower pace, where the car makes more sense. At a more leisurely cruise, the Dacia’s quirks give it plenty of character that makes it a likeable 4x4, and although it’s not the best off-roader around, these drawbacks don’t require too much of a sacrifice – especially at this price. Image 3 of 13 Early UK-market Dusters didn’t have ESP as standard, a major safety omission.
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All 2015 cars now have it as standard though, and there’s a Nissan-derived three-mode 4WD system available across the range if you want the security of extra traction. There's a smooth-shifting dual-clutch automatic version too, but it's front-wheel drive only. The high seats and raised stance mean the Duster is a confidence-inspiring drive in the city, although the budget car does still lag behind pricier rivals in its lack of safety assist tech – emergency auto-braking is unavailable, for example.
Rear parking sensors are a dealer-fit option: front sensors are not offered by Dacia. Engines The engine choice is pretty simple for the Duster range: it starts with a 108bhp 1.6-litre normally-aspirated petrol engine that’s available only in the Access entry model. A 109bhp 1.5-litre dCi diesel is available across the range, while top Laureate and Prestige models are now also offered with a 124bhp 1.2-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol. The diesel is easily the best option. The Renault-sourced unit can be a bit gruff under acceleration, but it’s a decent performer with lots of pull at the bottom of the rev range and ample strength to pull a family of five, especially because the Dacia isn’t very heavy, weighing a relatively low 1,325kg. You don’t have to keep changing gear to maintain progress, and the six-speed gearbox itself is light and easy; this helps keep engine noise under control when cruising. Short gearing means that the Duster hits the rev limiter in third before the car has reached 50mph, while the similarly short first gear is useful for off-road work in the 4x4 version.
The dual-clutch auto detracts from the Duster's no-frills appear somewhat, but it's is a good box, so for some the £1,000 premium will be worth it. The 1.6-litre engine is harder work. Despite being faster than the diesel Duster on paper (0-62mph is quoted at 11.0 seconds, compared to 11.8 seconds for the diesel), it feels flat on the road because it has to be revved: it has 60% less pulling power than the diesel, and this torque is delivered 2,000rpm higher up the rev range. Driving the 1.6 quickly is thus a noisy affair that you won’t enjoy. If it’s fully laden, you’ll have to work the gearbox – if you have to go for the 1.6 petrol, choose the 4x4 variant as this has a six-speed gearbox that makes it a bit easier. The two older Renault-derived engines are both familiar units – and the best choice is the dCi diesel. Fuel economy isn’t exceptional by modern standards, but all diesels crack 60mpg.
CO2 emissions of between 115 and 123g/km aren’t bad either. Those after an auto will be pleased to learn the efficient EDC dual-clutch box returns almost identical fuel economy and emissions as the manual.
Stop-start or any other green assist features are unavailable on any Duster, though. The entry level petrol engine is much less competitive. It averages 41.5mpg with 4x4, or 44.1mpg in two-wheel-drive format - figures we used to associate with 1.6 petrol cars of a decade ago.
CO2 is up to 155g/km. The 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol option is not that attractive from a running cost point of view either. It might be a bit pokier than the 1.6, but it only manages 46.3mpg and 44.1mpg in 2x4 and 4x4 guise respectively. Emissions range from 138 to 145g/km of CO2. Insurance groups The 1.6 Access petrol reflects its basic nature with a supermini-like group 6 insurance rating. Its unpainted black bumpers will be cheap to repair and there’s so little kit as standard, it’s unlikely to attract much attention in a car park. The stronger everyday performance and more complex nature of diesel-engined Ambience models means insurance group ratings take a jump up to group 10.
Laureate models are higher still, at group 11 – although do note the theoretically more secure handling of Laureate 4x4 models pitches them a group lower, back in group 10. Image 7 of 13 Laureate Prime Dusters will be the most expensive to insure, with the 4x2 model coming in at group 12. Again, the 4x4 has an advantage, at group 11. An alarm isn’t standard on any Duster variant, but is offered as part of the £595 protection pack, which also includes rear parking sensors and extra tailgate protection.
Generally, the Dacia Duster holds a significant insurance group advantage other compact SUVs. The base Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dCi Visia, for example, starts at group 17. Depreciation Not only is the Duster cheap to buy, but it also holds on to a good proportion of its value on the used market. It’s a popular car that’s in demand, which helps retained values remain comparable or even slightly better than rivals from, and. Because the list prices are so very low, the monetary cost of depreciation will be thousands less than comparable compact SUVs. Some versions do perform better than others, though.
The Laureate is sought after because used buyers know it will come with air-conditioning as standard, for example; the base Access is less appealing because of its solid white paint and thirsty 1.6-litre petrol engine. There have been a few subtle revisions to the Duster in 2016. Look closely, and you might notice the squarer, multi-part headlights. Together with the chrome grille, satin silver skid plates and relatively high ride height, these minor changes give the car a more rugged look. There are satin silver side sills and Duster-branded roof bars to go with the skid plates. The no-frills models further down the range get black plastic bumpers and steel wheels.
But Laureate and Prestige models get colour coded bumpers, although there’s still some black plastic in evidence. It gives the car a bit less of a utilitarian look, and combined with 16-inch alloy wheels and some of the more extravagant paint colour, it balances the Duster’s straightforward shape with a little bit of style. The Duster's wide wheelarches give the car plenty of presence on the road, but while it might look as substantial as some rivals, it doesn’t feel that way. Pull the plasticky door handles and open the lightweight doors, and you’re met by a sea of solid surfaces. The appealing style isn’t quite carried through to the inside. As part of the facelift there was new upholstery for the seats, while the dash finish and satin chrome inserts that flank the centre console and feature on the steering wheel are also added.
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Despite the updates, material quality still feels decidedly budget level. Apart from a few flashes of brightness, including the chrome rings around the dials, it’s a dull cabin. The dashboard is neat enough, but a bit plain compared to other compact SUVs – and quality reflects its budget roots in being a bit plasticky and plain in places. It feels like a supermini-class car, rather than a more premium SUV. Image 6 of 13 The dials and switchgear will be familiar to Renault Clio drivers, and it’s all very simple to use.
It lacks high-tech features, preferring good old fashioned knobs to more modern electronic displays. You don’t even get a trip computer or until the top-spec Laureate, for example. The only version that does feature advanced tech is the Prestige: it comes with a standard MediaNav Evolution touchscreen infotainment system with sat-nav. This has live traffic info and Aha web radio; the regular Laureate is available with an older version of MediaNav sat-nav as an option. At least you get a DAB radio and Bluetooth as standard, while cruise control is also included.
The nav is around £450, while adding a reversing camera costs around £400. If you also choose rear parking sensors, they’ll cost another £200. Cloth trim in Ambience models feels cheap, but things do improve as you go up the range (every variant has a different type of seat trim). You can also choose leather on all versions above Ambience, but we’d stick with cloth. Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment It’s a huge black mark here for the Access – because you don’t even get a radio as standard! At least Dacia fits the pre-wiring for an aftermarket stereo and speakers. Ambience models have an MP3- compatible CD stereo with AUX and USB connectivity, plus remote fingertip controls and Bluetooth connectivity.
If you want infotainment, you must choose the optional MediaNav kit on the Laureate (it costs a bargain £300), or take the Prestige where it’s fitted as standard. The Duster may be priced like a supermini but one of its key showroom draws is the amount of space it offers.
It’s a similar size to the Nissan Qashqai on the outside and this is reflected in the amount of space within – for drivers, passenger and luggage. Sensibly, Dacia only offers the Duster as a five-seater. Size At 4,315mm long, the Duster is just 55mm shorter than a Qashqai, and it’s actually a bit longer and wider than regular hatchbacks such as the Hyundai i30. It’s of course higher off the ground than a regular family hatch – at 1,695mm tall, it’s actually the same height as the more SUV-styled Nissan X-Trail. Another key advantage over less SUV-biased models is ground clearance.
The standard Duster can clear obstacles 205mm tall and the 4x4 version has an additional slight advantage in terms of ground clearance, offering 210mm. This can pay dividends in the urban jungle, not just off road. Leg room, head room & passenger space All occupants will appreciate the Duster’s tall design. It gives a better view out for driver and passengers and the fact that you step into it rather than lowering yourself down makes access easier. Getting in won’t be a struggle and neither will helping children do up their seat belts in the back. The driving position is decent but do note, a height-adjustable driver’s seat is not fitted to base Access models.
The ergonomics leave a little to be desired, too, as it’s difficult to see the upright seven-inch touchscreen even with the driver’s seat in the lowest position. As for storage, there’s a big tray on top of the dashboard, with a handy ledge featuring the Duster nameplate above the glovebox and another tray underneath the sat-nav. However, the speaker pods eat into space in the door bins, while quirks such as the mirror control underneath the handbrake are a bit annoying. Image 12 of 13 Rear seat access and roominess is impressive for a car so competitively priced; three people can be loaded into the back, making it a viable family car choice. Just note, the rear seat is a bit soft, so for regular long journeys fully-laden, you may prefer a more conventional car such as a Ford Focus.
Boot The Dacia Duster has a superb 475-litre boot. This is much bigger than models such as the Ford Focus (363 litres) and Volkswagen Golf (380 litres), and it can stretch to 1,636 litres with the seats folded. Again, though, the Access suffers here as the Duster doesn’t have a split-fold rear seat as standard. 4x4 versions of the Duster have a slightly smaller boot, due to the all-wheel drive running gear. If you have a spare wheel option, they offer 408 litres with the seats up and 1,570 litres with them down. You can choose a puncture repair kit instead though, to yield more space: 443 litres with the seats up and 1,604 litres with them folded.
The boot is a good, well planned shape and, although the boot lip is a bit higher off the ground than in a regular hatch, this actually makes it a bit easier to slide things in and get them out again. Still, those chunky wheelarches also mean the suspension doesn’t eat into the boot too much, so there’s a wide, flat area for big loads. What the Duster lacks are any premium load bay features such as fancy tie-down points and clever sliding rear seats to trade passenger legroom for boot space. It’s a basic setup that reflects the value-led list prices – it offers space in abundance and Dacia feels for most buyers, this will be enough. The Duster will haul a maximum braked trailer weight of 1,200kg in 4x2 guise and 1,500kg as a 4x4. Unbraked, it ranges from 615kg for the 1.6 4x2, up to 680kg for the 1.5 dCi 4x4.
The Dacia Duster had been sold in Europe since 2010, before arriving in the UK in 2012. This, combined with its simple nature and use of very well proven Renault and Nissan-sourced components means reliability and dependability are proving competitive. There has been a surprising issue with rust appearing on early models, though. These were built in India and don’t seem to have had quite the same level of corrosion protection we’ve come to take for granted in the UK. The 2015 model is built in a different plant in Romania and Dacia assures us the issue has now been sorted.
Dacia performed terribly in our 2017, finishing 27th out of 27 brands on the list of manufacturers. Meanwhile, its dealer network was ranked the lowest in the UK, a fall from grace from a year earlier, when the brand finished second.
While the Duster might be easy to live with, as a family car it comes under tougher scrutiny when it comes to safety. What really lets the Duster down is its weak safety score. Euro NCAP gave it just three stars for overall crash safety in 2011. In a marketplace where five stars is the accepted norm and anything less than four stars is unacceptable, this is a real weakness.
The Duster suffers not because of any major failings in crash protection, but in its lack of safety assist features. ESP has only recently been standardised, for example, and electronic emergency braking isn’t available even as an option. Only front and side airbags are fitted as standard; curtain airbags are not available. Warranty The Duster has an average warranty of three years and 60,000 miles. Although it’s sold in the same showroom as Renault, Dacia has decided not to follow the French firm’s four-year warranty package. Significantly for owners of early Dusters, there is a two-year paintwork warranty and a six-year anti-corrosion warranty: a surprising number of owners have already claimed on this. Dacia offers extra coverage for a little more.
Its five-year/60,000-mile pack is around £400, while there’s the option to up this to seven years and 100,000 miles for around £850. If you buy on finance, the five-year pack is often included as standard, as an incentive. Servicing The Duster has a rather short service schedule of one year or 12,000 miles: most Renaults and Nissans stretch this further, which is surprising. There is, however, no difference in schedules between diesel and petrol, or 4x2 and 4x4 models, which makes things straightforward. Dacia offers a three-year/30,000-mile service pack that comes in at around £430.
Posts: 6 Group: Members Member #5,529 Joined: July 23, 2012 Hi folks, another problem has just emerged with the Daily that I've recently taken on. We had the van up on a ramp today getting some work done on the brakes. With the rear wheel off, the fitter discovered a crack on the main chassis rail. It's just forward of the point where the bump stop mount attaches to the rail. I figure this will have happened due to overloading (or perhaps hitting a bad bump at the wrong time whilst overloaded) but I'm not sure if there is anything else I should be looking out for. Are there likely to be other cracks elsewhere? (The corresponding point on the other side seems to be OK) I've got a photo of the damage below.
A friend of mine is a very competent welder so hopefully I'll be able to do something with it, but open to any advice on what might have happened, and how best to repair it. Jul 28 2012, 09:13 PM. Posts: 28 Group: Members Member #5,576 Joined: July 28, 2012 That area looks considerably weakened by corrosion. The crack has formed at the weak point adjacent to member and bracketry (ie where it bends/flexes under load) Depending on the vehicle's use, I would probably cut out a length of that chassis area and replace it. I know sounds difficult but it's not too bad when get everything cleaned up. You could get a metal fab.
Shop to make/bend up a short section for you to match. Use some and keep some for later! Quick way is to more thorougly de-rust and stop drill crack, then weld. I doubt it will be a neat and easy weld tho. Edges will burn out. Jul 30 2012, 12:41 PM.
Posts: 6 Group: Members Member #5,529 Joined: July 23, 2012 Thanks for the reply - much appreciated. Not sure if it's noticeable from the photo, but the crack appears to have started from an unused hole in the chassis.
If the crack is caused by corrosion (as opposed to gross overloading, for instance) it figures that corrosion will have occurred elsewhere. Should I be checking the rest of the chassis for similar problems, or considering re-coating it entirely?
My friend and I tackled the welding at the weekend. He filled the crack, and welded some plates on the inside of the section to add strength. The weld seemed to 'take' OK and the welds all looked quite smooth and happy. One thing I'm not sure about is whether the chassis on these vehicles is heat-treated or not. Apparently if it has been heat-treated, the welding can remove some of the protection that it gives. Googling turns up nothing useful on the subject - does anyone know if it has or not?
Aug 8 2012, 04:49 PM. Posts: 95 Group: Members Member #6,900 Joined: December 27, 2012 I think i have something similar to this. But times it by 6! Best way i can describe it atm without pictures is:- the metal beams that run width ways across the van, from the very rear of the vehicle. 3 of these beams have appeared to have snapped on both sides at what looks like some kind of weak point. Dosent appear to be due to corrosion as they look in relatively good condition. I personally think it was caused by overloading!
Its a bit scary to be honest (expensive kind of scary!) but when i post the pics ill hope that someone will say.' Dont worry, its meant to be like that, its a design feature') lol Ill post some pics of it soon for all to see & tell about the small fortune ill have to shell out to get them welded.