The Renault Duster Thread

I'm not so fussed about manual vs auto - but I'm in two minds whether to grab one of these now or wait for the new Mahindra Thar (which is likely a year or two away due to production delays in India)...
For me, it would have been between something like this and the 5-door Jimny being released next year but I'm not sure the boot will be much bigger than the non existent boot of the 3-door model
 
New-look 2021 Dacia Duster priced from £13,995

Value SUV gets Sandero-inspired front end and a larger, updated infotainment system

The Dacia Duster has been lightly restyled to bring it into line with its new Sandero sibling as part of a mid-life facelift.

Available to order now ahead of customer deliveries beginning in September, the facelifted car is priced from £13,995 in entry-level Essential trim, ensuring it keeps its position as one of the most affordable SUVs on sale in the UK.

The cheapest car wears steel wheels and contrasting trim elements, and has manual air-conditioning controls. Alloy wheels come with mid-rung Comfort trim, at £15,495, along with electric mirrors, front fog lights, hill descent control and an 8.0in touchscreen with smartphone mirroring functionality. The range-topping Duster Prestige comes in at £16,695 with larger 17in alloys, privacy glass, automatic air conditioning, keyless entry and heated seats.

Dacia’s new Y-shaped headlight designs and a chrome grille mark the new SUV out from the current car, and more efficient LED front indicators have been fitted for the first time.

New aero-optimised 15in and 16in wheels and spoiler designs, in conjunction with new wheel bearings, tyres and the more efficient lights, are said to help cut CO2 emissions by 5.8g/km on the four-wheel-drive Duster.

 
Indian Suzuki Swift & Renault Duster score zero stars in Latin NCAP test

The Indian-built Suzuki Swift and Latin and Romanian-built Renault Duster have delivered a poor set of outcomes after rigorous testing at the hands of the Latin NCAP. The safety testing firm states that the results were very disappointing and calls for urgent improvements.

The Renault Duster tested here comes standard with double airbags and electronic stability control . Despite this, it achieved zero stars under Latin NCAP’s latest protocol with a 29,47 per cent in the adult occupant box, 22,93 per cent in child occupant box, 50,79 per cent in pedestrian protection and vulnerable road users box and 34,88 per cent in safety assist box.

The Suzuki Swift, which is built in India and Japan with two airbags as standard, achieved zero stars as well. The compact car achieved 15,53 per cent in the adult occupant box, 0 per cent in child occupant box, 66,07 per cent in pedestrian protection and vulnerable road users box and 6,98 per cent in safety assist box. The result is valid for the hatchback and sedan versions.

The zero star result is due to the poor side impact protection and an open door during the test. A low whiplash score is due to the lack of UN32 for rear impact test. Furthermore, the result is accredited to the lack of standard side head protection airbags and ESC. Latin NCAP states that this model would not pass the Regulation UN95 requirements due to the door opening on impact.


 
2024 Dacia Duster to go hybrid but remain affordable

Affordable capability will remain the crossover's biggest strength under 'Renaulution' strategy

Dacia is striving to ensure the Duster SUV flagship remains true to its affordable and capable billing as the firm expands and electrifies its product line-up under parent company Groupe Renault’s ‘Renaulution’ transformation strategy.

Speaking exclusively to Autocar following the brand’s recent reveal of its freshly updated Nissan Juke rival, Duster product boss Julien Ferry emphasised that the current model’s successor must be “the same” car.

“Its role in the company is to provide a very good price-to- feature ratio,” he said. “It has to address these customers who are looking for a simple car which can go off-road.”

Ferry emphasised that the Duster’s off-road ability will be a priority for the current model’s successor. The outgoing 4x4 version of the Dacia Duster is one of the cheapest four-wheel-drive SUVs on sale, with Ferry referring to it as “the best non-specialist off-roader”. Dacia will therefore “keep the recipe and update it following customer demand”.

Earlier this year, Dacia CEO Denis Le Vot said the value brand would “leverage to the full” the Renault-Nissan-Mistubishi Alliance’s CMF-B architecture, as already used by the Duster’s smaller Sandero sibling, as part of a move to bring all of Dacia’s and sibling brand Lada’s models onto one platform.


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2024 Renault Duster to go hybrid but retain competitive pricing

The next update for the Renault Duster, which could be due in 2024, is set to embrace the future of electrification with a hybrid electric powertrain. Dacia, the current manufacturer of the utilitarian crossover, says that this shift will not affect its affordability.

Speaking to Autocar, the Renault Duster product boss Julien Ferry said that the successor of the current model must be “the same” car.

“Its role in the company is to provide a very good price-to-feature ratio,” he said. “It has to address these customers who are looking for a simple car which can go off-road.”

Ferry stressed that the next Renault Duster would remain a capable off-roader. With the outgoing model being the most affordable four-wheel drive SUV on sale in the European region, he insists that the brand must “keep the recipe and update it following customer demand”.

The next-generation Renault Duster is destined to adhere to electrification under the group’s “Renaulutuion” transformation strategy which will include 24 new electrified vehicles by 2025.

 
A tuner has given the sensible Dacia Duster a not-so-sensible widebody kit

German tuner Prior Design will sell you this monster kit for just €2,999

The Dacia Duster is a sensible, affordably-priced car that delivers on a number of sensible fronts. A German tuner has decided that what this whirling pool of sensible really needed was massive frickin' arches.

Yes, Prior Design has had the widebody pens out again, and while the base car this time around is something rather less performance-orientated, it's no less bonkers.

You can have the full arches, front splitter and rear diffuser kit for just €2,999. Which at least maintains the theme of the Duster.

The little roof spoiler will set you back an extra €299, but if you want the fully-slammed look above you’ll need to sort your own springs and wheels. Cough, we already know someone who can help with that – click these blue words to find out what we’re on about…


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Updated 2021 Dacia Duster Commercial on sale from £12,795

Flat load bay, rugged trim and 4x4 option for working variant of popular crossover

Dacia has revealed the updated version of its Duster Commercial SUV-van, mirroring the upgrades made to the passenger variant, which was launched earlier this year.

As with commercial versions of the Suzuki Jimny, Toyota Land Cruiser and Land Rover Defender, the Duster swaps its rear seats for a flat-floored, 1623-litre load bay with panel sides, rather than windows.

Y-shaped LED headlights flank a redesigned front grille, bringing the van into line with Dacia's new-look passenger car range, while new alloy wheel designs and colour options set it apart from the outgoing model.

It is available to order now in two trim levels, priced from £12,795 before VAT. Buyers get a choice of petrol engines ranging in output from 88bhp to 148bhp, which send their reserves to the front axle through a six-speed manual or dual-clutch automatic gearbox, while a 113bhp diesel motor brings the option of four-wheel drive.

Petrol-powered variants are capable of 45.6mpg on the WLTP cycle, while the diesel musters up to 57.6mpg.


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Renault Duster Commercial revealed as 4×4 LCV for small businesses

The Renault Duster Commercial, seen here with its original Dacia badging, has been revealed for the UK market as a capable 4×4 LCV for small businesses. The Romanian brand says the new offering boasts extra practicality and loading space.

With the rear bench gutted out, the Renault Duster Commercial boasts a payload of 492 kg and cargo capacity of 1 623 dm3 with a long and roomy load area. Replacing the rear seats and seatbelts is a fitted wooden floor, load compartment cover, alarm, rubber mats, opaque film over the fixed rear windows.

For the sake of comfort and convenience the Renault Duster Commercial retains key features such as cruise control, Bluetooth and USB connectivity and a multifunction steering wheel. The Comfort package adds electric windows and lumbar support for the driver’s seat. It also implements the 7,0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto together with a display for the rear facing camera.

A local introduction of the Renault Duster Commercial has not been confirmed.


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Dacia Duster dCi 115 4x4 2021 UK review

Should I buy one?

The Duster range starts from £13,995, which remains incredible value for money and ensures that the machine essentially exists in a class of one. Even at £19,645, our dCi 115 4x4 is keenly priced for a car of such broad capability and it should win over those who would otherwise buy a used 4x4 with a more premium badge.


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Restyled Renault Duster in SA – pricing and standard features detailed

Pricing and standard specification for the Renault Duster has been released by the local arm of the French manufacturer. The Romanian SUV will be available with just one engine option across two trims with the option of 4×2, 4×4, manual and automatic.

Kicking of the range of the Renault Duster is the 1,5 dCi Zen 4×2 at R337 900 for the manual and R376 900 for the EDC automatic. Included as standard in this model is a pair of automatic LED DRLs, black door mirror covers and roof bars, 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, rear parking sensors with a rear-facing camera, a multifunction steering wheel, climate control and an 8,0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

This trim can also be had with the 4×4 drive system with the five-speed manual gearbox at R376 900. This further adds blind spot warning, hill descent control, a multi-view camera, the 4×4 monitor with an altimeter and a functional compass.

The flagship Intens EDC 4×2 model tops the range at R384 900. With this you get chrome door mirrors, black and satin chrome roof bars, a front and rear skidplate finished in satin chrome, 17-inch alloy wheels and satellite navigation.

 
Renault Duster (2021) Specs & Price

What’s Changed?

The updated Renault Duster features a refreshed exterior design with a revised grille and redesigned headlights as well as daytime running lamps. There are new-look 16-inch alloy wheels and 17-inch diamond-cut wheels. There are new colours to choose from: Comet Grey, Highland Grey, Iron Blue, Brown Vision, Fusion Red, a fabulous Arizona Orange and Ice White.

The cabin has been given a makeover with new headrests, high-quality fabric upholstery and revised ergonomics. There’s a new 8-inch infotainment system that has GPS navigation as well as Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity.

It’s still a rugged offroader, boasting decent numbers like a ground clearance of 210 mm, approach and departure angles of 30 and 34 degrees respectively. Renault has fitted a newer version of its 4×4 monitor which now has an altimeter.

As far as practicality is concerned, the rear bench features a 60/40 split-fold and standard boot capacity is rated at 478 litres.

The engine line-up has changed with just the excellent 1.5-litre turbodiesel being offered. It’s available in two states of tune and customers can choose from either a manual gearbox or a dual-clutch transmission (EDC). The first offers 66 kW and 210 Nm, and consumes 5.1 L/100 km and is available in the base-spec 4×2 derivative.

The other offers up 80 kW and 250 Nm/260 Nm depending on transmission. This engine is the more frugal with Renault claiming 4.8 L/100 km. Impressively, it’s this powertrain combination that saw the Duster win its class (C1 diesel turbo 1.3-2.0) in the WesBank Fuel Economy Challenge back in 2019.

How much does the updated Renault Duster cost in South Africa?

The Renault Duster range is sold with a standard 5-year/150 000km mechanical warranty and a 6-year anti-corrosion warranty. Services take place at 15 000km intervals, and a standard 3-year/45 000km service plan applies. Renault is offering metallic paint for R2 522 and leather seats (model dependent) for R10 088.

Duster 1.5 dCi Zen 4×2 R337 900
Duster 1.5 dCi Zen EDC 4×2 R376 900
Duster 1.5 dCi Zen 4×4 R376 900
Duster 1.5 dCi Intens EDC 4×2 R384 900

 
PRICING: Revised Renault Duster now on sale in South Africa

On the engine front, the normally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine has fallen away, now that the Kiger has been introduced as Renault’s entry-level SUV, which sadly does not match the Duster for quality.

This means all Duster models are powered by the familiar 1.5-litre dCi turbodiesel mill, which produces 66kW and 210Nm in the entry 4x2 model and 80kW in the 4x2 EDS and 4x4 manual models, which have respective torque outputs of 250Nm and 260Nm. Claimed combined fuel consumption figures range between 4.8 l/100km for the EDC models and 5.1 l/100km in the case of the 4x2 manual.

All Renault Duster models are sold with a five-year/150 000km mechanical warranty and three-year/45 000km service plan.

2021 Renault Duster prices

1.5 dCi Zen 4x2 - R337 900

1.5 dCi Zen EDC 4x2 - R376 900

1.5 dCi Zen 4x4 - R376 900

1.5 dCi Intens EDC 4x2 - R384 900

 
Dacia design boss: “the Duster is Dacia’s Porsche 911”

TG chats to Dacia’s new design chief Miles Nürnberger, who recently left Aston Martin to join the budget brand

Back in June last year, Dacia announced that it had hired Miles Nürnberger as its new Director of Design. Nürnberger was to leave his role at Aston Martin after almost 14 years – a role that had seen him pen the DBX, the Valkyrie, the Victor one-off and the V12 Speedster to name but a few examples.

So what attracted him to the budget brand? And just how different is designing at the other end of the financial spectrum? TG.com caught up with Miles a couple of months into the job to find out…

TG: How’s it going at Dacia so far?

Miles: “Really good. It’s been an intense three months, leaving a company after 14 years is always a challenge, but it’s been great. I discovered a great team here when I arrived with some real depth of talent.”

TG: So, why Dacia?

Miles: “My father lives in the French Pyrenees. He’s lived there for quite a while – since before Dacia ever came to England actually. I would see the cars when I was over there and I always thought they were really cool. They have an essential nature to them and this real outdoorsy feel.

“And I think you can see how that has grown. For me it particularly revolves around Duster. That car really changed the brand image, and of course the image in the UK is also linked to Top Gear TV. That was funny but also gave the brand this legendary quality at the same time.”

“This will be a great sentence – the Duster is Dacia’s 911. The spirit, the attainability, the robustness – everything about Dacia is there and fully amplified in the Duster.

“Designing for the masses has its own pleasure too because you see your cars on the street, you see them being used and you might own one yourself. That was obviously harder at Aston.”

 
Dacia Duster 4x4s Get Free Mud-Wash Because Owners Admit They Never Go Off-Road

Dacia UK gives drivers the opposite of a car wash so that their off-roaders can at least look the part

Dacia is back with its mischievous antics in the UK, this time with a little bit of self-awareness to ring in the new year. Dacia is encouraging Duster owners in London to come in for a free “mud-wash” so these owners can at least pretend to take their 4X4 off-roading. It’s a playful, funny way to coax drivers into going off-road in machines that were made to do so, but rarely ever do.

Dacia’s “Adventure Ready” mud-wash is the next best thing to having to go out and drive your Duster 4X4 on a trail, and I can’t really tell if this looks more fun for the Duster owners, or the Dacia employees who get to sully the SUVs.

Dacia’s mud-wash could give these Dusters some much-needed street cred. I’m unsure how far I’d equate a Dacia Duster 4X4 with the likes of the spotless, lifted Wranglers and Tacomas I regularly see in Texas, but the same applies if the most eventful terrain these Dusters see are speed bumps. Overall, Dacia means well. The carmakers wants to get people out on the trail, which is great.


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Dacia Duster 4x4s Get Free Mud-Wash Because Owners Admit They Never Go Off-Road

Dacia UK gives drivers the opposite of a car wash so that their off-roaders can at least look the part

Dacia is back with its mischievous antics in the UK, this time with a little bit of self-awareness to ring in the new year. Dacia is encouraging Duster owners in London to come in for a free “mud-wash” so these owners can at least pretend to take their 4X4 off-roading. It’s a playful, funny way to coax drivers into going off-road in machines that were made to do so, but rarely ever do.

Dacia’s “Adventure Ready” mud-wash is the next best thing to having to go out and drive your Duster 4X4 on a trail, and I can’t really tell if this looks more fun for the Duster owners, or the Dacia employees who get to sully the SUVs.

Dacia’s mud-wash could give these Dusters some much-needed street cred. I’m unsure how far I’d equate a Dacia Duster 4X4 with the likes of the spotless, lifted Wranglers and Tacomas I regularly see in Texas, but the same applies if the most eventful terrain these Dusters see are speed bumps. Overall, Dacia means well. The carmakers wants to get people out on the trail, which is great.


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So that minimum wage temps can scratch the car by rubbing mud and dirt all over the paint...no thank you!

But more seriously, we had a chance to drive our 2014 Duster 1.5 dCi (4x2) on a very muddy farm road on 1 January. Switched off traction control, kept to a steady 20-30 km/h without unnecessary acceleration, no issues. There were some patches of deep mud, and a fairly new Range Rover stuck nose first on the side of the road due to sliding off the said road, but we didn't have any issues.

And the car got a proper (i.e. real) mud bath.
 
Dacia Duster 1.3 TCe 130 Comfort 4x2 2022 UK review

Should I buy one?

The Duster continues to offer a very acceptable proposition to families on a budget – and an even more welcome antidote to the suffocating complexity of modernity.

It’s a handsome (rather than aggressive) SUV with a petrol engine, a manual gearbox, front driveshafts, five seats, a spacious boot and a touchscreen for your music and phone, and that’s pretty much all. Far from that being an indictment, that’s something to treasure while we still can. And all for what, £16,845? That’s cheaper than a decent Ford Fiesta these days.


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