The Renault Duster Thread

Heated seat subscriptions? Dacia offers free hot water bottles to drivers instead

Forget subscriptions opening up factory-fitted equipment, Dacia's got a freebie for car owners

Dacia is taking a cheeky stab at manufacturers offering subscriptions for factory-fitted equipment - like BMW charging for heated seats, for example - by offering drivers of any car, not just Dacias, a free hot water bottle.

Rebranding the hot water bottles 'heated seat saviours", Renault-parented Dacia is aiming to prove that comfort shouldn't come at a monthly cost. It pointed out its top-trim Duster, Jogger and Sandero Stepway come with heated seats as standard.

"After picking up their hot water bottle," said Dacia, "motorists can safely fill it up as per the instructions provided and place it on their car seat (prior to driving) to warm it up."

Luke Broad, Dacia UK brand director noted how the 'heated seat saviours' were just a bit of fun, but said "they do highlight the direction the wider industry is going regarding subscription-based access to features. Asking someone to pay extra to activate factory-fitted equipment certainly isn’t Dacia".

www.topgear.com

Heated seat subscriptions? Dacia offers free hot water bottles to drivers instead

Forget subscriptions opening up factory-fitted equipment, Dacia's got a freebie for car owners
www.topgear.com www.topgear.com

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Dacia Duster review

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?

“A far better car than it needs to be at the price, and we love it for that”

The joy of the Duster is the way it seriously over-delivers on the under-promising price. Renault has been very disciplined in keeping Dacia's costs down. They're built in a low-cost country, using engines and platforms and electrics that have all been long-ago amortised by other cars, and integrating the dealerships with Renault rather than starting a separate network. The Duster cleverly shares body parts across the Dacia range and the number of available options is small.

Sure it's a bit slow, a tad unrefined, a little light on available active-safety features. But that's by the standards of rivals that are twice the price. The Duster isn't trying to kid anyone. It's not cheap in a way that insults your intelligence or makes you feel mean. It's a far better car than it strictly needs to be at the price, and we love it for that.

www.topgear.com

Dacia Duster Review 2023 | Top Gear

A proper Top Gear hero. Seriously overdelivers on the underpromising price...
www.topgear.com www.topgear.com
 
Bargain basement Brits love UN-spec white Dacias

As Dacia celebrates 10 years in the UK, we learn that its most popular colour is… not a colour

We hate to make you feel old, but it has now been a full decade since Dacia first launched in the UK.

Yep, it was way back in 2013 that the budget brand breached our shores for the first time, and it would seem that the UK has really bought into Dacia’s philosophy. We say this not just because the Romanian manufacturer has shifted a hefty 240,010 cars over here in the past 10 years, but also because the most popular colour in that time was ‘Glacier White’.

Now, for those who aren’t regulars on Dacia’s configurator (well done you, you aren’t as sad as we are), it’s worth noting that Glacier White is the only colour that you do not have to pay extra for on every car Dacia sells and at each trim level. Well played, Britain.

All of Dacia’s other colour options currently cost an extra £650 (and there are some good ones, especially since the brand’s update in 2022), but it would seem that UK buyers would rather spend that money on getting more tech inside their Duster, Sandero or Jogger.

www.topgear.com

Bargain basement Brits love UN-spec white Dacias

As Dacia celebrates 10 years in the UK, we learn that its most popular colour is… not a colour
www.topgear.com www.topgear.com

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New Dacia Duster to arrive in 2024 with enhanced off-road appeal

Fresh-look value SUV will follow Bigster in adopting more rugged cues; hybrid option a possibility

The next-generation Dacia Duster will arrive in 2024 and a renewed focus on outdoor pursuits is set to be central to its positioning.

The Romanian brand’s third-generation crossover will be reimagined with an enhanced emphasis on its credentials as an activity-focused proposition, to strengthen its competitive edge over newcomers like the chunky Jeep Avenger, Mini Aceman and Ford Explorer.

While Dacia has yet to officially preview the third-generation Duster, hints from the firm’s head designer, David Durand, suggest it will embody the brand's long-standing ‘less is more’ design ethos, with the design team working to “remove unnecessary things to focus on things that are really important”.

Its first public sighting seems to confirm this, with the Duster spotted looking a much chunkier, rugged proposition than the smoother-sided car it will replace.

www.autocar.co.uk

New Dacia Duster to arrive in 2024 with enhanced off-road appeal | Autocar

Fresh-look value SUV will follow Bigster in adopting more rugged cues; hybrid option a possibility
www.autocar.co.uk www.autocar.co.uk
 
Next Renault Duster set to be more rugged, and could spawn a Nissan bakkie

The Dacia Duster, which is rebranded as a Renault in South Africa and some other markets, is set for a full redesign in 2024.

First launched abroad in 2010, and currently in its second generation, the third iteration of the Duster looks to have a more rugged design as implied by the latest spy pictures of disguised prototypes currently doing their rounds.

The new model is widely expected to take its design inspiration from the Dacia Bigster Concept that was revealed in 2021.

But it also looks set to offer improved off-road capability. Autocar, having spoken to Duster product boss Julien Ferry, reports that off-road ability will be a priority for the new model. Ferry says the carmaker plans to “keep the recipe and update it following customer demand”.

The new model will reportedly feature a roof storage system that owners can pitch a tent on.

https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/indu...n-bakkie-6d2c6120-1197-4421-a523-db16f8592b67

https://twitter.com/x/status/1641397145180729346
 
Dacia Duster Extreme

The launch of the Extreme trim is part of Dacia's strategy to leverage its renewed appeal and expand its territory, while carefully respecting its values. The Extreme trim takes the brand's "robust and outdoor" approach a step further, not only in terms of design but also in terms of features, without losing any of the parts that made it essential, cool, affordable, and ecological.

The Extreme trim, which tops the Dacia range, serves to appeal to new customers looking for a way to further enjoy the great outdoors. Its introduction answers to many of the brand's customers who adopt an outdoor lifestyle and continues to offer excellent features for the 70% of Dacia buyers who opt for high-end trims.

https://www.netcarshow.com/dacia/2023-duster_extreme/

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I have a Romanian oilburner heading my way soon* :)

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*I couldn't find a nice thread on the first gen Duster, so here's where I posted instead.
 
FiestaST said:
Congrats, excellent cars.

Whats the deeds?
Click to expand...
Thank you.

Nothing special, except if you call a towbar 'special'.

It's the 4x4 Dynamique 1.5 dCi model, the last facelift before the second gen was launched with the newer style steering wheel that's used on the Gen 2 models.

I spent maybe a good two months looking at options, and found some great deals out of town, but after my last issue with the Avant, I was hesitant to buy sight unseen.

I used Screan to check out one that was based in Durban that I was interested in, which they inspected and found the car to not even be the same as what the pictures depicted. The picture showed the Renault black/silver wheels, the newer style steering wheel and a car that had cloth seats. The car that they inspected and sent me a report on had wheels that were spraypainted black, leather seats and a different steering wheel altogether.

I can highly recommend Screan again and I would definitely use them going forward, even if just for peace of mind. Their checks are pretty thorough and their pictures and annotations are very helpful.
 
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