Dacia Duster (2017-2024) review

The Duster used to come with a naturally aspirated engine, i.e. no turbocharger and thus very little torque. It worked well enough – and fitted neatly with the knowingly unglamorous vibe that permeates through the big Dacia – but it’s now been fully superseded by smaller turbo options.

Which does mean the Duster starts at above £17,000 nowadays, but Dacia knows its audience. They’re still reeled in by the promise of a bargain then come away spending considerably more on higher specs. Not unlike us when we go to Ikea for a pack of tealights and come out with a whole new kitchen.

So which should I go for?

Ignoring diesel feels natural. Not least because there’s a single diesel option but an abundance of petrols available, one of which is a bi-fuel engine incorporating an enormous LPG tank for a potential range between fill-ups of nearly 800 miles. Eight hundred. Click these blue words for a fulldown.

If you want an automatically shifting Duster, you can finally have one thanks to the second-gen’s mid-life update, albeit only with the most powerful engine of all – a 148bhp four-cylinder petrol. It’s smooth, refined and the auto ‘box does a fine job of shifting up and down the ratios, though taking control yourself needs to be through the lever, as there aren’t steering wheel-mounted paddles. It’s not a GT3 racecar, so that’s probably a fair decision on Dacia’s part.

Everything else uses a six-speed manual. The 1.3-litre petrol with 128bhp is a fine little engine – unobtrusive, punchy and with enough power to quieten any reservations you may harbour. Fairly narrow power bands, mind – peak power coming between 4,500-6,000rpm – but good torque. Like the Duster’s ethos, it’ll get you to your chosen speed and does so without fuss, and nothing more. And that’s fine. Quiet on the motorway, although the Duster’s high A-pillars do make wind noise more apparent.

But look at it. Surely I want the 4x4?

Well, the Duster does trade on its rough’n’tumble looks, so we can see why you’d want something with the ability to match. If you want 4x4 here though, your only choice is to go diesel.

The 1.5-litre turbocharged engine is familiar from the Renault/Nissan family but for off-road purposes it’s especially short-geared here, and it sings along above 3,000rpm at a cruise. First gear is particularly short to negate the need for a low-range ‘box. You’ve got 113bhp though and the Duster only weighs around 1,200kg, so 0-62mph can be dispatched in 10.2 seconds.

What is it like in the rough stuff?

The 4x4 iteration is remarkable in what it can conquer for such a simple device. It’s front-wheel drive in normal situations, but a toggle down by the handbrake allows you to switch into an auto 4WD mode where the rear wheels help out if things get slippy, or you can lock the drivetrain into 4WD for maximum ability.

Because of the low weight it’ll skip over most obstacles, and the ground clearance is admirable. Also, the approach, departure and breakover angles are high enough to let you tackle sudden dips, climbs and drops.

Less clever is the wheel articulation, which isn't enough to avoid one or more tyres departing the ground too often. And the traction control isn't always able to stop an aerial wheel from spinning away the power. However, switch the traction control off on soft surfaces and the Duster can also be a lot of fun off-road. Don’t ask us how we know this…

You do also get some tech including hill descent control and an off-road monitoring system that keeps track of your angles and the like. Mostly though it leaves things up to your own ability with three pedals and a manual gearbox.

What's fuel economy like?

Broadly speaking you're looking at fuel economy in the mid 40s across the engine line-up, although in two-wheel drive guise the diesel purports an official figure of 58.9mpg. That's really not bad at all for the Aldi own brand equivalent of an SUV.

What about handling?

New for this generation of Duster is electric power steering, which is accurate enough if lighter than we'd choose. Turn the wheel and the car turns, is all: steering is progressive, roll well-contained, surprises absent.

The ride is decent enough: it’s not the most tied-down of cars over really bumpy surfaces, but with big fat donut tyres compared to the slender profiles of more chintzily-wheeled SUV rivals, it’s demonstrably unfussy over fiddly urban roads. Much like the steering, the suspension just kind of does its job without fuss.

You operate the Duster a little dispassionately, but it’s not trying in vain to be sporty where some of its more ambiguously marketed crossover alternatives are. It’s notably less refined than most of those too, mind; tyre noise makes itself felt at times, and so does wind noise, even if you aren't travelling fast.