Dacia Duster review

Is the Dacia Duster a good car?

Buyers are spoiled for choice when it comes to family SUVs, but finding something that offers great value for money is tricky. The Dacia Duster has always delivered its own unique charm in a class where many cars try to be sporty or aggressive, and the Romanian brand is aiming to carve its own niche once again with the third-generation model. 

We’re pleased to report that the Duster hasn’t lost its way, because the third-generation SUV offers great-value motoring and family car practicality at an affordable price. It’s not the most refined or luxurious SUV for sale, but the car’s honesty makes it easy to enjoy, while the tough yet modern looks mean it can turn heads. 

The latest Duster uses the same CMF-B platform as the likes of the latest Renault Clio and Captur – plus the Dacia Jogger – and that means the current model takes a significant step forward from its predecessor, with an improvement in tech and a grown-up feeling on the road.

How much does the Dacia Duster cost?

The simple, honest Dacia Duster was launched in Europe in 2010 and crossed the Channel in 2013, when the brand first arrived in the UK. Since then, in excess of 2.4 million Dusters have been sold worldwide, with more than 100,000 of those finding homes on British soil. All of that was accomplished by the first two generations, and now the Mk3 has arrived. 

Dacia has enjoyed big success with customers prioritising value for money above anything else. This formula still applies with the all-new model, although it does combine this with an element of adventure as Dacia attempts to move away from being solely a budget brand. At a time when you’ll pay nearly £26,000 for a basic Ford Puma, and the Renault Captur starts at just over £21,000, the latest Duster is available from under £19,000, which is only a slight rise over the model that it replaced. 

What’s even more impressive is that the latest Duster isn’t just a heavy facelift – it’s an all-new car. It sits on the Renault Group’s CMF-B platform that underpins the Renault Clio, as well as the Dacia Sandero and Dacia Jogger. 

The entry-level Essential model is only available with a TCe 100 Bi-Fuel engine and a six-speed manual gearbox. The 1.0-litre three-cylinder motor can run on petrol or LPG, but because it only produces 99bhp, 0-62mph takes 14.1 seconds. 

The rest of the range comes as standard with a TCe 130 mild-hybrid petrol engine, which is the one we’d recommend. This 1.2-litre three-cylinder unit delivers 128bhp and 230Nm of torque, so delivers a more reasonable 0-62mph time of 9.9 seconds. Meanwhile, mild-hybrid assistance helps it to return official economy of 51.4mpg. Front-wheel drive is standard, but you can add four-wheel drive to this engine for an extra £2,200. The only gearbox option is a six-speed manual.

If you want an automatic, you’ll have to choose the Hybrid 140 powertrain. This is a tried-and-tested full-hybrid system from Renault, and is also used in the Dacia Jogger Hybrid. It features a 1.6-litre petrol four-cylinder and a six-speed automatic transmission that are paired with an electric motor to drive the front wheels, plus a separator starter-generator motor that helps bring the engine to life and take some load off the powertrain, too. Combined power is rated at 138bhp, while the main e-motor delivers up to 205Nm of torque. Dacia says that the Duster Hybrid can drive using electric-only power for up to 80 per cent of the time in urban environments.

The Duster’s trim structure starts with the base Essential, leading to the mid-range Expression, then branching into two equal range-toppers – the off-road biased Extreme and the slightly more family-focused Journey.

Essential trim is aptly named, because it offers a smartphone holder on the dashboard to use with an app-based infotainment system, plus analogue dials with a 3.5-inch TFT display, manually adjustable door mirrors and air-conditioning. Safety kit includes cruise control, driver attention warning and advanced emergency braking. 

The better equipped Expression version adds a 10.1-inch central touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a seven-inch digital driver’s display, reversing camera and 17-inch alloy wheels.

Upgrade to the Extreme or Journey, and you’ll find the kit list includes keyless entry, a wireless smartphone charging pad, 18-inch wheels, adaptive headlights and automatic air-conditioning, while sat-nav is added to the central screen.

The big under-bonnet story for the third-generation Duster is that a full-hybrid powertrain makes an appearance for the first time. It’s a unit we’ve already sampled in the seven-seat Jogger, plus a range of Renaults. The 1.6-litre petrol engine is paired to a couple of electric motors: a main 49bhp unit to deal with propulsion, plus another smaller one working on brake regeneration and taking the place of a traditional starter motor. This sends drive through a multi-mode clutchless gearbox, which Renault claims returns fewer driveline losses than more conventional dual-clutch or torque-converter autos. Output stands at 138bhp and 205Nm. 

The powertrain that will make sense to most buyers is the more conventional petrol mild-hybrid. The 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine makes 128bhp and 230Nm, with drive sent exclusively through a six-speed manual gearbox. This option is available with either front or four-wheel drive. 

In a fairly unusual step in the new car market, the Duster, as with other Dacias, remains available with a Bi-Fuel powertrain, which is able to run on petrol or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), with a tank for each and the on-board electronics managing fuel flow. In the UK, it’s the cheapest option in the Duster line-up and the least powerful; its 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine produces 99bhp.

What is the Dacia Duster like to drive? 

The Duster focuses on comfort, which sets it apart from many of its similarly sized SUV rivals. So-so performance and slightly wallowy handling are compromises we’re happy to accept, given the ride quality and low price point, but in some ways it feels like refinement has taken a slight step back compared with its predecessor.

In town

The first thing that strikes you in the new Duster is how softly it rides. Compared with so many rivals that try to trick buyers into a sense of sportiness – when in fact all they’re getting is a hard suspension set-up – the way that the Duster gently wallows from one bump to the next is both refreshing and calming. 

The smoothness of the hybrid powertrain helps here, too; at low speeds and with gentle throttle openings, it feels slick and switches between petrol and electric modes near seamlessly – the one small exception being an occasional grabbiness from the motor regeneration when slowing.

The manual gearbox in the mild-hybrid petrol is fine, but would be improved by a less spongy response from the clutch pedal. 

On A- and B-roads

A soft ride means that the Duster isn’t a car that encourages you to chuck it around a series of corners. In fact, it feels a touch more nose-heavy than the last Duster, so it’s not a choice for the keen driver. Driven at a more gentle pace, it’s capable enough and still grips the road well. The steering is quite light and vague around the straight-ahead, but becomes heavier and more precise as extra lock is applied.

The hybrid system feels a little more out of its depth at higher speeds, with that multi-mode gearbox often clinging on to a low ratio for too long after a burst of acceleration or steep uphill section, resulting in a lot of wailing from the four-cylinder petrol engine.

On the motorway

That soft ride makes motorway cruising a relaxing experience. It’s a shame, then, that the Duster’s bonnet and A-pillars throw up a lot of wind noise at speed, to the point where it’s more noticeable than in the outgoing car. It’s a gripe that becomes more apparent because elsewhere it feels like a step forward; road noise is more muted than before, and once the hybrid system settles down, it’s not very intrusive either. The mild-hybrid petrol model is quieter still.

Off road

As with most small SUVs, the Dacia Duster is front-wheel drive as standard, but a four-wheel-drive system is available with the TCe 130. This can handle more arduous terrain than your standard muddy farm track or boggy festival car park.

The Duster 4x4 also comes with a slightly taller ride height and 217mm of ground clearance, while there are drive modes for handling snow, mud/sand and general off-roading, plus hill descent control (which works in forward or reverse) that keeps the car moving at 5mph. 

Approach and departure angles have been improved when compared with the last Duster, and the 4x4 system can alter power between the axles for steep descents or precarious climbs. We tried the Duster 4x4 and were amazed at the obstacles it could conquer, even on road-biased all-season tyres. 

The infotainment screen can show the car’s slip angles and off-road settings, which is helpful, although we’d like the front and rear cameras to have a higher screen resolution in order to spot obstacles better. We managed to get the Duster to a 25-degree side angle, although we were told that during testing, an angle of 40 degrees was achieved, which is five degrees more than a Mercedes G-Class.

0-62mph acceleration and top speed

The fastest accelerating Dacia Duster is the TCe 130 with front-wheel drive. It has an official 0-62mph time of 9.9 seconds, which is two-tenths of a second faster than the Hybrid model’s time. The extra weight of the hybrid system means that the car’s extra 10bhp isn’t enough to make it the fastest Duster, while the standard automatic gearbox will also have an impact on its time.

Add four-wheel drive to the TCe 130, and rather than boosting traction off the line, this makes it slower, with a 0-62mph time of exactly 11 seconds quoted by Dacia.

The entry-level TCe 100 is the slowest of the lot, although running on LPG instead of petrol does give it a bit of a performance boost. On unleaded it accelerates from 0-62mph in 14.1 seconds, but that time reduces to 13.2 seconds when using LPG.

During our time behind the wheel of the Duster Hybrid we averaged 52.3mpg – not far shy of the official WLTP figure of 55.3mpg. However, given the complex nature of the hybrid tech, that’s not really much of an improvement when compared with the mild-hybrid model, which is claimed to achieve 51.4mpg; we saw 46.3mpg during a few hours of driving. Adding four-wheel drive to the mild-hybrid reduces its efficiency down to 46.3mpg, so expect this to be around 40mpg in the real world.

Granted, the mild hybrid is only available with a manual gearbox, but it costs a full £3,000 less than the full hybrid and is very slightly quicker on paper, so for those who don’t need an auto gearbox, it’s the model that will make the most financial sense. Either way, the Duster is impressively cheap beside most rivals, which counts hugely in its favour.

For those interested in the 1.0 TCe Bi-Fuel, while the 43.5mpg fuel economy figure looks poor thanks to LPG being less energy dense than regular petrol, at least the fuel costs less to buy in the first place – provided you can find a filling station that stocks it, of course.

Tax 

With no fully electric option or even a long-range plug-in hybrid powertrain, the Duster doesn’t offer particularly tempting rates for company car drivers, but it’s a compromise worth making to keep the price low for private buyers.

Thanks to affordable pricing, even the most expensive Duster is well under the £40,000 limit that would require an additional tax surcharge. Private buyers will get a small discount going for the Hybrid 140 and 1.0 TCe Bi-Fuel when compared with the TCe 130 mild-hybrid petrol version, because both are classed as alternative fuel vehicles.

Insurance groups

The majority of the Duster line-up falls into insurance group 24, although the entry-level model is in group 17. Those are higher group ratings than the previous model, as well as compared with other small SUVs, but the Duster should still be cheap to insure.

Depreciation

A competitive starting price has resulted in strong residual values for the Duster. As the priciest model in the range, the hybrid is expected to depreciate the most, but even so, all models should hold on to at least 55.6 per cent of their value after three years or 36,000 miles. The strongest residuals are reserved for the entry-level Bi-Fuel model; this is predicted to retain a solid 62.3 per cent of its list price over the same period.

In comparison, the Ford Puma and Renault Captur are both expected to hold on to between 51 to 54 per cent of their original value over the same period.  

To get an accurate valuation for a specific model, check out our free car valuation tool... 

The third-generation Duster has adopted a tough new look, with more thought being put into not only its overall shape, but many of the finer details, too. The squared-off bonnet edges give a distinctive appearance from behind the wheel, but also help the driver to place the front of the car in tight spots. Chunky plastic cladding surrounds the lower portions of the car, too. 

The Duster has always been known for its no-nonsense cabin designs that border on the old-fashioned, but this new model has maintained its predecessor’s honest feel while adding some style and one or two useful ergonomic features.

What is the Dacia Duster like inside? 

Much more effort has been put into the look of the new car’s cabin. There are still Renault parts here, but they’re well integrated; the bank of physical toggle switches for the climate controls (a feature borrowed from the Renault Clio and Captur) is a great touch, and Renault’s familiar media control stalk behind the steering wheel is still among the most usable designs of its type. Oddly, though, the main volume controls aren’t easy to find; they’re on top of the display. 

Driver-assist functions can irritate some drivers, and Dacia has made turning them off easy with a ‘Perso’ setting. This mode lets you choose the features that you want (and don’t want) and store them in a preset mode. This can then be accessed via a button to the right of the steering wheel.

What is the interior quality like? 

Subtly coloured and textured finishes do a decent job of distracting from the fact that everything is finished in hard plastics. In a car which pitches itself as a bit rugged, this seems like an appropriate way to save some cash. The centre console doesn’t feel particularly sturdy, though.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment 

A digital dashboard is quite a novel introduction for the Dacia family. As you’d expect, its layout is fairly simple, but it works well. The graphics look very sharp, and the green colour scheme continues the outdoorsy theme, while large buttons on the steering wheel make it easy to scroll through modes.

Dacia has furnished all versions of the Duster bar Essential trim with a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment display. It has a simple yet bright colour palette that is easy to read and looks contemporary. The same can’t be said when you engage reverse, because the cameras are very low-resolution, relaying a pixellated image back to that big screen. That aside, it’s a decent system for the money.

Top-spec versions of the Duster feature the Media Nav Live system that comes with eight years of connected services. The loading times are okay, and programming a navigation route is fairly straightforward thanks to a decent on-screen keyboard size.

Interior and boot space are Duster strong points, especially given its still-modest exterior dimensions. A lofty driving position and low window line boost visibility, although rearward visibility isn’t as good as we’d like. The bonnet extends quite far out in front, but you can get a feel for the edges of the car, helping you to place the Duster on the road.

Dacia has also introduced what it calls YouClip. This is an attachment system which allows a variety of accessories to be secured in various places around the cabin, including beside the main infotainment display, on the back of the front seats and at the base of the centre console in the rear. Available kit includes a three-in-one accessory (£39) that combines a cup-holder, bag hook and LED torch. Smartphone and tablet holders, storage bags and hooks are among the other accessories, ranging from around £10-£40.

Dimensions and size

The Duster uses a platform that’s shared with a supermini, but the Dacia feels spacious inside. The current Duster is slightly longer and wider than the old model at 4,343mm long, 1,921mm wide and 1,656mm tall. It isn’t quite as tall as it was before, but it still has a height advantage over the likes of the Skoda Kamiq.

How practical is the Dacia Duster?  

Seats & space in the front

A wide range of adjustment for both the seat and the steering wheel makes it easy for Duster drivers of all sizes to find a comfortable seating position. You will need the top-of-the-range Extreme trim to get adjustable lumbar support for the driver, though. Meanwhile Expression trim and above include a sliding armrest, improving comfort on longer journeys and providing additional storage. The small rear window and rear side windows limit over-the-shoulder visibility somewhat, but at least the door mirrors are large.

Seats & space in the back

While the Duster doesn’t feel any more posh in the back, space is a strong point. Headroom is very impressive in particular, with our measurements putting it ahead of similarly priced rivals such as the MG ZS and very close to larger family SUVs such as the Kia Sportage. Kneeroom is competitive, too, while the soft seats feel comfortable – even for a third passenger in the fairly wide, flat middle seat. There’s loads of foot room beneath the front seats, and only a small centre hump in the floor.

The ISOFIX points are accessible behind zipped covers, which makes them a little more fiddly to get to than in rival cars. The door bins in the back are tiny, too.

Boot space 

Boot capacity varies based on the Duster’s powertrain. A battery beneath the boot floor means that the Hybrid model offers 430 litres of volume compared with the petrol’s 517 litres. This extra volume is gained below a false floor, so in every version there’s a large area with which to play – it’s just that the Bi-Fuel petrol model’s has greater depth.

A high boot lip makes it a little tricky to load heavy items on board, but the rear seat backs drop almost completely level with the boot floor, so items slide in easily.

Towing

Engine choice also affects the Duster’s towing capacity. The hybrid is the least capable in this department, with a maximum towing capacity of 750kg. If you’ve got things to haul, the TCe 130 engine in either front or four-wheel-drive guise can pull up to 1,500kg.

A 22nd-place finish in the manufacturers’ standings put Dacia in the lower half of the table in our 2024 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. Unsurprisingly, it ranked highest of every brand when it comes to value for money, and the cost of running was another area where it was rated among the best.

The new Duster hasn’t been in the hands of owners long enough to feature in our Driver Power car satisfaction survey, although the previous generation came first in our 2024 list of the best models to own, so we hope that the latest version will continue this trend. 

A three-star Euro NCAP safety rating is a little underwhelming, and is caused by a shortfall of driver-assistance systems and a merely adequate Adult Occupant Protection mark. 

On a positive note, the Duster was praised for its strong passenger compartment, but it’s a little worrying that in the frontal impact tests, chest protection for both the driver and passengers seated in the back was only rated as being marginal.

There are more safety features on the Dacia Duster than ever before to help prevent you from getting into a collision in the first place. Among them are automatic emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, a speed-limit alert, rear-parking assist, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist and driver-attention alert. 

Many drivers can find these systems intrusive. The Duster’s solution is the ‘My Safety’ button on the dashboard, which drivers just have to press twice, activating a personalised mode for the ADAS suite. 

Warranty

While a three-year warranty looks pretty unremarkable when compared with some rivals, as long as those cars are brought back to a main dealer for scheduled servicing, the cover can be extended up to seven years or 75,000 miles.

The battery in the Duster Hybrid is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles, but the degradation limit of 63 per cent capacity is greater than the coverage offered by other manufacturers, who guarantee the battery pack won’t drop below 70 per cent.

Servicing

The Duster is available with a variety of main dealer service plans, with a three-year package coming in at less than £500. All plans above the basic three-year/30,000-mile package come with one free MOT test.

Dacia Duster alternatives

The Dacia Duster finds itself in a relatively unique position, because it’s larger than most SUVs at the same price point. There’s no end of small SUVs to choose from, though. The latest Citroen C3 Aircross is probably going to be the closest competitor on the money front, although pricing has yet to be confirmed.

For a more refined all-rounder, the Hyundai Kona – the Auto Express Car of the Year in 2023 – is available in petrol, hybrid and full-electric forms, as is the chunky Jeep Avenger. For something a bit more fun to drive, then you’ll need either the entertaining Ford Puma or SEAT Arona. While the Duster can be had as an efficient hybrid, the Toyota Yaris Cross has the edge in terms of efficiency, and can also be had in four-wheel-drive form.