Dacia Duster – Engines, performance & drive

Like most small SUVs, the Dacia Duster is available with front-wheel drive, but unlike many in its class, you can also get it with a four-wheel drive system that can handle more arduous terrain than your standard muddy farm track.

You’ve got a choice of a 99bhp 1.0-litre LPG-powered Bi-Fuel version in entry-level Essential trim, although unless you live near a filling station with such fuel, you’ll probably be better off with the more potent 128bhp 1.2-litre petrol. There’s also an on-trend full-hybrid model with 138bhp that’s the most efficient Duster in the range. 

On the whole, the Duster is a comfortable and easy-to-drive small SUV, but it won’t hold a candle to the Ford Puma and SEAT Arona when it comes to handling. However, where the Duster really stands apart from more expensive rivals thanks to its off-road ability. We tried the 4x4 model and were amazed at the obstacles it could conquer – even on normal all-season tyres. 

Approach and departure angles have been improved, and the 4x4’s drive system can alter power between the axles for steep descents or precarious climbs. The infotainment screen readout showing the car’s slip angles and off-road settings is helpful, although we’d like the front camera (as with the rear) to have a higher 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 the Duster’s testing, an angle of 40 degrees could be possible – five more than a Mercedes G-Class.

What is the Dacia Duster like to drive?

In town

The Dacia Duster is still an urban-friendly SUV thanks to its light steering and a tight turning circle of just 10.86 metres. Visibility is also decent despite the shallow windscreen, although we would prefer a larger rear window, which would help when reversing.

The ride is sensibly set up for comfort (with one eye on having plenty of suspension travel for off-roading) rather than providing any driver-focused dynamism. That said, the suspension can come unstuck over larger bumps and holes in the road, occasionally making you feel disconnected from the surface. We’ve only tried the Duster with the larger 18-inch wheels, while the mid-range Expression trim receives smaller 17-inch rims, which may give a better ride. We’ll update this section once we’ve tried a Duster with smaller wheels.

On A- and B-roads

At 1,300kg, the Dacia Duster weighs the same as the old one, but on the move, you’ll notice that the Duster feels a little more substantial and grown-up behind the wheel.

There’s some noticeable body lean if you start chucking the Duster into some corners at higher speeds, but it does so in a progressive and predictable manner, while a decent amount of grip means you have the confidence to maintain your pace. The steering is accurate enough for a family SUV, but you’ll soon realise that scything along a B road is not where Dacia's talents lie.

On the motorway

On a motorway cruise, we found the Duster’s overall refinement to be pretty decent, though wind noise was more intrusive than we’d like.

Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed

The mild-hybrid 1.2-litre TCe 130 is our pick of the Dacia Duster engine range, and in front-wheel drive form, it manages the 0-62mph sprint in 9.9 seconds. We think it’s well-suited to the Duster, with its 128bhp output delivering just enough performance to avoid making the car feel sluggish. But while it’ll rev to over 6,000rpm, there’s very little reason to thrash it that much because there isn’t much top-end shove. Adding four-wheel drive increases the 0-62mpg run to 11 seconds.

Despite the extra power, the hybrid is slightly slower from 0-62mph, taking 10.1 seconds. It uses a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine mated to an electric motor and a starter-generator for a total output of 138bhp. The full hybrid only comes with the automatic gearbox, which often struggles to decide on the correct gear, sometimes kicking down several gears at the faintest touch of the throttle. Fortunately, the gear changes are smooth.

If you go for the entry-level Essential, you’ll get the 99bhp 1.0-litre TCe three-cylinder petrol. We’re yet to try it in the latest Duster, but the 14-second 0-62mph sprint suggests it might not be the version to get if you regularly tackle motorway journeys or have to take a car load of people up steep hills.