Dacia Duster – Design, interior & technology
The Duster’s interior quality is improved, and the overall design feels much classier
What is the Dacia Duster like inside?
The Dacia Duster is positioned as a value alternative to similarly sized and much more expensive SUVs like the Skoda Karoq and Mazda CX-30, and this is immediately evident inside due to all the hard plastics on show. However, provided you go for Expression trim and above, you get both a digital driver’s instrument cluster and a large central touchscreen, giving the Duster a more up-to-date look. We appreciate that the Duster still has some chunky buttons, making it easier to use certain features while on the move.
The cabin’s design looks neat, with y-shaped inserts in the air vents, and a more uniformed dash layout.
What is the interior quality like?
On lesser models like the Essential, you get hard plastic armrests in the doors, but on higher trims, there’s a soft-touch pad instead, which makes a huge difference in terms of comfort on long trips.
There’s still a noticeable amount of hard plastics, but the overall build quality is a step up from the old model, and it feels like it’s built to stand up to tough use.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
The Dacia Duster’s infotainment system is bespoke rather than a restyled version of parent company Renault’s set-up, and it’s found on Expression trim and above. It’s simple enough and generally quick to load, although we found the map (while tidy in design) takes around 15 seconds to fire up initially.
There’s a range of physical switches beneath the screen for the climate control functions, though we still prefer the more user-friendly dials of the old model. Dacia’s ‘Media Nav Live’ also comes on Expression models and higher – adding four speakers and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, which we had no trouble with when pairing a phone to the car.
