Dacia Duster – Interior, design & technology

The strong, rugged design of the Mk3 Duster takes its cues from the Dacia Bigster concept revealed in 2021, which introduced us to the brand’s new design language and identity. It looks like a proper 4x4 rather than a crossover SUV, thanks to its stocky stance, chunky wheelarch cladding, and beefy bumpers front and rear. 

Those bumpers are “dyed in mass”, meaning they’re the same colour the whole way through, making it harder to see small scratches. Meanwhile the protective cladding is made of a special material called Starkle which Dacia’s engineers created. It contains up to 20 per cent recycled polypropylene, and isn’t treated or painted, so has a distinctive speckled finish.

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 you don’t feel too much like you’re in the cheap seats, because Dacia has used various patterns and Y-shaped elements to prevent it looking dull inside. 

Plus, 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. 

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. The only complaint from our testers was the occasional squeak from the dashboard or centre console. 

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment 

The 10.1-inch touchscreen available in the Duster runs Dacia’s newest infotainment system, which is generally quick to load and easy to navigate, although we found the map (while tidy in design) takes around 15 seconds to fire up initially. We expect most people will just bypass the built-in software, and pair to their smartphone via the wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. We had no issue connecting our phones to the car, and CarPlay specifically fills the screen almost entirely, with just a small row at the bottom for the cabin temperature. 

We’re grateful Dacia hasn’t given into the trend of putting the climate controls on the touchscreen, and fitted a row of physical toggles switches on the dashboard. There are USB-C charging ports in the centre console, but higher-spec models are fitted with a wireless charging pad and upgraded six-speaker sound system, which is OK.