Dacia Duster review - MPG, CO2 and running costs
Cheap to buy and cheap to run – owning a Dacia Duster shouldn’t break the bank
All current versions of the Dacia Duster are capable of achieving over 40mpg on the WLTP combined cycle. Interestingly, the bi-fuel model has the lowest official figure at 44.1mpg. However, the lower price of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) compared to petrol could still mean you make bigger savings in the long run. The TCE 90 and 130 claim a maximum fuel economy figure of up to 45.6mpg.
When it comes to CO2 emissions, all variants are once again very similar in their performance, but none are exactly class-leading. The least polluting engine is the TCE 90 unit, with a claimed figure of 140g/km. The worst performer is the Bi-Fuel model, which emits 145g/km when running on petrol power – although this figure drops to 126g/km when running on LPG. That’s good for the environment, but not for your wallet, because it’s taxed on its emissions when running on petrol.
When we drove a Duster TCe 130 4x2 head-to-head against a previous-generation Nissan Qashqai in our twin test, the Dacia proved to be the more frugal of the two, returning 42.4mpg compared to 38mpg in the Nissan. Based on that figure, the Duster could cover 466 miles on a full tank.
Insurance groups
The Dacia Duster is surprisingly cheap to insure for an SUV, but groups vary according to the trim level and engine. Opt for the TCe 90 engine in either the Essential or Expression trim, and the Duster attracts a very low rating of group 11E, while all other variants sit in groups 13 to 20.
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Depreciation
Thanks to the Duster’s low list price, depreciation is much less than that of many comparable small SUVs. Our expert data suggest that after three years and 36,000 miles, all versions of the Duster should retain well over 50 per cent of their initial value.
Bi-Fuel-powered Dusters are proving more desirable on the used market and should retain an average of 54 per cent of their value.
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