Dacia moves new Duster upscale, keeps price low

CASCAIS, Portugal -- Dacia is moving the third-generation Duster small SUV upscale, adding mild hybrid and full-hybrid drivetrains, but will keep the price close to the current model, which starts at less than 18,000 euros.

Dacia, Renault Group’s value brand, will unveil the new Duster at the 2024 Geneva auto show on Feb. 26, with deliveries expected to begin in the second quarter.

“The Duster is the iconic model for Dacia -- it is emotional and rational at the same time, a timeless model which is already the best companion of 2.2 million people,” Dacia CEO Denis Le Vot said at a preview of the vehicle here on Nov. 13.

The Duster is Dacia’s second-best-selling model in Europe, after the Sandero small car.

Dacia will announce prices of the new Duster close to market launch next spring. The current Duster, which will remain in production for a while after the new generation is added, costs from 17,400 to 21,400 euros in Germany.

Xavier Martinet, Dacia’s sales and marketing director, told Automotive News Europe that the brand expects to sell about 200,000 Dusters annually going forward, including both second- and third-generation models in 2024.

Duster sales in 2022 totaled about 197,000 in Europe and nearby markets including Turkey and Morocco. About 55,000 Dusters branded as Renaults were also sold in global markets.

Sandero sales are expected to be about 270,000 this year, Martinet said, with the Jogger compact crossover third at about 100,000 units.

The first-generation Duster was launched in 2010, followed in 2017 by the second-generation model, which was based on the same Renault-Nissan B01 platform.

The third-generation Duster will be built on a version of the Renault-Nissan CMF-B architecture. The Sandero and Jogger also use the platform.

The new Duster is the same length as the outgoing model at 4341 mm, but there is more space for passengers. Cargo capacity is 6 percent higher, at 472 liters for the front-wheel-drive version.

The Duster’s height was reduced by 30 mm to 1660 mm to decrease the frontal area and improve aerodynamics.

The Duster’s design, with sharper surfaces, is inspired by the Manifesto concept from 2022. The belt line is aligned with the hood profile for a bolder look, Dacia said, while a sloping roof helps to lower the drag coefficient and adds a sense of sportiness.

Dacia’s new logo appears on the slim, horizontal upper grille, which is set off from the lower opening by a body-colored band. Headlights are Y-shaped LED units. The current model’s boxy taillights have been replaced by the same Y-shape design.

Black plastic wheel arches, a signature feature of the Duster since its launch, have been made larger bigger and bolder. To reinforce a sense of all-terrain capability, larger plastic cladding has been added to the leading edge of the front doors. 

The material used in the cladding and protection is called Starkle, which includes 20 percent recycled propylene. The front-door cladding includes the Duster name and the symbol for recycled materials.

Dacia said that one of the advantages of Starkle is that not being a painted material, small scratches will remain almost unnoticeable.

Inside, a geometric-themed dashboard includes a seven-inch digital instrument panel standard on the entire range. On the entry level Essential model, the multimedia display is truly essential: a 3.5-inch display also used by the trip computer. By downloading the Dacia Media Control app, radio and multimedia functions can be controlled by a connected smartphone.

A 10.1-inch central touch screen with connections for Apple Car Play and Android Auto is standard on the second and third trim levels, Expression and Extreme.

Embedded navigation functions and live traffic information is standard on the top-of-the-range Journey trim, and an option on the Extreme trim. Navigation comes only from the driver’s smartphone in other trim levels.

Dacia has patented a system called YouClip to add and remove accessories in the interior simply and quickly. The Duster comes standard with seven YouClip pre-installed positions, including one on the right side of the steering wheel for smartphones, and one on the central tunnel on the front passenger side to hold handbags and other small objects. Two YouClips are standard in the luggage compartment, while two optional on most trim levels are positioned behind the front seat headrest for tablet computers to entertain rear passengers.

The new Duster range starts with the 1.0-liter three-cylinder 100-hp ECO-G gasoline engine, which can also run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Renault said that thanks to a 50-liter gasoline tank and 50-liter LPG thank, the new Duster can travel 1,300 km on a single refueling. 

Dacia has not released consumption and emissions figures, saying only that running on LPG, emissions decease by 10 percent compared with gasoline. The current Duster has CO2 emissions of 126-127 grams per km running on LPG and 144-145 g/km on gasoline, under the WLTP cycle.

A new engine for Dacia is Renault’s 1.2-liter three-cylinder turbo engine, with 130 hp, coupled to a 48-volt mild hybrid system with a 0.9 kilowatt-hour battery. Dacia says this engine, running on the Miller cycle, is 10 percent more efficient and has emissions 10 percent less than an equivalent non-hybrid engine.

The Duster will also be available with an E-Tech full-hybrid powertrain, which is offered on the Jogger and Renault models including the Clio and Captur. The system is based on a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 94 hp, which is coupled to a 49 hp electric motor for total power of 140 hp. The battery has a capacity of 1.2 kWh.

Dacia said the full-hybrid powertrain cuts fuel consumption by 20 percent in a mixed-driving cycle and by 40 percent in city driving, where the car can be run in full-electric mode for 80 percent of driving time. The car also starts in full-electric mode.

A diesel variant of the new Duster will be offered in North Africa but not in Europe. 

While many competitors have abandoned four-wheel-drive variants on small SUVs to slash emissions, Dacia will continue to offer it on the new Duster, adding two extra driving modes. “The off-road capability is one of the signature features and will be also in the new Duster, which is a true and native 4x4,” Le Vot said.

Initially offered only on the 130 hp mild hybrid version, four-wheel drive could be later added on other powertrains, the company said.
There are five driving modes, compared with three on the current model. 

Auto and Eco mode distribute torque between axles depending on road surface grip and vehicle speed – with Eco maximizing fuel savings. New Snow and Mud/Sand modes are optimized for those specific driving conditions.

The last mode, Off-Road, is an evolution of the current 4x4 lock. It distributes torque to front and rear wheels according to grip and vehicle speed.

The new Duster comes standard with eight advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning. Also standard is what the company calls FOTA, or firmware over-the-air, update capability.