2023 Dacia Duster Prestige Blue dCi 115 4x4
Even though Dacia prices have shifted up a gear in recent months, the Duster is still the most affordable four-wheel drive diesel vehicle on the market. Buyers looking for a rival would need to turn to the used car market for something else priced at a similar level, and then it would be several years old, rather than a brand new car with a three year, 60,000 mile warranty.
While we test the SUV in upmarket Prestige trim here, there’s a mid-specification Comfort edition on offer for £20,495. Eschew four-wheel drive entirely and opt for the front-drive option and it’s cheaper still, saving a further £2,300. The petrol powered Essential TCe 90 model starts at just £14,845, with CO2 emissions just 1g/km more than our diesel edition. The bi-fuel TCe 100 LPG option costs the same, with the CO2 tumbling to just 126g/km when running on gas.
But all of those options lack one of the really compelling reasons to opt for diesel power, and that’s a generous wave of torque, particularly in third gear, with 192lb ft on offer. Fuel economy of 53.3mpg isn’t to be sneezed at either. Performance away from the line is punchy with 62mph reached in just over ten seconds. The gearbox action is positive and the steering delivers a weighty feel, with a planted feel out on the road. Handling is safe and predictable through the bends, but won’t put a grin on the face of enthusiastic drivers. At a motorway pace there’s a little more wind noise than we would expect, but tyre and road rumble is pleasingly muted. Ride comfort is generally quite absorbent, with only the deepest of ruts and judders to be felt inside the cabin.
The interior of the Duster is clear and simple, with robust plastics that are hard to the touch. The layout is generally quite logical, with a large central touchscreen, separate heating and ventilation controls and a row of switches that usefully nestles between the two. Wireless Apple CarPlay is pleasingly provided as standard, unlike in many pricier cars, and there’s a series of easy to understand buttons mounted on the steering wheel. Like sister brand Renault, the Dacia adopts a card-like arrangement for a key, but disappointingly it doesn’t have a loop to attach to your house keys, so it’s easy to lose indoors. Storage around the cabin is taken care of thanks to a tray in front of the gear lever alongside a cupholder, big door pockets, a compact glovebox, and a small area underneath the armrest. There’s also a useful shelf on the passenger’s side of the car, alongside the air vents. Space for occupants is good, with decent head and leg room front and rear, even if the front chairs are placed in their rearmost position. Boot capacity is excellent, too, with 467 litres available with the seats in the upright position and 1,614 litres with them folded down, only marginally less than on the front-wheel drive editions.