Dacia Duster review

We class the Dacia Duster as a small SUV – but it's certainly been a big deal for Dacia. Millions have been sold worldwide, and around 1,000 Dusters a day roll off the production line.

One word accounts for the Duster's success: price. It easily undercuts most of its direct small SUV rivals, with only the MG ZS able to compete when it comes to size and cost to buy. Somehow Dacia manages to give buyers a lot of car for their money.

The latest Duster range includes enough variants to suit the broad requirements of most families. Indeed, the cheapest version is a no-nonsense domestic workhorse, while the top trim levels add plenty of modern tech and several engine options.

Dacia Duster vs MG ZS video review

Is the Dacia Duster a worthy rival to the best small SUVs – including the Ford Puma and Skoda Kamiq? And would we recommend buying one? Read on to find out...

There are three engine choices for the Dacia Duster, but the entry-level TCe 130 mild hybrid is probably all you need. It gets off the line with plenty of oomph and 0-62mph takes 9.9 seconds – quite a bit faster than a Renault Captur TCe 90.

You can add four-wheel-drive to improve off-road ability, but it will slow you down, increasing the 0-62mph time by more than a second. Unless you really need it, we'd recommend sticking with the front-wheel drive version.

You can also have the Duster as a full hybrid (badged Hybrid 140). That version has the same 1.6-litre hybrid petrol engine as the Dacia Jogger and can drive on electricity alone for short distances, switching smoothly to petrol power at higher speeds. The Hybrid 140's straight-line pace is virtually identical to the TCe 130's.

There's also the TCe 100 Bi-Fuel, which can run on petrol or LPG and is only available in entry-level Essential trim. It's the slowest Duster by far, taking 14.1 seconds to cover 0-62mph when using petrol or 13.2 seconds on LPG.

Previous Dusters shared parts with older Renault car models but the new Duster sits on the same platform as the latest Dacia Sandero and Renault Clio. As a result, the Duster rides comfortably as you drive along, feeling more settled than an MG ZS.

True, it can’t match the polish of the best-riding small SUVs (the VW T-Roc for example) but the Duster’s soft suspension and small wheels with high-profile tyres mean it’ll happily take the sting out of potholes and imperfections. The Hybrid 140, which is heavier than the TCe 130, has the busiest ride but remains comfortable most of the time.

Better still, the latest Duster's suspension is slightly stiffer than the previous-generation car's, which has helped to remove a lot of the side-to-side sway you’d feel on undulating roads. On four-wheel-drive versions you get more sophisticated rear suspension, which should control improve stability further.

The Duster handles predictably enough and manages body lean well, staying impressively upright through corners. Even so, it doesn’t have as much grip as tidier-handling rivals, and with lighter, less feelsome steering, it’s not as confidence-inspiring or fun to drive as a Ford Puma.

The model’s trump card comes if you order the Duster 4x4. It gets slightly raised suspension and a dial between the front seats, giving you access to five off-road modes.

It’s impressive as an off-road vehicle and can tackle steep descents and hill climbs with ease. There's no question the Duster 4x4 will go further into the rough than road-focused rivals such as the Puma, the MG ZS and the Skoda Kamiq.

Road and wind noise are more noticeable than in the Kamiq, but the Duster’s petrol engines are hushed to an acceptable level. Even so, they could be smoother. At low revs they sound and feel (through the steering wheel and pedals) rougher than rival three-cylinder petrol engines, including the Kamiq's.

The regular hybrid Duster (Hybrid 140) provides a quieter, smoother experience, especially when it’s running on electricity alone. The engine can become noticeably noisy if you ask for a burst of acceleration or when the hybrid battery is low on charge.

The six-speed manual gearbox you get with most Dusters is slick enough as you flick through the gears and its clutch is well weighted. We prefer it to the Hybrid 140’s six-speed automatic gearbox, which sometimes changes up or down at inopportune moments – although the shifts are smooth enough when it does change.

“I found the new Dacia Duster much improved compared with the previous generation. The firmer suspension reduces side-to-side sway on undulating roads without weakening ride comfort.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

The Dacia Duster’s driving position is relatively high up, giving you the feeling of being in a proper SUV. It’s easy to find a comfortable driving position, thanks to plenty of driver’s seat and steering-wheel adjustment. Our only real criticism is that there’s no adjustable lumbar support.

The Duster’s dashboard is very easy to use, with physical air-con controls below the infotainment touchscreen. There are proper buttons on the steering wheel for controlling the speed limiter and cruise control.

All trims except entry-level Essential come with a 7in digital driver’s display, which is really crisp and delivers plenty of information. Mind you, it's not quite as versatile or configurable as the systems in some versions of the VW T-Cross and VW T-Roc.

You get a good view forwards from the Duster’s elevated driving position and the fairly narrow windscreen pillars mean you get a clear view out at junctions. The view over your shoulder isn’t quite as good, although the top trim gets blind-spot monitoring to help out. 

To make parking easy, all trims come with rear parking sensors, and stepping up to Expression trim adds a rear-view camera. The off-road-focused Extreme trim upgrades the camera to a surround-view one, which helps the driver see obstacles when off-roading.

All Dusters come with LED daytime running lights and front fog lights, but you can’t have full LED headlights.

The Duster's entry-level Essential trim doesn’t get an infotainment screen, instead coming with DAB radio with Bluetooth, four speakers and a USB socket. At least there’s a well-positioned mount for your phone to sit in.

Every other trim comes with a 10in touchscreen. It has a simple lay-out and sharp graphics, along with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring, but is let down by its sluggish response when you touch it.

The two top Duster trims, Journey and Extreme, add sat-nav and two extra speakers. Meanwhile, four-wheel-drive versions get a compass, an inclinometer and other off-roading features.

The Duster’s interior has a rugged look and is mostly made of hard, cheap-feeling plastic. Some trim levels get flashes of colour here and there.

Plenty of rival small SUVs – including the Renault Captur and Skoda Kamiq – have plusher interiors. Even the budget-focused MG ZS feels more upmarket inside.

None of that will be a problem if you simply view your Duster as a cost-effective family workhorse, and thankfully everything feels solidly screwed together.

“The Dacia Duster's interior offers plenty of visual appeal, and everything I touched felt sturdy. However, the MG ZS gives you a much classier mix of materials.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Getting in and out of the Dacia Duster is a breeze thanks to its tall, wide front doors, and there’s a decent amount of head room up front. The front seats don't slide back very far, so long-legged occupants might struggle for space.

It’s not the best small SUV for storing stuff either. For example, the front cupholder is too shallow to put anything that might spill in, and you’ll only squeeze a half-litre bottle in each of the door pockets.

Even the central armrest is relatively small, although it is worth having. Ultimately, the MG ZS trounces the Duster for storage, with proper cupholders and larger door bins.

The Duster's rear door openings are tall, making access easy. The height of the seats from the ground means you don’t have to bend too much to help youngsters get in and out of their child seats but the sills are quite high to clamber over.

Regardless of where you're sitting, the Duster’s high roof means you won’t find your head grazing the roof lining, even if you're more than 6ft tall and sitting on the slightly raised middle seat. Still, as with front space, the MG ZS is more accommodating.

All Dusters have a 60/40 split folding rear bench but that’s about the extent of their versatility. The Skoda Karoq has a distinct advantage here because it’s available with Varioflex back seats that recline, slide, split 40/20/40 and can be removed altogether.

On Expression models and above, you can fold the front passenger seat backrest forwards about 45 degrees to allow more space for extra-long loads.

The Duster’s boot space is large by small SUV standards, with 517 litres of storage for a two-wheel-drive TCe 130, 456 litres for the four-wheel-drive version and 430 litres for the Hybrid 140. For comparison, the Ford Puma has a 456-litre boot and took six carry-on suitcases under the parcel shelf when we tested it. 

As a result, you’ll have no issues fitting in all of your family’s holiday luggage, a fold-up buggy or loads of shopping.

The boot is a very practical shape – it's wide and high, with only a small lip to lift items over. With the rear seats folded as flat as they’ll go, front-wheel-drive Dusters offer 1,696 litres of storage volume, which is plenty for a trip to pick up flat-pack furniture.

“The Dacia Duster is one of the more practical small SUVs I've driven, offering a good amount of space in the back for six-foot passengers.” – Claire Evans, Consumer Editor

The Dacia Duster is one of the cheapest small SUVs you can buy, with only the MG ZS getting close on price. A Skoda Kamiq or VW T-Roc will cost quite bit more.

Fuel economy should be decent. Just bear in mind that the difference between the official fuel economy figures of the Duster TCe 130 and the more expensive Hybrid 140 isn’t much. We'd opt for the TCe 130 because you’re unlikely to recoup the extra cost in fuel savings unless you do a lot of miles.

If you really have an eye on cutting fuel bills, you might find the TCe 100 Bi-Fuel interesting. The lower price of LPG brings the potential for big savings, and the fact that it has two fuel tanks means it has a combined range of more than 800 miles.

The Duster's entry-level Essential trim is aimed at buyers who want a workhorse and nothing more. You get rear parking sensors, electric front windows and cruise control but that’s about it.

Expression trim has a lot more, and is the one we’d go for. Not only does it give you access to our chosen TCe 130 engine, it also adds 17in alloy wheels, along with an infotainment touchscreen, a digital driver's display and a rear-view camera.

Above that you have Journey, which adds 18in alloys and keyless entry, while Extreme sits at the top of the line-up and brings some different interior styling along with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel.

Dacia as a brand performed well in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey – it came sixth out of the 31 manufacturers ranked. Toyota did better, coming fifth, but Fiat, Ford, Renault, Skoda and VW came lower.

Better still, every Duster comes with Dacia’s Zen warranty, which covers the car for up to seven years/75,000 miles if you service your car at an authorised dealer every year. That’s better than most rivals, although Toyota gives you 10 years with the same servicing stipulation.

The Duster received just three stars out of five for safety when it was tested by Euro NCAP, which is very disappointing. Its 70% rating for protecting adults in the front is poor, and its Vulnerable Road Users and Safety Assist scores are even worse, at 60% and 57% respectively.

The model does come with a reasonable amount of safety kit, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), traffic-sign recognition, lane-departure warning and lane-keep assist.

Unlike in a lot of models, which require you to dive into their touchscreens in order to turn safety aids on and off, the Duster comes with a "my safety" button, which – once customised – allows you to quickly switch to your sensitivity preferences.

“Like some other Dacia car models, the Duster is available with a YouClip for clipping your phone or other items to the interior. I'd find it quite handy.” – George Hill, Used Car Writer

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