Dacia Duster – less and less affordable brand

Dacia is not a brand whose products evoke emotions. However, its advantage remains a good balance of price quality and work ethic, not a high-quality design or modern technology solutions. And it must be admitted that the Duster is a good riding device, although when writing about the current model I would not use the comparison I used in the case of the first generation Duster. It is no longer the same as a hammer car or other simple tool that does one specific job. The Dacia SUV in its current incarnation is something more. Yes, it is still a riding tool, but with many useful additions.

The first Duster did not impress with its appearance. It was crudely drawn, like Volkswagens from years past, but certainly not like Renault cars. At the same time, Duster was one of the first Dacia products, already under the control of the French brand. And while the Romanian SUV still won’t compare favorably with models like the Renault Captur or the new Scenic, it’s no longer a ban car like the first generation.

Dacia Duster – we will find information whose sole purpose is to improve appearance. And this is an additional cost.

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Jarosław Horodecki / Onet

Dacia Duster - one of the options provides for the glass houses to be in a different color than the rest of the body. — Dacia Duster – one of the options provides for the glass houses to be in a different color than the rest of the body.

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Jarosław Horodecki / Onet

In the tested example, in the Extreme version with many devices, we can find many details that can be considered unnecessary additions, because “only” they improve the appearance. Tincluding mirrors in a different color to the rest of the body, an eye-catching “grill” with the Dacia logo, a well-integrated brand logo on the front fenders, or LED taillights with a pattern also referencing the Dacia logo. The pronounced, widened wheel arches also look good.

Dacia Duster – the LED rear lights have a shape that brings to mind the current Dacia logo.

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Jarosław Horodecki / Onet

In addition, when you sit behind the wheel of a well-characterized Duster, such as the tested Extreme version, it is difficult to complain about the lack of pleasant accents. Take, for example, the brass inserts near the air vents and bellows covering the gear mechanism, or the stitching of the same color – on the seats and door upholstery. These are features whose sole purpose is to make the cabin look better. This is a revolution for Dacia!

Dacia Duster - on the door panels we have hard plastic, but also fabric - as well as a copper color connection. — Dacia Duster – on the door panels we have hard plastic, but also fabric – as well as a copper color connection.

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Jarosław Horodecki / Onet

Dacia Duster - the interior is decorated with bronze colored elements. They revived the cabin, which is mostly made of gray and black materials. — Dacia Duster – the interior is decorated with bronze colored elements. They revived the cabin, which is mostly made of gray and black materials.

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Jarosław Horodecki / Onet

Dacia Duster – quality within reasonable limits

The quality of the interior finish also proves that Dacia is no longer the cheap brand it was years ago. Although there are no soft materials in the Extreme version, the plastics used make a good impression. They also seem to stand the test of time well, because I tested a car that had over 5,000 miles on it. km of test drives, and it still looked like new. Therefore, the equipment is not prone to easy scratches. What can you focus on? Just maybe the quality of the collection could be better. When driving, especially on uneven roads, you can hear the upholstery and the throttle working and making sounds that you shouldn’t hear in more expensive cars.

Dacia Duster – the only complaint is the quality of the assembly. Especially on less smooth roads, you will feel that the cockpit and other interior components are constantly working.

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Jarosław Horodecki / Onet

The designers of the current Duster also allowed themselves a little extravagance when it comes to accessories. Of course, we won’t find the latest technologies here, such as the most modern Mercedes electric cars, but we have everything we need to travel comfortably. There is controlled air conditioning on board, and we also have a multimedia system with an 8-inch touch screen that can communicate with the phone wirelessly. Just use the Bluetooth connection and that’s it – we have instructions for using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay on the screen. Occasionally, the system loses connectivity but recovers after a while. Not a problem – it happened twice during a week’s driving. However, it will probably be necessary to update the software to eliminate this problem.

Dacia Duster – no gadgets, but who cares?

However, you won’t find any unnecessary accessories in the Duster. The multimedia system is simple, without large lists and complex settings. Graphically, it is at the level of similar systems from 10 years ago, but in Duster it does not matter. No one promised that it would be a car full of technology, like a top-shelf smartphone.

Dacia Duster – although it is a cheap car, we can have navigation on board. Not very good though. It is better to just connect your smartphone. This can be done wirelessly!

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Jarosław Horodecki / Onet

All the multimedia in Dacia is just a few icons that allow you to control the radio, phone and navigation. The latter, in the company’s version, is weak – with poor graphics and sometimes not very updated maps. In addition, it does not work very quickly and sometimes finds very complicated ways. But who else uses car navigation when Google Maps or Waze are around? However, if you forget your smartphone, you can use the on-board map in an emergency.

Dacia Duster – you can forget about the virtual cockpit, but the analog gauges work well – it’s big and legible.

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Jarosław Horodecki / Onet

There is no virtual cockpit in Duster, but there are regular, analog indicators: speedometer and tachometer. And between them there is space for a small, monochrome screen that transmits information from a simple computer to the board. Let’s be honest: what more do you want? In fact, you don’t need good graphics to get from point A to B.

Dacia Duster – space and comfort

Comfortable seats are the most important from the user’s point of view, and Dacia’s is without a doubt. The manufacturer also ensures that they are decorated with quality upholstery that is durable and easy to clean. What’s more, it’s a real luxury – we have a driver’s seat with adjustable height and lumbar support. And at the back there is also a central arm center. Another advantage of Duster is the fact that – considering the dimensions of the car – it is quite spacious. Rear passengers have plenty of legroom, and the Dacia’s boot has a good capacity: 445 liters. This is enough to pack a family, even for long trips.

Dacia Duster – of course, there were USB ports for smartphone charging.

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Jarosław Horodecki / Onet

In the context of the model tested, it is also worth mentioning its car: it is a gasoline engine, but with the installation of industrial gas (LPG). Its advantage is that by using cheap oil, we do not lose the warranty. In addition, we can rely on the fact that this solution is suitable for a turbo gasoline engine. However, I will write about how it performs in the city and on the highway in the next part of the test.

Dacia Duster – not “cheap” anymore

Well, in its current version, especially when it comes to the Extreme variant, Duster is not a car that can be called cheap and crude. Dacia Duster is now a mature design, refined and equipped that makes it possible to call it a good model. But is it still a cheap car? Basically yes. The cheapest variant costs less than PLN 80,000. PLN, and considering the current prices of cars, even difficult ones, it is an attractive proposition. Well-equipped Extreme model with gas installation costs more, of course, but it is also reasonable: PLN 90.6 thousand. zlotys.

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