Review: Dacia Duster

The basic selling point of Dacia cars is budget, as the Renault-owned brand is the lower-cost arm of the group, writes Brian Byrne. But there's another one — simplicity. You get what you pay for, and what you are not paying for is a big bank of technological bells and whistles.
 
Which is one of the things that has made the Dacia Duster such a popular car, probably. It's a decent amount of the car for the money, tough, surprisingly comfortable, and the most important powertrain bits are all proven and modern.
 
I wasn't given the bare bones base version to review. So I did get a couple of extra bits and pieces. But few of them were essential.
 

The recent revisions didn't tamper with the looks, chunky and cheerful and tall, that last great for someone who really gets bothered about all the cars I bang my head on while getting in. The new grille brightens things, the roof rails add a working ethos. The body side mouldings in the picture are extra to this Summit grade. There are revised rear lights lenses too.
 

Inside is a driving position that I very quickly found to be really comfortable, as were the passenger seats pronounced by a regular companion. So going for budget needn't mean budget comfort.
 
I wasn't so much impressed with the main instruments. Mostly because they are dark. Switching on the sidelights and so the instrument lights improves things. The touchscreen radio/info system that's also for the grade looks a tad underwhelming too, but it works. The simple knobs for the heating and ventilation are my kind of thing too, as regulars will know.
 

The finish of the plastics is well up to normal standard and the review car didn't feel tacky in any way. The grade provided added a flash of fun burnt orange detailing around the dashboard and on the upholstery.
 
All grades get front fogs, electric front windows, a DAB radio system and bluetooth phone connection. There are two further grades through to the Summit version, and at the top you also have cruise/limiter control, electric rear windows, that touchscreen system with sat-nav, and rear parking sensors with a camera. Special alloys too.
 
All versions have the same engine, a 110hp 1.5 diesel which is very familiar to anyone driving Renaults and Dacias. In this car it is plenty perky. The review car was 2WD, it is available in AWD in the three upper grades.
 
The Duster is a surprisingly quiet car — it could easily have been mistaken for a petrol-powered one, though the low-down torque was the giveaway. It handles fine, and in some atrociously wet weather during my time with it, its high-rise aspect was reassuring in the spray.
 

Bottom line, if somebody said to me that I'd have to drive a Duster as my personal car for a year or two, I wouldn't be raising any objections.
 
And at the price, it represents true value, and a certain amount of dash.

PRICE: From €16,690, my review version stood at €22,890. EQUIPMENT: DAB Radio and Bluetooth connectivity standard throughout. Four grades add useful stuff, not OTT. STAR RATING: 4.2/5.