Dacia Duster - best crossovers
It's a bargain crossover, but the Duster has a huge amount of character
With prices from around £9,000, the Dacia Duster made a big impact at launch. But there's more to this crossover than value, as it serves up decent space despite its small dimensions, plus strong off-road ability in four-wheel-drive guise.
There's no disguising the car's budget roots inside, as the interior feels cheap and is sparsely equipped – the entry-level Access even does without a stereo. But what the Duster lacks in kit and quality it more than makes up for with practicality. There's room for three people in the back, while boot size leaves a Nissan Qashqai trailing, with the 475-litre load bay increasing to 1,636 litres with the 60:40 split-fold seats down.
The 1.6-litre petrol or 1.5-litre diesel engines are sourced from Renault, so shouldn't give you any problems. Obviously, the two-wheel-drive diesel is the greenest choice – it promises 56.5mpg fuel consumption, but even the four-wheel-drive diesel is cleaner than a petrol Duster, and buyers choosing this version benefit from decent off-road ability, plus increased towing capacity. Service intervals are the same across the range, and all models sit in a low insurance group.
