Dacia Duster review

Is the Dacia Duster a good car?

We’re pleased to report that the Dacia Duster hasn’t lost its way, as the new third-generation of the brand’s humble SUV offers great-value motoring and family car practicality at an affordable price. Sure, it might not be the most refined or luxurious SUV out there, but the Duster’s honesty makes it easy to enjoy, while the tough yet modern looks makes this quite the head-turner. 

All those reasons and more are why we think the latest Dacia Duster is a very good car. So good in fact we named the latest Dacia Duster as the Auto Express Small SUV of the Year for 2024.

How much does the Dacia Duster cost?

Everyone knows the Dacia Duster. The simple, honest small SUV was launched in Europe in 2010 and crossed the channel in 2013 when the brand entered the UK market. In that time, more than 2.4 million have been sold worldwide, with over 100,000 finding homes on British soil. All of that was accomplished by the first two generations of the Duster, and now the eagerly anticipated Mk3 has arrived. 

Dacia has enjoyed big success as the go-to brand for value driven customers, and the Duster has built up a similar reputation over the years. Naturally, the temptation may be there to make this latest iteration more premium, and profitable – but Dacia’s is a brand that knows its purpose and its feet are firmly on the floor.

This is clear from the pricing. At a time when you’ll pay nearly £26,000 for the most basic Ford Puma, and the Renault Captur starts at just over £21,000, the latest Duster is available from under £19,000 –  only slightly more than the model it replaced. 

That’s even more impressive when you learn the latest Duster isn’t just a heavy facelift of the last one – it’s an all-new car. It sits on the Renault Group’s CMF-B platform that underpins the Renault Clio, as well as the Dacia Sandero and Dacia Jogger. 

The entry-level Essential model is available exclusively with a TCe 100 Bi-Fuel engine and a six-speed manual gearbox. The 1.0-litre three-cylinder motor can run on petrol or LPG, but because it only produces 99bhp, 0-62mph takes 14.1 seconds. 

The rest of the range come as standard with a more potent TCe 130 mild-hybrid petrol engine, which is the one we’d recommend. This 1.2-litre three-cylinder delivers 128bhp and 230Nm of torque, for a much more reasonable 0-62mph time of 9.9 seconds. Meanwhile mild-hybrid assistance helps it return up to 51.4mpg, according to Dacia. It’s front-wheel drive as standard, but you can add four-wheel drive to this engine for an extra £2,200. Six-speed manual is the only gearbox option.

If you want an automatic small SUV, you’ll have to spring for the Hybrid 140 powertrain. It uses a tried-and-tested full-hybrid system found in various other Renaults, as well as the Jogger Hybrid. A 1.6-litre petrol four-cylinder and a six-speed automatic transmission are  paired with one electric to drive the front wheels, plus a separator starter-generator motor helps bring the engine to life. Combined power output is rated at 138bhp, the main e-motor delivering up to 205Nm of torque, and Dacia says the first-ever Duster Hybrid can drive using electric-only power for up to 80 per cent of the time in cities.

The trim level structure starts with the base Essential, leading up to the mid-range Expression, then branching off into two equal range-toppers – the off-road biased Extreme and the slightly more family-focused Journey.

The Essential trim is aptly named, as it offers a smartphone holder on the dashboard to use with an app-based infotainment system, plus analogue dials with a 3.5-inch TFT display, manually-adjustable door mirrors and air conditioning. Though safety kit includes cruise control, driver attention warning and advanced emergency braking. 

The better-equipped Expression trim provides a 10.1-inch central touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a seven-inch digital driver’s display, reversing camera and 17-inch alloy wheels.

Upgrade to the Extreme or Journey, and you’ll find the kit list includes keyless entry, a wireless smartphone charging pad, 18-inch rims, adaptive headlights, automatic air conditioning and an integrated sat-nav system for the central infotainment screen.

The latest Dacia Duster’s driving manners are fine for what you’d need from a family SUV, as it’s set up more to be comfortable rather than fun. The four-wheel drive version is surprisingly capable off-road, so it should have no issues with a muddy farm track in the Dales. Though the hybrid version is excellent around town, the 1.2-litre TCe 130 provides the best performance versus cost balance. Refinement is okay, but there’s a fair bit of wind noise at motorway speeds. Read more about the Dacia Duster's engine, performance and drive…

A range of engines with mild-hybrid and full hybrid technology means that the latest Duster should be more affordable to run than its predecessor. We managed to see an impressive 46.3mpg from the 1.2-litre TCe 130, and averaged 55.2mpg in the Duster Hybrid with no effort, while reasonably low emissions make the Duster competitive for company car tax. Read more about the Dacia Duster's MPG, emissions and running costs…

The latest Duster looks tough and rugged, with chunky bumpers and lots of protective cladding around the wheelarches and along the sides. The interior has a similarly robust feel, with hard plastics used for most of the surfaces. The Duster retains physical controls for frequently used functions, which helps make it easier to use on the move than touchscreen-only rivals. Speaking of which, we expect more buyers will spring for mid-range Expression trim or above to get the new touchscreen set-up, which is pretty good.Read more about the Dacia Duster's interior, design and technology…

Larger exterior dimensions yield more interior room, with plenty of space available for taller adults in either the front or the back. There’s also a larger boot with a wider opening to make it easier to load bigger items, although adding four-wheel drive or opting for the hybrid version reduces capacity. Dacia’s new YouClip storage system allows for various handy accessories to be mounted around the interior. Read more about the Dacia Duster's boot space, comfort and practicality…

We hope that the latest Duster using a newer platform continues to contribute to the brand’s steadily improving manufacturer score in the Driver Power owner satisfaction survey. Unfortunately, the Duster has received a three-star Euro NCAP safety rating, despite offering more safety assistance technology than its predecessor. Read more about the Dacia Duster’s reliability and safety…

Dacia Duster alternatives

There’s no end of small SUVs to choose from, although few can match the starting price of the Dacia Duster. The new Citroen C3 Aircross coming later this year is probably going to be the closest competitor on the money front, however pricing has yet to be confirmed.

For a more refined all-rounder, the Hyundai Kona – the Auto Express Car of the Year in 2023 – is available in petrol, hybrid and full-electric forms, as is the chunky Jeep Avenger. For something a bit more fun to drive, then you’ll need either the entertaining Ford Puma or SEAT Arona. While the Duster can be had as an efficient hybrid, the Toyota Yaris Cross has the edge in terms of efficiency, and can also be had in four-wheel drive form.