Dacia Duster – MPG, emissions & running costs

During our time behind the wheel of the Duster Hybrid we averaged 52.3mpg – not far shy of the official WLTP figure of 55.3mpg. However, given the complex nature of the hybrid tech, that’s not really much of an improvement when compared with the mild-hybrid model, which is claimed to achieve 51.4mpg; we saw 46.3mpg during a few hours of driving. Adding four-wheel drive to the mild-hybrid reduces its efficiency down to 46.3mpg, so expect this to be around 40mpg in the real world.

Granted, the mild hybrid is only available with a manual gearbox, but it costs a full £3,000 less than the full hybrid and is very slightly quicker on paper, so for those who don’t need an auto gearbox, it’s the model that will make the most financial sense. Either way, the Duster is impressively cheap beside most rivals, which counts hugely in its favour.

For those interested in the 1.0 TCe Bi-Fuel, while the 43.5mpg fuel economy figure looks poor thanks to LPG being less energy dense than regular petrol, at least the fuel costs less to buy in the first place – provided you can find a filling station that stocks it, of course.

Tax 

With no fully electric option or even a long-range plug-in hybrid powertrain, the Duster doesn’t offer particularly tempting rates for company car drivers, but it’s a compromise worth making to keep the price low for private buyers.

Thanks to affordable pricing, even the most expensive Duster is well under the £40,000 limit that would require an additional tax surcharge. Private buyers will get a small discount going for the Hybrid 140 and 1.0 TCe Bi-Fuel when compared with the TCe 130 mild-hybrid petrol version, because both are classed as alternative fuel vehicles.

Insurance groups

The majority of the Duster line-up falls into insurance group 24, although the entry-level model is in group 17. Those are higher group ratings than the previous model, as well as compared with other small SUVs, but the Duster should still be cheap to insure.

Depreciation

A competitive starting price has resulted in strong residual values for the Duster. As the priciest model in the range, the hybrid is expected to depreciate the most, but even so, all models should hold on to at least 55.6 per cent of their value after three years or 36,000 miles. The strongest residuals are reserved for the entry-level Bi-Fuel model; this is predicted to retain a solid 62.3 per cent of its list price over the same period.

In comparison, the Ford Puma and Renault Captur are both expected to hold on to between 51 to 54 per cent of their original value over the same period.  

To get an accurate valuation for a specific model, check out our valuation tool...