Test Dacia Duster 1.5 dCi 110 CV, exterior and interior design

It's been a long time since Dacia not only arrived, but also comfortably settled on the best-seller lists. In Europe, although specifically in Spain, the crisis has led to opt for smaller segments and low cost alternatives. Among them is the Dacia Duster, a car that we put testing this week with a 1.5 dCi 110 hp diesel engine and front-wheel drive.

SUVs are in fashion and, although Dacia focuses on basic and affordable ranges, it did not want to miss the opportunity to get hold of a piece of the SUV sales pie in their own way. In other words, offering a product with all the essentials, with a pleasant but not overly elaborate design, and at an affordable price.

The low cost that captivates

I think I'm right in saying that no Dacia is one of those cars that attract attention at first sight or that make you fall in love. The Duster might even be the exception. It's not a particularly captivating design, but it manages to please the public with a much more attractive design than the rest of its range brothers.

The front that premiered in its restyling adopted a new layout of the lights, something more modern and, above all, a new grill more worked front. What did not change were some exaggeratedly muscled wheel arches and, precisely, what I think is the hallmark of the Duster.

All the roof bars they now welcomed the name of the model, without shame, and the rear hardly shows any differences with some very simple pilots that are complemented by a kind of humps on the tailgate that continue its line and that, in my opinion, is the least appreciation of overall design.

The bottoms in black plastic and the plastic protectors that are mounted on the bottom of the front and rear help to convey a greater sense of robustness, while, if we are regulars going off the asphalt, they will better camouflage some scratches. The Duster also looks like a car quite tall and capable off the asphalt with the naked eye, adding to that off-road feel your buyer is likely to be looking for.

inconsistencies

The interior of the Dacia Duster is a solid interior. And I mean solid because of its robust appearance and the no appearance of fluffy materials. Everything is built in hard plastic and the restyling has provided it with a more careful interior, with greater packaging and where the situation of some controls has been modified.

However, we must speak of inconsistencies, because the placement of some controls is the strangest. The control to adjust the mirrors is under the gear lever, the regulator / speed limiter is in the middle of the dashboard (it is getting closer to its natural place but still does not achieve it) and the ECO mode button will have to be literally moved to press it.

Therefore, ergonomics is not its strongest point, as also shown by the position of the browser screen, exaggeratedly low. On the other hand, it has positive points, such as the window lifter buttons on the doors or a new dashboard that is more attractive and really easy to read. It is identical to that of the Dacia Sandero.

At the controls we are not going to perceive a cabin where quality predominates, but the truth is that the driving position is comfortable and easy to assume in the absence of a steering wheel that was also adjustable in depth. The steering wheel, meanwhile, is barely provided with buttons (speed control controls) and the radio is handled through a satellite located behind it.

habitability

The Dacia Duster must compete in habitability, and the truth is that it manages to carve out a deserved niche. All the seats have a good amount of available space, the front ones being quite comfortable and with quite affordable accessibility due to height, despite being an SUV.

Back things go the same way, with a bench that gives shelter to three passengers but where only two will be really comfortable. The central seat is not really uncomfortable at all, but it lacks shape and the central tunnel can be annoying. The space for the legs (although it is not the largest) and for the head should not pose a problem even for the tallest.

The storage compartments seem to have been a point worked on in the restyling of the Dacia Duster, starting with two new holes in the upper part of the dashboard. For missing we would miss a hole with cover in the center console to act as armrests. In the back it is surprising that there are no holes at least for a bottle in the doors, but it makes up for it with a hole in the central tunnel and some nets behind the front seats and the sides of these.

475 liters of trunk

El trunk of the Dacia Duster is one of its strengths, with 475 liters in its two-wheel drive version (our case) it is situated in the middle of the segment. However, it stands out for its very regular shapes that allow the car to be loaded without much need to take care of the placement of objects.

Folding down the rear seats we get up to 1.600 liters cargo volume, although the floor available is not completely flat. Fortunately, there are no steps that can hinder the entry of long and heavy objects. On the other hand, the loading mouth is somewhat high above the ground, but something attributable to practically any car with these characteristics.

Tomorrow will be the time to start the 1.5-horsepower 110 dCi engine that was the subject of our test. It is associated with a 6-speed gearbox and a simple drive system. It will be time to know its behavior on the road and in the field as well as its consumption throughout our test.

You can learn more details about the Dacia Duster 1.5 dCi 110 hp 4×2 in our dynamic and consumption analysis and in the price and equipment analysis.