2018 Dacia Duster starts at £9995 05 | 06 | 2018
DACIA’S SECOND-GENERATION Duster has gone on sale today at Scottish dealerships. Prices start at just £9995 — a £500 premium over the outgoing model — with first deliveries scheduled for next month. (Related: Dacia tops 'most affordable' list)
The new Duster range — not one body panel is carried over from the previous generation car – is available in four trim levels: Access, Essential, Comfort and Prestige. Top spec models start at £16,395.
The new five-seat Duster (there are no plans for a seven-seat version) is available with two engines: a 1.2-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel. Both come as standard with a manual gearbox. The option of four-wheel drive, costing £2000, is only available on the petrol versions.
LED daytime running lights, 16-inch steel wheels, electric windows, an engine immobiliser, automatic door locking, Emergency Brake Assist, new full length curtain airbags and ISOFIX points in the rear are standard across the range.
Access trim, available from £9995 also features 16in steel wheels and electric front windows. Essential trim, available from £11,595, adds 16in 'Fidji' steel wheels, body coloured front and rear bumpers, manual air conditioning, heat adjustable driver’s seat, DAB radio with steering-column mounted controls and Bluetooth connectivity.
Comfort trim, available from £13,195, adds new 16in ‘Cyclade’ alloys, front-seat armrest, leather steering wheel, graphite cloth upholstery, rear parking camera and sensors, electric front and rear windows, heated and electrically adjustable door mirrors, MediaNav 7in touchscreen multimedia system (Satellite navigation, USB and AUX connection points) and a 7-function on-board computer, all as standard.
The range-topping Prestige version, available from £14,395, adds even more luxuries with brand new 17-inch ‘Diamond-cut’ alloy wheels, multi-view camera, blind spot warning, climate control and keyless entry.
Based on the same platform as the outgoing car, it’s almost identical in terms of dimensions. It does though benefit from reprofiled side panels, along with a wider wheel base to ensure the wheels fill the arches better.
Cabin space has also been increased thanks to the windscreen being moved forward by 100mm. Also, in an effort to give the occupants a more secure feeling, the bonnet and belt-line have been raised up. At the rear, the tail-lights have also been pushed out to each corner.
There’s also a brand new dashboard layout, new materials and new technology. The new dashboard makes use of cleaner surfaces and repositioned air vents, alongside fresh instruments and a new steering wheel.
The seats have been completely redesigned with denser foam for improved comfort and support. The front seat cushions are 20mm longer and the driver’s seat comes with an armrest, lumbar adjustment and a new height-adjustment system which travels through 60mm (compared with 40mm previously).
Cabin noise has been halved by increasing the percentage of sound-absorbing surfaces in the cabin and engine compartment from 20-50%, reducing noise thanks to improved sealants and plugs and using 0.35mm-thicker glass for the front windows. The car is now fitted with larger-diameter 165mm bicone speakers for enhanced audio quality.
Storage capacity in the cabin has been increased by 20% to a total of 28.6 litres. The All-New Duster has the same boot capacity as its predecessor: 445 litres for the 2WD version and 376 litres for the 4WD version.
Related: New Dacia Sandero on-sale at £5995
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Jim McGill