Dacia unveils new Duster SUV

Good news and all that jazz. Dacia has unveiled its new Duster.

Now based on the Renault-Nissan CMF-B platform (also shared with the Sandero, Logan, and the Jogger), this new Duster promises more space for passengers and luggage than before, while only being 'fractionally' longer overall.

A host of components of the exterior of the car are made from a material named Starkle, itself comprised of 20% recycled material

Dacia states that use of this platform has also allowed the Duster to keen noise and vibration levels down, enhancing overall comfort for all.

On the exterior, the car now sports a grille similar in design to the Jogger, with the new Dacia logo housed in its centre, while Y-shaped head lights are placed at either end. The car also gets chamfered wheel-arch guards, a large tailgate, and extensive body shielding at its lower sections, communicating its robust and ready status.

Dacia states that the plastic that goes into the Duster's front and rear skid plates are now dyed, eliminating the need for environmentally unfriendly paint. The use of dyed plastics, Dacia adds, will also help to mask any light scrapes and scratches. 

The Dacia Duster gets a 10.1-inch infotainment screen that is angled towards the driver in its cabin

The underbody guards and wheel arches, meanwhile, are made from a material named Starkle, which comprises of 20% recycled material. This material sports a mottled look, which Dacia has opted to flaunt instead of painting over.

In the cabin, all but the base 'Essential' trim models of the Duster will feature a 10.1-inch centre touchscreen, while upper-trim models will also pair this with a 7.0-inch customisable colour digital instrument cluster. The interior of upper-trim models also get air vents are Y-shaped, and this design motif is also applied on the door-panel armrests.

This new Dacia Duster will be offered with a hybrid drivetrain that pairs a 1.6-litre petrol engine with two electric motors and a 1.2kWh battery to generate a system total of 138bhp. A mild hybrid drivetrain is also offered, which utilises a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine. Finally, Dacia is also offering the Duster with a 99bhp engine that can run on either liquified petroleum gas or petrol. This variant is said to sport a WLTP range of 1,300km when both its 50-litre filled.

Dacia states that it has produced 2.2 million examples of the Duster SUV to date.