First Drive: Dacia Duster

Whatever ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ translates as in French must have been written large above the desks of the team working on this new Duster, the Romanian brand’s Renault owners taking a light hand to the job of renewing its baby SUV. All-new or not it’s exactly the same size as its predecessor, has a similar look and is very much evolution not revolution.

This is a good thing. The Duster always appealed for its rejection of pushy, aspirational values that otherwise stigmatise the crossover and baby SUV segment. Where style over content rules the school gate the Duster is true to core attributes and has a knockabout honesty, underpinned by proper off-road ability.

While the silhouette is familiar the lights have been pushed out and the beltline raised to make it look a little more assertive. Meanwhile the dashboard has been raised and windscreen pushed forward to make you feel more cocooned in the SUV style which, depending on your viewpoint, may not necessarily be a good thing. There are advantages though, not least raising the infotainment screen and increasing the size and adjustment range of the seat base. These are typical of the points raised by customer feedback, likewise the firmer cushions and bigger bolsters for improved support and extra soundproofing in the name of refinement. It’s still basic and, in places, cheap feeling but where you’d criticise that in other brands it kind of fits with the Dacia offering.

For this UK launch we tried two-wheel-drive, 115PS (113bhp), 1.6-litre petrol-engined cars on the road and 4x4 versions of the same off it. There’s also a two-wheel-drive diesel and more engine choices will follow in due course. Front-driven versions have the look and are perfectly practical budget crossovers but if you want the proper Duster experience the 4x4 is the one to have. In this form it’s a proper baby off-roader and perfectly in tune with rural life, especially if you live at the end of an unmade lane or just want something compact, cheap and capable of taking a bit of a beating. Little wonder country folk raised on Subarus and Panda 4x4s love them.

The petrol-engined car isn’t quick and nor is it the last word in dynamic sparkle but it’s easy to drive, the new electric power steering is light and the ride deals equally well with potholed country roads as it does speed bumps and other urban obstacles. It does what it needs to and it does it well.

Affordability remains the Duster’s key attribute though. The symbolism of a sub-£10,000 starting price is maintained but even with all the bells and whistles a £16,395, 4x4 Duster Prestige undercuts the cheapest, front-wheel drive Skoda Karoq by an astonishing £4,000. That it maintains this price advantage with a slightly more polished interpretation of its functional charm only adds to its appeal.

The Numbers:

Engine: 1.6-litre petrol/1.5-litre diesel

Transmission: 5-speed manual, front- or four-wheel drive

PS/Nm: 115/156 (petrol), 115/260 (diesel)

0-62mph: 11.9sec (petrol 2WD), 12.9sec (petrol 4WD), 10.5sec (diesel 2WD)

Top speed: 111mph (diesel 2WD)

Price from: from £9,995 (Access 1.6 SCe 4x2 petrol)