The new Dacia Duster presents itself with everything. The predecessor hits the bottom, but you can’t walk with a diesel anymore

Dacia Duster has long been one of the most popular cars on the Czech market, but it is also successful in many other countries. The Romanian automaker produced more than 2.2 million units in 13 years of this model, and by 2022 Duster was even the best-selling SUV in Europe.

So the third generation has something to build on. It tries to impress with its already more thoughtful appearance, which, according to Dacia, preserves its solid character, but adds the brand’s new design identity to it.

The automatic emphasizes especially the vertical front end, the new light signature in the shape of the letter Y, the wheel arches with curved edges or the wide rear doors. Also check the line around the car.

Side skirts, wheel arch guards, large front triangles, front and rear bumpers and rear trim are also attractive. They are made of new materials developed by Dacia engineers and the chemical company LyondellBasell. Starkle’s material was already presented on the Manifesto concept car and contains up to 20% recycled content.

With a length of 4,343 mm, the new Duster is only 2 mm longer than its predecessor, but the manufacturer promises a more spacious interior, especially in terms of width for front seat passengers and rear seat legroom.

The new Duster has a lower threshold and a wider and higher trunk opening, the trunk itself has also increased – it is longer and wider, and its volume has increased by 6% to 472 liters.

The interior has undergone significant changes, especially regarding the available equipment. The new Duster can be equipped with a 7-inch digital instrument cluster (except for the base Essential version) and up to a 10.1-inch infotainment screen (again, except for the Essential version). The multimedia system itself is also new. And connectivity has been improved, the range of driving assistants has also been expanded.

Essential Duster: fixed roof rails, electric front windows, central locking, manual air conditioning, automatic headlights, 6 airbags, rear parking sensors and more.

Duster’s expression: Key + 17-inch wheels, 7-inch instrument panel, 10.1-inch central touchscreen with Media Display and Apple CarPlayTM / Android AutoTM wireless Apple CarPlayTM / Android AutoTM replication, parking camera, windows electric rearview mirror, automatic wipers and more.

Extreme Duster: Essential + standard roof rails, fog lights, washable MicroCloud upholstery, rubber mats on the floor and in the trunk, automatic climate control, hands-free card, electric mirrors, YouClip system “3 in 1”, brass interior and exterior. colors and more.

Duster Journey: same as Essential + 18-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, automatic climate control, hands-free card, electronic brakes and mirrors, wireless smartphone charger, Media Nav Live multimedia system with navigation, Arkamys 3D Sound System with 6 speakers and following. .

The new Duster uses the CMF-B platform, which we know from the Sandero, Logan and Jogger models. In addition to the greater width in the interior, this should also ensure better driving comfort and reduce noise and vibrations. In addition, it enables electricity.

And that brings us to the range of power units. The diesel has disappeared from the engine range, replaced by a hybrid, which was also recently introduced in the Jogger model.

Dubbed the Hybrid 140, it has a 94bhp 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, two electric motors (49bhp motor and high-power starter/generator) and an automatic transmission. It has four gears designed for the combustion engine and another two for the electric motor.

There will also be a TCe 130 variant that combines a 1.2 liter three-cylinder petrol engine with a 48V hybrid system. This supports the internal combustion engine during start-up and acceleration and reduces average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by around 10%. The TCe 130 is available with a six-speed manual transmission for both 4×2 and 4×4 versions.

And now the news that will surely please the Czech customer – it is also available on LPG! Duster ECO-G 100 can burn petrol and LPG and thanks to two tanks with a volume of around 100 liters (50 liters of petrol and 50 liters of LPG) it can travel up to 1,300 km.

So also in the third generation, those who like it will be able to choose a car and an all-wheel drive. Such a version will offer a 4 × 4 Terrain Control system with five driving modes for different types of terrain. The best road characteristics are provided by the Off-Road Mode, which should be similar in terms of performance to the 4 × 4 lock mode of the second generation, but goes further by distributing torque directly between the front and the front. rear wheels depending on adhesion conditions and vehicle speed.

The ground clearance is then 217 mm (measurement between the axles) for the 4 × 4 version, the Duster boasts a front approach angle of up to 31 degrees, then 36 degrees at the back (again for the 4 × 4 version).

Orders for the new Duster will start in February 2024, the launch on the Czech market is expected in the spring of 2024, we still don’t know the price.