DACIA DUSTER. The third Dacia Duster of the name was unveiled this Wednesday, November 29. The Romanian SUV, with a completely renewed look, has many advantages to remain one of the favorite models of the French.
The career of the Dacia Duster is taking a new turn. Thirteen years after its first spin, the Romanian SUV shifts into third gear with a new model, the 3rd generation Duster, presented this Wednesday, November 29. The manufacturer did not hesitate to cut to the chase with a new version with much more geometric shapes, a design which gives it a more robust and adventurous side than the previous version revealed in 2017.
Born in 2010, the family SUV, mainly manufactured in the Pitesti factory, in Romania, is a real success for the Renault group brand. Very popular due, in particular, to its very competitive prices, the Duster has sold more than 2.2 million copies worldwide. In 2022, it was the best-selling SUV in Europe, all segments combined. This new opus, which will hit our roads in 2024, seems designed to stay at the top of sales.
What’s new on the Dacia Duster III?
At Dacia, the Duster was the last model still sold in diesel. This will no longer be the case in 2024, but new engines will equip the SUV. Notably a hybrid version with a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine with a power of 94 horsepower associated with two electric motors – one of 49 horsepower and a high-voltage starter/generator – and an electrified automatic gearbox. Another new thing under the hood, the Duster will for the first time be equipped with a 130 horsepower 3-cylinder 1.2-liter gasoline engine with a 48V mild hybridization system. Other variations with different power levels are expected a little later.
The Duster will also be available in dual-fuel gasoline and LPG, the clean fuel consisting of liquefied petroleum gas, with a 1-liter engine with a power of 105 horsepower. Dacia announces that “by running on LPG, the new Duster ECO-G 100 emits on average 10% less CO2 than an equivalent gasoline engine. It offers up to 1,300 km of autonomy thanks to its two tanks displaying nearly 100 liters of cumulative useful capacity: 50 liters of gasoline and 50 liters of LPG (installed under the trunk floor, the latter preserves the loading volume). Switching from one fuel to the other is done easily. quickly and imperceptibly thanks to a switch perfectly integrated into the dashboard.”
Unveiled at the end of November, the new Duster will not arrive on our roads before spring 2024. The SUV should arrive in dealerships in April 2024.
Price is one of Dacia’s strengths, and the brand wants these models to remain as affordable as possible. Today, the price of the old generation at entry level – the ECO-G Essential version of the SUV (in LPG) – starts at 17,990 euros. The third opus will logically cost more, but its starting price will not exceed 20,000 euros according to our information. You will logically have to spend more for the hybrid version, expected between 25,000 and 27,000 euros.
