Simple, practical, full of common sense, thank you Dacia
We still appreciate the square silhouette of this adventurer with its high ground clearance. This is one of the last SUVs that clearly looks like a small off-roader, along with the Suzuki Jimny and Vitara. Sympathetic with its rustic face, well designed without any of the fashionable frills, it has quite a personality. Inside, it is unfortunately less attractive! When you enter a Dacia, the first impression translates into a certain disappointment: doors slamming with a “hardware” noise, window regulators that squeak (a little), very low-end plastics somewhat reminiscent of the Renaults of the years 1990 – but seriously put together -, gloomy black universe… But the second impression, it turns out to be fortunately much more positive. We are quickly delighted with the simplicity of the settings, the functionality of a spacious passenger compartment, a roomy trunk, and excellent accessibility. It’s simple, practical, full of common sense.
Driving position easy to find, handbrake (traditional) and long gear lever falling exactly to hand, the ergonomics of this Duster seduce because everything is within reach. When you think of the absurd complexity of almost all the rival brands, the screens cluttered with useless gadgets, the noisy and unbearable audiences, you say to yourself that Dacia has it all figured out. The essential is there, the superfluous banished. An excellent philosophy, which suits us. Navigation is thus reduced to its basic function: guiding the driver, without requiring trial and error or false manipulation. On the other hand, it is true, this GPS is very slow!
Note in this regard some annoyances, all the same: the speed displayed in the center of the instrumentation in figures is canceled at each restart. You have to go find it with the wheel on the steering wheel. Moreover, it is irritating to have to click on “Accept” at the bottom of the screen, at the bottom of a page of literature explaining that you must respect the rules of the road. A mandatory operation before accessing navigation. This bad idea was stolen from ally Nissan. In addition, Dacia has seen fit to add an electronic welcome chime when the doors open, like on Korean cars, which twists the eardrums. Impossible, alas, to cut. If the radio is turned off, it can only be turned on again at start-up by clicking on “radio” on the screen, and not through the satellite to the right of the steering wheel. Incomprehensible. And why does air recycling, which cuts off the arrival of the external flow in traffic jams, only last a few minutes? But these are admittedly relatively venial sins compared to all that the Duster offers. In particular equipment (in the high-end Journey version of our test) which lacks nothing. In short, despite the sad atmosphere – rivals two or three times more expensive do not do better – and economical materials, the balance sheet remains largely favorable here.
Pleasant mechanics when driving
The 1.3 TCe mechanics developed with Mercedes and the dual-clutch gearbox of German origin Getrag are the same as on the Renault Arkana or Austral. The absence of Sport mode and a transmission set more to consume less than for great liveliness generate limited acceleration and relaunch. We are even looking for 150 horsepower. More questionable is the reaction time of the box. A defect already noted elsewhere at Renault and Ford, which also uses the Getrag transmission. Above all, you have to learn to measure the acceleration well when going from first to second, without being too abrupt. Otherwise, the box behaves like the old single-clutch robotic transmissions, with a marked jerk. The approval remains lower than that of the Renault models thus rigged.
That said, once you’ve learned not to accelerate unnecessarily like a deaf person, the general smoothness turns out to be of good quality. In rather flowing driving, the whole works very well. Even then with a welcome sweetness. For more dynamism in the mountains or to obtain more engine braking before a turn, it is always possible to use manual downshifting. A delight. Gear changes are indeed more efficient and precise through this good old lever than with the micro-paddles fashionable among competitors.
The EDC box makes up for the dip at low revs and the rather rough transmission on the manual gearbox versions. But beware, as with all dual-clutch transmissions, you will have to reckon with disc wear and a high replacement cost! A real automatic transmission is more reliable over time. Consumption here is very acceptable, with an average of 7.5 liters per cent. This is strangely less than what we noted during a previous test (8.1 liters). No complaints.
Comfortable and able to escape from the asphalt
The handling will not reserve any unpleasant surprises. Admittedly, high on legs, the car waddles a little on its supports. The very light steering, lacking a bit of consistency and filtration, may surprise at first. But we quickly gain confidence. And, only specialists will note the design age of a “B Zero” chassis from the 1998 Renault Clio II! Much improved though. This Duster actually holds up much better on the asphalt than you might expect at first glance. The behavior is even one of the outstanding qualities of this Dacia.
The vehicle can also approach bad roads or hollow roads thanks to its generous ground clearance. The low overhangs are also conducive to steep paths. The Duster was designed for difficult traffic in Romania, where it is manufactured, and in emerging countries. Only the front wheels are driven with the EDC box. The four-wheel drive versions are compulsorily equipped with the manual transmission.
The flexible suspensions contribute to satisfactory comfort. The high sidewall tires – unfortunately a rarity today – facilitate the tolerance of running gear vis-à-vis the occupants. The speed bumps will be approached without apprehension. Thank you Dacia. This SUV is therefore one of the most comfortable on the market. Hearing question, it is obviously less well. Dacia has made savings on soundproofing. But the mastery of small noises has still made enormous progress compared to the first Dusters.
We finally feel embarrassed to point out… so few salient flaws. Intelligent, practical, spacious, reassuring, comfortable, rather pleasant despite our mechanical reservations in this TCe 150 EDC version, this Duster is remarkable for its homogeneity. It offers generally satisfactory services at all levels. This is great work. Renault knows how to concoct affordable cars. He is even the only manufacturer to have succeeded.
Rates on the rise but still unbeatable
This versatile Duster is much more pleasant than much more expensive rivals. Even without taking into account its price advantage, it would appear to us as one of the best SUVs of this size. When you consult the rates, satisfaction increases by several notches. Even if Dacia has increased its prices a lot in two years. The range now starts at 17,990 euros (11,990 in the summer of 2019!) in a very stripped-down Essential version, with a 1.0 engine running on LPG and a manual gearbox. To access our 1.3 TCe 150 engine with the EDC gearbox, you have to upgrade to the second level of Expression equipment. It’s 23,250 euros, with reversing radars and air conditioning. In the Journey version equipped with the essentials (navigation, reversing camera, etc.), the price, which is still very fair, reaches 24,600 euros! Or 2,300 euros more than the TCe 130 version and manual transmission.
However, we must add the government malus, pseudo-ecological, which has doubled in one year to 650 euros, ransom for the lack of technical sophistication! The options are priced just as moderately as the catalog price: metallic paint (550 euros), hands-free card (250), heated front seats (very powerful, 200). The rivals are not legion: the Suzuki Vitara is more expensive by 1,540 euros and remains smaller. The old Ford Ecosport, much less successful than the Duster, is also less spacious and lacks an automatic gearbox, while being less powerful. But discounts guns practiced by Ford make it competitive (22,400 euros in Active version). It is also now necessary to reckon with the cheaper MG ZS. Only available in manual transmission. the latter appears dangerous. Add all the same to the credit of Dacia that spare parts and maintenance are deemed affordable. The vehicle also benefits from a three-year warranty or 100,000 kilometers. Finally, Dacia benefits from the density of the Renault network in France.
No wonder Dacia triumphs in Europe! The low-cost subsidiary of the diamond group also became the first “French” car brand on the Old Continent in January. For the first time. It registered more… than its parent company Renault, with a lead of 1,284 cars. It also overtook Peugeot with 1,220 more units. Dacia is the fifth most popular brand in the European Union (+ Great Britain, Norway, Switzerland).
Trial model price: Dacia Duster 1.3 TCe 150 EDC Journey: 24,600 euros (+650 penalty)
Engine power: 150 horsepower (petrol)
Dimensions: 4.34 meters (long) x 1.80 (wide) x 1.69 (high)
Qualities: Versatility, functionality, interior space, simple and common sense ergonomicssufficient equipment (Journey), rather soft mechanics, comfort, satisfactory road manners, all-road skills, unbeatable performance-cost ratio, economic maintenance, dense Renault network in France.
Defaults: No Sports mode, slow EDC box, average performance, sad and austere interior, low-end plastics, unbearable welcome chime, irritating details
competitors: MG ZS 1.5 VTI-Tech Luxury: 19,490 euros; Ford Ecosport 1.0 Eco Boost 125 Active: 22,400 euros (with discount); Suzuki Vitara 1.5 Dualjet Hybrid Style: 26,140 euros
Rating: 16.5 out of 20
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