Euro NCAP yesterday rolled out a new batch of crash tests, revealing that Renault's latest SUV, the Duster, currently sold as a Dacia but soon to be rebadged by Renault, was only worth 3 stars. This obviously led to criticism not only from a lot of potential buyers, but also from the Euro NCAP per se who said that it's a shame that Renault hasn't made the Duster as safe as its very own models.
It's a well-known fact that all models developed by Renault and sold under its badge have managed to get the maximum five-star Euro NCAP rating in the past and they will most likely continue to do so.
“The Duster performs well below the latest level of safety performance demonstrated by other new cars on the European market. It is disappointing that a mother company like Renault does not give safety the same priority in Dacia cars as it does in cars sold under its own brand," Euro NCAP said in a statement when talking about the safety level provided by what is currently the world's cheapest SUV and the first model of its kind in Dacia's product lineup.
Renault however isn't concerned about the three-star rating and defends its SUV, emphasizing that the crash tests result complies with the company's objectives for this particular model.
"[The result] “in keeping with the objectives of Dacia, which seeks to design and build vehicles that are acclaimed for their strength and reliability. Dacia Duster benefited from the Renault Group's know-how and boasts a solid level of passive safety performance," Renault said in a statement according to Autocar.
It's a well-known fact that all models developed by Renault and sold under its badge have managed to get the maximum five-star Euro NCAP rating in the past and they will most likely continue to do so.
“The Duster performs well below the latest level of safety performance demonstrated by other new cars on the European market. It is disappointing that a mother company like Renault does not give safety the same priority in Dacia cars as it does in cars sold under its own brand," Euro NCAP said in a statement when talking about the safety level provided by what is currently the world's cheapest SUV and the first model of its kind in Dacia's product lineup.
Renault however isn't concerned about the three-star rating and defends its SUV, emphasizing that the crash tests result complies with the company's objectives for this particular model.
"[The result] “in keeping with the objectives of Dacia, which seeks to design and build vehicles that are acclaimed for their strength and reliability. Dacia Duster benefited from the Renault Group's know-how and boasts a solid level of passive safety performance," Renault said in a statement according to Autocar.