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2018 Dacia Duster Faces Its Predecessor in First Review

The all-new Dacia Duster was just presented in full at the Frankfurt Motor Show and is about to continue the good work of its predecessor. But how do the two generations of affordable crossover compare?
2018 Dacia Duster Faces Its Predecessor in First Review 3 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
2018 Dacia Duster Faces Its Predecessor in First Review2018 Dacia Duster Faces Its Predecessor in First Review
Until now, they haven't even been seen together. But the French have organized just that. Perhaps they want to show just how much the Duster has progressed. This is, after all, the most popular fo all the cars sold by Renault and Nissan.

On style alone, we have to say that that they are not as different as we initially thought. However, the 2018 model looks more upmarket. The most noticeable difference is that the whole nose of the car seems a bit more pointy. There's also a plastic insert for the front fender, right under the mirror, that's easy to spot.

Optionally, the new Duster adopts an LED daytime signature. Both the grille and the hood have been made to appear a little bit larger. However, the rear leaves you in no doubt, as it features 3D taillights with a crosshair theme, just like the Jeep Renegade.

The new Duster cabin, however, takes a huge leap. All the materials tie together. There are more features too, with the addition of push-button start, black piano inserts, floating air vents and a steering wheel that adjusts for both rake and reach.

On high-end models, you can even have things like a reversing camera and faux leather seats with an interesting armrest for the driver.

Under the hood, all the engines have been carried over from the older model. You're offered 1.2 and 1.6-liter gasoline engines and a 1.5-liter turbodiesel. The EDC automatic and 4x4 option is also taken from the old Duster. However, the French have introduced a hill-descent control system. Very SUV-like!

So, to conclude, it's not an entirely different animal, just one that corrects most of the old Duster's shortcomings. That should work just fine!

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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