Back in December, the company released a so-called video presentation of the Duster, but it was nothing more than a static footage of the car. This time, thanks to one of the new media’s many wonderful informational paths, a leak, we can see the SUV in motion (actually the nature of this path depends on which side of the video you are: creator or consumer).
At the beginning of the video the car is in an underground parking. This is left behind in a hurry, probably in order to demonstrate that the car’s compact length of 4.31 m and width of 1,82 meters offer a good advantage in the urban environment.
Maybe to emphasize the fact that its 1,280 kg weight (for the 4x4 version seen in the footage) also makes the Duster appropriate for urban use, a drive through the city follows. Soon after, the SUV looks like it further intends to demonstrate its on-road capabilities, as it is driven on a twisty mountain road.
The next step of the footage features, obviously for a Nissan-torque-converter-equipped, 200 mm ground clearance, short-console vehicle, some off-road driving. The keen-looking man behind the wheel reaches a private destination and, at the touch of a button, he turns the soft-road driving alley into a forest road (we’re sure that the remote control through which he does this will never make it into reality). He turns a knob and switches the car from front wheel drive to 4 wheel drive, engages 1st gear on the 5 speed manual box and drives into the woods - the button is for real this time.
The final destination is somewhere in the mountains, maybe showing that the SUV blends in nature, as its diesel engine has a CO2 emission figure starting from 150g/ km (for the 4x4 version shown in the footage).
If you feel inspired by this and you want to take the Dacia Duster for a ride yourself, you’ll have to wait until spring in Europe, Turkey, Algeria and Morocco. If you live in Ukraine, the Middle East, Egypt or some parts of Africa, June will be the month from which you can drive the Renault Duster. For the Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Chile and Persian Gulf countries’s inhabitants, the Renault badged SUV will be available starting from 2011.
Dacia has not yet revealed any pricing information. However, two of the car’s potential rivals, the Skoda Yeti and the Hyundai Tucson have a starting price of 15,000 Euros (VAT not included - prices are for the Romanian market).
As for ourselves, we are fascinated by the 350 HP, ice-racing version of the Dacia Duster, the one which Former F1 driver Alain Prost is using in his attempt to win the 2009-2010 Andros Trophy.
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