Dacia Duster on the Snow

Dacia's first SUV, the Duster, has proven to be a hit on more than one markets, even in places where a low-cost SUV is officially regarded as a big no-no. Yet, until now, there were few those (excepting Alain Prost and his overtuned Duster Ice) who had the chance to test the model on the snow.

Now that winter is upon us, it's time to have a look at how the model behaves on icy surfaces, before actually experiencing it for ourselves. Somewhere in Finland, a Dacia Duster 1.5 dCi 110 horsepower with four wheel drive has been put to the test.

Just as a reminder, the Duster uses several existing Nissan and Renault components, including the MacPherson-type multi-arm suspension and a six-speed gearbox with short first ratio for better off-road handling.

The 4x4 configuration provides three driving modes: AUTO (the front/rear torque split is calculated automatically, with torque transmitted to the front wheels only in normal conditions), LOCK (throttle control and braking are automatically configured for all-wheel control) and 4x2 (optimized for reduced emissions and fuel consumption).

The Duster fell into the spotlight in a negative way this August, after Dutch correspondents for Germany's ADAC organized a test which pointed to some handling issues for the model. The 4x4 version, the same tested on the snow by the Finns, was the only one who managed to handle well in this version of a moose test.

In a positive note, the Duster is on the list for the 2011 Car of the Year awards.