The thing that made Dacia so successful—and it is successful, make no mistake about it—was its ability to offer precisely what most people expect from a vehicle at a very reasonable price. The thing that kept it there was constantly improving equipment and features, keeping up with the times.
In other words, Dacia isn't just the essence of any vehicle but a modern one. The facelifted Duster follows that exact trend by offering just above the bare minimum a moderately pretentious buyer would be looking for in their new 2021 purchase. And it all starts with the exterior design.
Renault is on a quest to make Dacia its more stylish, outdoorsy, and adventurous brand, leaving Lada to fill the gap left open by the ascent of the Romanian company. It has recently introduced a new visual identity for the brand and, while we're yet to see the new logo make its debut on the actual vehicles (that will only happen next year), the press release and media website already feature the much more contemporary-looking logotype.
Being only a facelift, the modifications on the 2021 Duster's front and end are not exhaustive, simply sprinkling a bit of stylishness instead. The changes focus on bringing the Duster more in line with the current-gen Sandero and Logan models, and the best place to see it is in the headlights—more specifically, their LED signature. And speaking of LEDs, the Duster gets LED low beam and indicators for the first time. Please note the bold paint color used (called Arizona Orange) for the model's launch as well.
Photo: Dacia
On the inside, you're looking at redesigned seats for improved ergonomics (one of the main complaints of the original Duster was its very poor seating position) and new fabrics, but most importantly, an 8-inch touchscreen governing the center of the dashboard. However, just like with previous models, it still seems to sit a bit too low, forcing the driver to take the eyes away from the road for longer than it's probably safe to do.
Luckily, the Duster also comes with a surprising set of safety features, including blind-spot warning, cruise control, hill descent and hill start assist, parking sensors, and even a multi-view camera for that 360-degree view around the vehicle. The latter will come in useful both in tight mall parking lots and during the off-road outings the Duster is decently equipped for.
The Duster will be available in AWD as well as 2WD (FWD), depending on the buyer's choice and the engine selected. The former can only be had together with the diesel dCi 115 option or the gasoline TCe 150 one, both restricted to a six-speed manual transmission.
Photo: Dacia
The 2WD TCe 150 is the only way to go for an automatic shifter, a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox that Renault calls EDC. The funny bit is Dacia goes through the trouble of explaining how dual-clutch trannies work in the press release, showing how much of a novelty this is for Dacia buyers.
Somewhat counter-intuitively, AWD versions are actually worse prepared for going off-road in terms of ground clearance (214 mm/8.4 inches for the 4x4, 217 mm/8.5 inches for the FWD) and departure angle (33° compared to 34°), but it's still the obvious choice for anyone looking to leave the comfort of the road regularly.
The highlight of the engine range is a gasoline/LPG hybrid called ECO-G 100 that offers a total fuel capacity of 100 liters (50 gasoline, 50 LPG) and a maximum range of 1,235 km. Considering LPG is also dirt-cheap compared to gasoline, it basically replaces the diesel option (still available, though) as the budget-friendly choice for those who tend to put high mileage on their vehicles.
At this point, the casual observer is probably waiting for the Bigster to arrive and for Dacia to complete its transition toward this new identity. That means people won't care too much about the facelifted Duster showing up. For the EU budget SUV buyer, though, it is probably the best piece of news they could have received. The only downside is they'll have to wait until September, which is when Dacia will commence deliveries.
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