DACIA Duster Review

This chapter brings mixed conclusions, as the Duster performs well from certain points of view and fails from others. The lack of proper soundproofing might bring an engaging drive, but it also means that the vehicle becomes tiring during long trips. The only thing that tops that is the lack of refinement of the 1.5-liter diesel engine, which could be used by automotive students willing to learn how to diagnose a powerplant just by listening to it - you can hear all the distinct noises, such as that of the fuel going through the injection system.

The fact that the vehicle doesn't have too many gadgets doesn't help either, but our test car was fitted with every optional on the list (except the leather upholstery), which meant that we could listen to music in MP3 format and control the temperatures in both directions.

On the other hand, the seats might lack lateral support, but are large enough to provide a comfortable ride, and the suspension really knows how to deal with bumps at any speeds (we really do mean ANY speeds).

If we add the reassuring feeling given by the capable all-terrain tech stuff and the ESP's ability to keep the car on track even when driving on pure ice, we get a balanced conclusion, rather than one that puts the vehicle to shame.

The Renault-Nissan Group can do wonders with platform sharing when the company's engineers are being controlled by its financial advisers, with cutting costs being the Number One priority.

When we drove the Nissan Juke, we couldn't believe that it was based on a, albeit modified, Micra platform, especially when talking about off-road handling. Well, in the Duster's case, the gap between it and the donor vehicle of its platform, the previous generation Renault Clio, is even bigger.

A few chapters ago, we said that the Duster is the Dacia's most advanced vehicle and by that we didn't mean that it's got features like adaptive cruise control or direct petrol injection. What we wanted to say is that, for example, this is the first Dacia to ride on independent all-round suspension and use a six-speed manual gearbox.

While the platform does its job really well, we can't say the same thing about the engine. The 1.5-liter dCi diesel unit delivers 110 hp at 4,000 rpm and a peak torque of 177 lb-ft (240 Nm) at 1,750 rpm.

The unit itself has a good specific output, and the Duster itself can be considered a pretty light crossover at 2,822 lbs (1,280 kg), but put them together and the result will be a slightly underpowered car.

So, the 1.5 dCi should be a bit more powerful, but what about its other assets, does it compensate through efficiency or refinement? No and no. This is one of the least refined modern diesels we've driven, with the unit being an audio exhibitionist. As for the fuel efficiency, we would've expected more from the combination of a relatively light body, a short-ratio six-speed manual and a downsized diesel engine.

While the city fuel consumption is just a little higher than the one we thought we'd get, the highway one is larger by larger margin, and we think that in the lack of a more potent engine, which wouldn't have to be pushed so hard for open road driving, the car could at least use longer ratios for fifth and sixth gears.

However, since this engine is also present on a number of Renault and Nissan models that are both heavier and more pretentious, we can't really complain. As for its gearbox, this takes some time getting used to, due to its extremely short ratios, but apart from that and the highway efficiency suggestion we made earlier, it works great.

First gear is extremely short, as Dacia wanted this to be used for off-road driving - the vehicle wasn't fitted with a low-range due to the financial and weight disadvantages that would've brought.

Further down the power line, we find a non-permanent four-wheel drive system. Borrowed from Nissan, this can be controlled via a knob in the cabin and offers three modes: "2WD", which means that only the front axle handles the power, "Auto", where up to 50 percent of the power is sent to the rear when this is necessary and "4WD Lock", which means that you get full-time all-wheel drive.

While it's best to leave the system in "Auto", if things get really serious, you can use the permanent AWD function, which turns the car into a really fun one. This allows you to perfectly balance the vehicle and you can even use the throttle to let the back slide in certain situations, if you turn off the ESP, of course. All in all, the system works brilliant in any conditions and can be considered the most advanced part of the car.

Speaking of the ESP, we have to tell you that it's fully disengageable ,so you can play off-road and when it's on it's extremely eager to keep the car on track, which means that you'll have no trouble getting over the most difficult driving conditions without having to fear that the car slides. There's just one thing that's wrong wit it: the poor ergonomics of the controller place it in a spot that's difficult to access for the driver, somewhere in the right lower extremity of the center console.

We tested the car during one of the harshest winters the last few decades has ever brought and experienced the most extreme snowfall this season, one the closed many roads and left a lot of people isolated, but each time, whether we're talking about snow-covered tram lines in the city or icy roads, the system kept the car on track despite our violent efforts to trick it, efforts that came at dangerous speeds. For this kind of car, this is one of the nicest tech toys to have.
The Duster we tested had been gifted with all the optionals on the list, with the exception of the leather finish, but don't expect this to mean that you've got a toy-packed car. Instead, you get a vehicle that only manages to satisfy your basic needs.

However, it's not like you don't expect this if you rely on common sense. When you spend under EUR17,000 pounds on a crossover that comes with a diesel engine and an intelligent four-wheel drive system, there's really not much room for too many gadgets in this equation.

So, besides the smart four-wheel drive system and the well-calibrated ESP, which we covered in the Deux et Machina chapter, what else do you get?

Well, the vehicle comes with a single-zone, manual climate control system, which uses ancient controls but does a good job at playing with the interior temperature, an audio system that can read MP3 language and comes with steering wheel column-mounted controls.

We also got all-round power windows, albeit with some of the worst-placed controls we've seen, as well a leather finish for the steering wheel (we would've wished this to be a little bit thicker).

The Duster is a true believer, with "form follows function" being its religion and for this chapter, this means that the car will offer the basic goodies and nothing more.

As for the safety part, we already mentioned the four-wheel drive and the ESP and we have to add four airbags to that.

Renault is well-known for its obession with safety, with the Frech carmaker's name practically becoming a synonim for a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. However, when it comes to its Dacia low-cost child, the company suddenly runs out of generosity.

For the Duster, this translates into a three-star rating, which means that this chapter is some sort of an Achilles' Heel for the car. The crossover received a score of 74 percent for adult occupant protection, 78 percent for child occupant protection and 28 percent for pedestrian protection.

The passenger cell kept its shape well during the frontal impact, but the hatch opened during the test. Protection of the chest only received a marginal rating, for both the driver and the front passenger, while hard dashboard structures were seen as a threat for the driver's legs.

The driver's door opened during the side impact and the protection for the driver's chest was rated as weak in the pole test, while whiplash protection in the even of a rear-end crash was rated as marginal.

The vehicle tries to compensate for its passive safety bloopers by offering a set of assets that should help you from crashing it, such as predictable handling and decent brakes, with the package really working well.

However, the thing we really have to talk about is the ESP. This offers an extremely useful setup, for a on-off system that is. While it's on, the car doesn't move a muscle (lateral movements), a behavior that proved extremely reassuring in a city covered in ice and snow and when you want it off, it will be gone for good, allowing you to literally fly off-road, for example.

It's interesting, almost like a paradox, how the Duster is such a simple car, yet there are so many things that come to our mind when a conclusion has to be put down.

The Duster borrows its exterior design from hiking boots. It's a car that really offers value for money, it doesn't use this description do deliver mechanical junk for a relatively low price as it happens with some cars that come with this claim. It is the antithetic definition of the Apple brand, something that the world needs just as much. It is a car that delivers on its promises: it is compact, therefore making you expect it's fit for the city and manages to be so; it comes with a generous ground clearance and a "4WD" sticker on the back, bringing the idea that it is capable off-road and when you take it out, it manages to impress in this area to such an extend that you'll never want to keep that sticker, which can be found at the rear, clean.

Don't get us wrong, it's far from being perfect. The exterior design might have conquered us, but doesn't suit all tastes, and the interior gets an even lower rating. It might be spacious, but it comes with ergonomics that defy common sense and only manages to offer a few gagets even if you tick all the boxes on the list.

And then there's the engine, which only works on paper. In the real world, it lack the output needs to provide good open road work, it's as refined as a butcher's shop and sips more fuel than it should, with the last coming as a consequence of the first.

However, for a car that starts at just over EUR10,000 (for the money, you get front-wheel drive and a petrol engine) and ends at around EUR17,000, like our test one, the Duster is an extremely attractive proposal.

It manages to be a good city vehicle, and, even though it barely passes the open road tests, is extremely capable once you get off the road.

Our test drive, took place during one of the worst weeks of an extremely cold season that set a new record in recent history. Closed roads, paralyzed cities and stranded villages were all over the news, while we were playing with the six gears of the transmission.

We were changing gears extremely frequent due to the fact hat we had chosen a cross-country tour that included driving in a row, with a police car in front, on roads that were officially closed due to the extremely heavy snowfall, as well as moving through a capital city that was almost choked to death by the winter.

We have to tell you that we rarely found such a trustworthy partner in a car, especially at this price. Towards the end of our experience, the weather decided to give us a break and the Duster kept being a pleasant car to drive.