00:00The Dacia Duster has always been a successful model since its launch in 2010 simply because
00:06of the fact that it is so cheap.
00:09And this is the new version for 2024, which aims to be even better without getting too
00:15expensive.
00:16Let's check it out.
00:17Welcome to Rev.
00:18The new Duster comes with three powertrains on offer, 100 horsepower, 130 and the most
00:24powerful variant that we're testing.
00:28The top version is the 140 horsepower full hybrid that will also be able to drive a few
00:34kilometers purely electric.
00:37This version comes equipped with a 1.2 kilowatt hour battery and has an average consumption
00:42of 4.9 liters per 100 kilometers.
00:45The entry level version has an engine that can use both regular fuel and LPG.
00:53The general driving impression in the new Dacia Duster is okay.
00:59Of course, a car in that price segment you won't expect very much.
01:03And it is clear if you step on the gas too hard, the engine will be quite prominent in
01:09the interior.
01:10You also have wind noises and you have a little bit of rolling noises from the tires.
01:15But then the moment you remember that the car has an entry level price of under €19,000,
01:20you will instantly forget about all of the noise you have in the interior.
01:32A thing that has been criticized with the previous version, Duster, is it didn't have
01:37a lot of driver assistance systems which earned it a very bad review from the German automobile
01:43club, ADAC.
01:51With the new generation, that is getting better because now it has almost everything you would
01:59expect in a car in the BSUV segment.
02:02So you have adaptive cruise control, lane assist and many more that are also, by the
02:09way, legally required for future cars.
02:12So Dacia had no other choice than to put that into their new Duster.
02:21The problem with all of these assistance systems is they will constantly beep at you.
02:27You're driving too fast, you're driving on the line.
02:31And that's why I like to deactivate them.
02:34But due to regulations, you can't keep that setting.
02:37So every time you start up the car, they will be activated again.
02:42But Dacia has a very clever solution to that problem and that is a setting that will let
02:54you manually adjust your liking in terms of assistance systems.
02:58So let's say you deactivate the speed warning and the lane assist warning.
03:05And that is then kept in that profile.
03:07And with the button next to the steering wheel, if you press it twice, you can activate that.
03:12That profile of yours.
03:14And then the systems will be instantly deactivated and you don't have to search for them in the menu.
03:19And that is quite a clever solution, I think.
03:30While the Duster is beloved for its off-road ability, keep in mind that only the mid-sized
03:35mild hybrid engine with 130 horsepower on offer is available as an all-wheel drive version.
03:41But the Duster's rugged exterior is, of course, standard across the board, complete with cool
03:46LED headlights.
03:49The interior of the Duster looks quite good to me.
03:53Of course, a car in that price segment, it's clear you have a lot of plastic.
03:57You will not exactly see it on the first look, but if you listen to it, all of this is plastic.
04:07It's clear it's cheaper.
04:08But I have to admit, the way the plastic is finished with these different types of
04:14looks, I really like the design.
04:18And to me, the interior is absolutely okay, even though it has that much plastic.
04:25The off-road fenders are made from 20% recycled materials.
04:31You have buttons here at the steering wheel for the different functions.
04:34Right behind here, you have one for the media, which is usually found here with other manufacturers.
04:42But that's simply, it takes some getting used to, and afterwards, you won't even notice
04:47it anymore.
04:54Right down here, very important, physical buttons for the climate control.
04:59I'm always a huge fan of that.
05:02Right down here, you have USB slots to charge your smartphone.
05:06Also, wireless charging is possible, and some more space to put bigger or smaller things
05:13inside.
05:19The vents look quite fancy.
05:22I like those.
05:24And right above, you have a 10.1-inch touchscreen, which is, depending on the version you get,
05:31either with or without navigation system.
05:39But that is not the standard.
05:40The standard does have a holder for your smartphone instead, where you can then horizontally place
05:45your smartphone and then connect it to the car.
05:48Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, wirelessly, is always with the car, and then you can listen
05:54to your music or use Google Maps or whatever.
05:58So, I really like the idea.
06:01Both work equally fine.
06:03The interior features a system called U-Clip with four to six little knobs throughout the
06:08car where additional equipment can be easily attached.
06:11The trunk has a capacity of 472 liters, which increases when the rear seats are folded flat.
06:21Originally founded in 1966, the Dacia brand was reinvented in 1999, when the Renault Group
06:27acquired it.
06:29It was the Logan that catapulted them to success.
06:34Available as a pickup, estate, and sedan, it sold over 4 million units globally.
06:39Now present in 44 countries around the world, and with models like the Duster on offer,
06:45the brand's global sales have surpassed the 8 million mark.
06:54Dacia cars are located in the A and B segment.
06:57That is also true for the Duster, which is a B SUV, and in that segment, for privately
07:02owned cars, Dacia has almost 20% of market share.
07:08So, every fifth car, you can basically say, is a Dacia car.
07:13The next one right behind it is VW, almost the same, 0.1% less, but also basically every
07:20fifth car.
07:21And the next one is far behind.
07:23About even 9%, and that is Skoda.
07:26So you can see, Dacia really appeals to the customers with their affordable cars.
07:34The Duster is based on the CMF-B platform, which it shares with the Sandero and Logan
07:40models.
07:46The Dacia Duster has gotten so much better in terms of safety and driver assistance systems.
07:52And what's even more important to me, it also looks way better than the predecessor
07:56that were somewhat ugly, I have to say.
08:00But this one, I could even consider buying it if it wasn't an SUV.
08:03It also has gotten a little more expensive, but 1,500 euros more than the predecessor
08:08is still okay, if you consider that it still starts at under 19,000 euros.
08:14So the new Duster, to me, is the perfect embodiment of a car that has good value for money.
08:20To sum up, the new Dacia Duster is a good-looking car at a very competitive price, with a lot
08:26of clever features.
08:28On the downside, the budget build also means the Duster loses points for its noise level
08:33and heavy use of plastic in the interior.
08:36But with a top-end model available for under 28,000 euros in Germany, it's an appealing
08:42buy.
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