The third-generation of the Dacia Duster is set to arrive in Ireland this September, and promises to continue the model's 13-year success story.
According to Dacia, more than 2.4 million units of the Duster have been sold worldwide since its introduction in 2010, adding that about 1,000 Duster SUVs roll off production lines at Dacia’s plant in Pitesti, Romania, every day – about one every minute.
The new Duster is built on the CMF-B platform, which is said to provide more space for passengers and luggage than the previous generation and is only fractionally longer overall. Dacia says the platform’s advanced engineering also reduces vibration and noise from the road, enhancing driver comfort while maintaining the same overall length of 4.34 metres. It has a ground clearance of 217 mm (4x4 ).
A new hybrid powertrain has been added to the Duster. The Hybrid 140 powertrain, which Dacia adopted for Jogger in early 2023, is now available. It comprises a 4-cylinder, 1.6-litre, 94 hp petrol engine, two electric motors (a 49 hp powerplant and a high-voltage starter generator ), and an electric automatic gearbox (with 4 engine ratios and 2 motor ratios ). This combined technology is possible because the system is clutchless.
Dacia claims that the regenerative braking, the 1.2 kWh (230 V ) battery’s high energy recovery capacity and the gearbox’s efficiency make it possible to drive in all-electric mode up to 80 per cent of the time in cities, which reduces consumption by 20 per cent (mixed cycle ) to 40 per cent (urban cycle ). The engine always starts with electric power.
The new Duster will be available with 4x4 Terrain Control transmission, which includes five driving modes: Auto, Snow, Mud/Sand, Off-Road, and Eco.
The four trim levels are: Essential, Expression, Extreme, and Journey. Standard equipment includes Media Control, fixed roof bars, six airbags, rear parking radar, and more. The top Journey trim adds 18-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, automatic air conditioning, hands-free keycard, electric parking brake, wireless smartphone charger, Media Nav Live infotainment system with connected navigation, six-speaker Arkamys 3D Sound System, and more.
On the inside, the new Dacia Duster gets a new infotainment system with a 10.1-inch central touchscreen. Standard in the 'Expression' and higher trims, the screen is available with both multimedia systems of Duster, named Media Display and Media Nav Live. The new Duster also features a new seven-inch customisable colour digital cluster, where the driver can display the information they find most useful. This digital cluster comes as standard with the 'Expression' and higher trims.
Irish pricing and specification will be announced in September.
