What a difference 20 years makes. In 2004, Dacia was almost entirely unheard of in the UK, and the Romanian car manufacturer's most popular model, the 1310, was a licensed version of a 1960s Renault . Fast-forward to 2024, and the company is one of the most popular across Europe , with motorists turning to them for cars that might not be as trendy as rivals but offer incredible value for money .
With all that success, the Renault-owned firm has boosted its range with the all-electric Spring , the upcoming Bigster , and a third generation of the ever-popular Duster SUV. Based on the same platform as the latest Renault Captur and Nissan Juke , the latest Duster has a much more modern design than the outgoing version, yet it still starts at just £18,745. As a result, the Duster's closest rivals in terms of price are all much smaller superminis like the Vauxhall Corsa and Citroen C3 .
Is it too good to be true? Styling: Whilst the Dacia Duster has always been a unique design for the Romanian company, previous examples have always looked a touch cheap compared to rivals. With this third-generation example, I would argue Dacia has finally shaken that stigma off and given us a very classy SUV. Of course, we have all the usual SUV tropes, such as the flat bonnet and muscular bulges on the front and rear wings, but Dacia has given the car some more unique touches.
Much like its bigger brother, the Bigster, the new Duster forgoes black plastic around the wheel arches and bumpers in fa.