Dacia, the Romanian carmaker known for its affordable and reliable vehicles, has revealed the third generation of its best-selling model: the Duster. The new Duster promises to offer more style, tech, and value than ever while retaining its rugged and versatile character. Here's everything you need to know about the new Dacia Duster 3, which will go on sale in Europe in early 2024.
New design: a modern and dynamic look
The new Dacia Duster features a completely redesigned exterior that gives it a more modern and dynamic look. The new Y-shaped LED signature lights dominate the front end, which are integrated into the sleek and expressive headlights. The grille has been enlarged and features the new Dacia logo, while the bumper has been reshaped to include air curtains and a large metallic skid plate.
The side profile of the new Dacia Duster reveals a more muscular and aerodynamic shape, with hidden door handles, pronounced wheel arches, and a sloping roofline. The new Duster also offers a choice of 16- or 17-inch alloy wheels with a unique design and a diamond-cut finish. The rear end of the new Duster showcases a more sporty and refined style, with a large tailgate, LED taillights, a roof spoiler, and a chrome exhaust pipe.
The new Duster is available in nine exterior colors, including two new ones: Desert Orange and Baltic Blue. The new Duster also offers a range of customization options, such as roof bars, side moldings, decals, and a panoramic sunroof.
New interior: a spacious and comfortable cabin
The new Dacia Duster 3 also boasts a completely revamped interior, offering more space, comfort, and technology. The dashboard has been redesigned to feature a new 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system also includes a wireless smartphone charger, a rearview camera, and a navigation system.
The new Dacia Duster also offers a new digital instrument cluster, which can be customized to display various information, such as speed, fuel consumption, driving modes, and driver assistance features. The new Duster also features a new multifunction steering wheel, which is leather-wrapped and has a flat bottom. The new Duster also offers a new center console, which has a sliding armrest, a large storage compartment, and a rotary knob for the 4x4 mode selector.
The new Duster also offers more comfort and convenience for the passengers, with new seats that have improved ergonomics, lumbar support, and heating function. The new Duster also offers more legroom, headroom, and shoulder room than before and more storage spaces throughout the cabin. The new Duster also offers a generous boot space of 478 liters, which can be expanded to 1,623 liters by folding the rear seats.
New engines: a range of efficient and eco-friendly options
The new Dacia Duster 3 offers a range of efficient and eco-friendly engines compliant with the latest Euro 7 emission standards. The new Duster offers three petrol engines and one LPG engine, as well as a choice of manual, automatic, or dual-clutch transmissions.
The petrol engines include a 1.2-liter turbocharged unit that delivers 100 hp and 190 Nm of torque, a 1.3-liter turbocharged unit that delivers 130 hp and 240 Nm of torque, and a 1.5-liter turbocharged unit that produces 150 hp and 250 Nm of torque. The LPG engine is a 1.0-liter turbocharged unit that delivers 100 hp and 170 Nm of torque.
The new Duster also offers a choice of two- or four-wheel drive, depending on the engine and transmission. The four-wheel drive system allows the driver to choose between Auto, Lock, and Eco modes. The Auto mode automatically distributes the torque between the front and rear axles, depending on the road conditions. The Lock mode locks the torque distribution at 50:50 for enhanced traction on slippery surfaces. The Eco mode optimizes the fuel consumption by favoring the front-wheel drive.
New features: a host of advanced and valuable technologies
The 2024 Dacia Duster also offers a host of advanced and useful technologies that enhance the safety, comfort, and convenience of the driver and the passengers. The new Duster features a range of driver assistance systems, such as adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot warning, traffic sign recognition, hill start assist, hill descent control, and emergency brake assist.
The new Duster also features a range of comfort and convenience features, such as keyless entry and start, automatic climate control, electric windows and mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights, ambient lighting, and a premium sound system. The new Duster also features a range of connectivity features, such as Bluetooth, USB, and AUX ports, and a Dacia Connect app, allowing the driver to remotely access various functions and information, such as vehicle status, location, maintenance, and driving data.
New price: a competitive and attractive offer
The 2024 Dacia Duster offers a competitive and attractive price, making it one of the market's most affordable and value-for-money SUVs. The new Duster starts from $12,500 for the base Access trim, which includes the 1.2-liter petrol engine, the manual transmission, and the two-wheel drive. The new Duster goes up to $19,500 for the top-of-the-range Prestige trim, which includes the 1.5-liter petrol engine, the dual-clutch transmission, and the four-wheel drive. The new Duster also offers a range of optional packages and accessories, which allow customers to customize their vehicle according to their needs and preferences.
The new Dacia Duster is expected to hit European showrooms in early 2024. It will compete with other popular SUVs, such as the Citroën C3 Aircross, the Hyundai Kona, the MG ZS, the Peugeot 2008, the SEAT Arona, and the Volkswagen T-Roc. The 2024 Duster aims to continue the success story of its predecessors, which have sold over 2.5 million units worldwide since 2010. The new Duster is the result of Dacia's continuous efforts to offer its customers more style, tech, and value while staying true to its core values of simplicity, reliability, and accessibility.
