It’s still Britain’s most affordable SUV — at least in entry-level specification
On sale in the rest of Europe since November 2017, the second-generation Dacia Duster has finally reached UK shores.
Don’t worry, it’s still the country’s most affordable SUV, at least in the base specification: the Duster Access SCe 115 2WD starts from £9,995.
There are four trim levels available (Access, Essential, Comfort, and Prestige) and a total of ten versions. Access models offer limited features as standard such as 16-inch steel wheels and power front windows, while the Essential trim (from £11,595) adds 16-inch “Fidji” steel wheels, body-colored bumpers, air conditioning, height-adjustable driver’s seat, as well as DAB radio with steering column-mounted controls and Bluetooth connectivity.
[NativeAd]Moving up in the range, the Comfort grade (from £13,195) adds things like 16-inch “Cyclade” alloys, leather steering wheel, graphite cloth upholstery, front-seat armrest, rear parking camera and sensors, power windows, power-adjustable and heated mirrors, an onboard computer, and the Media Nav 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
Finally, the range-topping Prestige (from £14,395) brings 17-inch “Diamond-cut” alloys, multi-view camera, blind spot warning, climate control, and keyless entry.
At launch, the new Duster will offer two engine choices: the SCe 115 1.6-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder gasoline unit (available with 2WD or 4WD) and the Blue dCi 115 1.5-liter turbo diesel (offered exclusively with 2WD for now). Later on, the Blue dCi engine will be offered with 4WD as well.
The gasoline unit delivers 115 hp and 156 Nm (115 lb-ft) of torque at 4,000 rpm, while the diesel engine is rated at 115 hp and 260 Nm (192 lb-ft) of torque at 1,750 rpm.
The latter unit is the economy champion, with a claimed average fuel consumption of 64.2 mpg (4.4 l/100 km) and CO2 emissions of 115 g/km. The gasoline unit returns 43.5 mpg (6.5 l/100 km) and 149 g/km CO2 in 2WD configuration, and 40.7 mpg (6/9 l/100 km) and 158 g/km CO2 when hooked to the 4WD system.
The new Duster comes with a six-speed manual transmission, except for the SCe 115 4×2 model which has a five-speed gearbox. The 4×4 models use the TL8 six-speed manual transmission.
READ MORE: Our in-depth review of the all-new 2018 Dacia Duster dCi 110 4×4 Prestige