If the couplet ‘naturally aspirated’ is associated in your mental automotive lexicon with, say GT3 RS, dissociate it forthwith. The naturally aspirated Duster is slow. Really slow. The 4x2 does 0-62 in 11.9 seconds, and that’s not, er, traction limited because the 4x4 version doesn’t stop the clock ’til a second later.

But compared with the blown engines we’ve all got used to, it’s the deficit of mid-range torque that’s most telling. This is one of the few cars where, if you flatten the throttle at 3,000rpm on a motorway, absolutely nothing happens. Drop a couple of gears and main-road overtaking is possible, but really requires something approaching a five-year plan.

Flog it thus and it’s noisy, and even on motorway cruising the engine hums noticeably. But most of the time in gentle running the sound is nice and subdued compared with everyone else’s diesel crossover. In town, the stop-start is unobtrusive and it’s not poisoning anyone.

So far we’ve driven only this petrol on the road, but the diesel 1.5-litre is the K9K family you and we have driven in a squillion other Dacias and indeed Clios, Scenics, Micras, Kangoos. It even, fact fans, became the Mercedes OM607 in the last-gen Merc A-Class. Here it’s a Euro 6 with 115bhp, and we don’t expect it to be anything other than solid.

The petrol has a five-speed manual, the diesel and the 4WD a sixer. Shifting is painless enough.

New for this generation of Duster is electric power steering, which is accurate enough if lighter than we’d choose. You wouldn’t be expecting a treatise on the throttle-interactivity of the handling, given the power available to your right foot. And you’d be right. Turn the wheel and the car turns, is all: steering is progressive, roll well-contained, surprises absent.

The ride is more troublesome, with a restless turbulence when unloaded, and yet some floating on undulating roads. It feels over-sprung and under-damped. This is the 2WD version, which has a simple torsion beam axle. It might turn out the 4WD, with an independent rear end, is better.

Tyre noise makes itself felt at times, and so does wind noise, despite the fact you aren’t travelling fast.

Off-road, it benefits from a special lowered first ratio in the six-speed box, and hill descent control. Also, the approach, departure and breakover angles are high enough to let you tackle sudden dips, climbs and drops. Less clever is the wheel articulation, which isn’t enough to avoid one or more tyres departing the ground too often. And the traction control isn’t always able to stop an aerial wheel from spinning away the power. The 4x4 will tow a tonne and a half.