Dacia Duster review

This is the third generation of Dacia’s breakout hit, the small family size crossover that’s won hearts across middle England. The first two Dusters sold more than 100,000 in Britain. Mostly private sales, too: people buying with their own money, driving them because they choose to, not because they were made to.

And also because the Duster represents great value: the range starts around the £20k mark for a simple package that leaves out anything unnecessary but includes everything you need. Including a plucky 4x4 setup if you want it.

That first 2010 Duster was the size of the Nissan Qashqai of its era. But every car grows over the generations. Except – admirably we think – the Duster. Dacia has the Bigster coming soon, which is the size of today's Qashqai.

So if the price is old style, what's new?

Pretty well everything. Start with the body, which wears Dacia's new look. The Duster leans into the off-roader aesthetic, with a squared-off nose and perimeter plastic belt made from 20 per cent recycled material.

The first two Dusters used a platform dating back to Noughties Nissans and the Renault Clio; a classic way to save money when building a car. Dacia has since learned how to get involved in a platform from inception, to make cheap spinoffs of modern bones. Today's Duster, Jogger and Sandero represent those possibilities.

This new platform means better noise insulation, more space and stronger crash protection. It also builds in the electronic anti-crash kit that laws now dictate: auto emergency braking, speed-limit recognition, lane departure prevention.

The new structure is also set up for multiple power sources. Base trim is bi-fuel petrol/LPG. Then there's our choice: petrol turbo mild-hybrid manual, with two- or four-wheel drive. Then a new option to the Duster: petrol full-hybrid FWD. Some markets get diesel. PHEV is possible too, though not planned at the mo.

Am I winding up my own windows?

Don't be silly. But in the base car you slip your phone, running a Dacia app, into a hole in the dash and that becomes the infotainment screen. That might be preferable to the crude and slow built-in screen that comes on higher trims. Reverse sensors and roof bars and the aforementioned active safety kit are also standard.

To be fair, that base trim (at well under £20k) is the bi-fuel petrol/LPG job, with just 100bhp. But actually nearly all Duster buyers go for the higher trims.

Bargain basement, or cheap and cheerful?

Of course you can soon figure out where the money was saved. Tap your knuckles up and down the dashboard and there's not a trace of soft plastic to be found. Does that matter though? It looks good, it’s well designed and easy to live with. And the dynamics are pleasant too. It drives like a fairly nimble hatch, not an overweight SUV.

The hybrid powertrain doesn't give noticeable extra poke or save much fuel over the cheery little 3cyl turbo. In fact at 10.1 seconds to 62mph it's marginally slower than the FWD petrol (9.9s) but quicker than the 4x4 version (11.0s).

The entry 1.0-litre 3cyl bi-fuel car manages a glacial 13.2s, or 14.1secs if you're using the LPG tank. 

We drove the hybrid and FWD petrol over a mixed route and got 55mpg versus 49mpg (against official WLTP of 55 and 51). The hybrid does give you an auto transmission though, so that’ll take a chunk of sales. 

The Duster is honest about where the money's saved. There's no high-power option or fancy trim or options you won't need. No annoying powered tailgate, no confusing walkaway door locking, no menus full of hidden features. The Duster is easy to use, and designed for real life. It's roomy for its size and full of canny storage. Performance is adequate, the ride pliant, the handling intuitive.

If you're worried that it isn't a full five-star NCAP car, remember that the alternative is secondhand, from an era where stars were easier to earn. The only catch is the time you might waste looking for the non-existent catch. The Duster is one of the car world's true bargains.