Dacia didn’t release that many photos when its facelifted Duster SUV was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, but Renault’s budget brand has now made it up to viewers with a new extensive gallery with more than 60 shots.
Priced the same as the outgoing model (from €11,900/$16,430 in France), the restyled Duster comes with electronic stability control (ESC) and four airbags as standard, Media Nav infotainment and navigation system, cruise control with speed limiter and rear park assist.
The big news is the 1.2-liter turbocharged gasoline engine , rated at 125PS (123 hp) and 205 Nm (151 lb-ft). 90 percent of peak torque is available from 1,500 rpm and 100 percent from 2,000 to 3,000 rpm. With this engine, the Duster 4x2 averages 6.3 liters per 100 km (37.3 mpg US) and emits 145 grams of CO2 per kilometer. The engine is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox and features a lifetime timing chain that is maintenance-free. The 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint is covered in 9.6 seconds.
The other engines remain the same: a 104hp (105PS) 1.6-liter petrol unit (available in a petrol-CNG version in some markets), and two 1.5-liter diesels with 89hp (90PS) or 108hp (110PS).
Inside, beyond the upgraded dashboard, the SUV is much quieter, with Dacia saying the overall noise level on board has been halved compared to the pre-facelift model.
Dacia says that on models fitted with the six-speed manual gearbox, the noise level at 130 km/h (81 mph) in the facelifted Duster is comparable to that at 90 km/h on the previous version.
By Dan Mihalascu
