New Dacia Cargo ‘VAN’ announced – but it’s no longer the bargain it was

The Dacia Cargo arrives as a ‘Van’ take on the new Duster, with a single trim and a choice of two powertrains – costs from £22,995 (+VAT).

It’s almost exactly a year since the new Dacia Duster went on sale in the UK as a more sophisticated Duster with a modern Renault Platform, more tech and a Hybrid option, with prices starting at £18,745.

Now, Dacia has revealed the ‘commercial’ take on the Duster with the Dacia Duster Cargo (which was the Dacia Duster Commercial last time around) as a ‘bargain’ option for the small van man market. But it’s not the bargain it was.

When the last Duster Commercial arrived in 2021, it cost from £12,995 (+vat), but this time it costs from £22,995 (+vat) – a 75% increase in just four years. Blimey.

The Duster Cargo follows the usual path to turn it into a van, with the back seats binned, a completely flat wooden floor and 1,149 litres of space for stuff (the last Duster Commercial had 1,623) and a payload of up to 430kg (the last Commercial had 503kg), with lashing points, darkened back windows and a mesh bulkhead.

The Cargo comes with a choice of two powertrains, with the new Hybrid 155 recently added to the regular Duster options using a four-pot petrol and electric motors powered by a 1.4kWh battery and good for 153bhp and prices from £23,495 (+vat), or the Mild Hybrid 130 with a 1.2-litre three-pot and four-wheel drive coming in at £22,995 (+vat).

The Cargo comes in a single Expression trim with a choice of just white, black or grey paint jobs, 17.0″ alloys, 7.0″ driver display, 10.1″ infotainment, Air Con, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and roof bars.

The new Dacia Duster Cargo is now on sale with first deliveries due before the end of the year.