New Dacia Duster REVEALED – but will the new Duster still be a bargain?

The third generation of the very appealing Dacia Duster arrives with a new platform, new tech and more goodies. Will it still be a bargain?

Earlier this year, Dacia celebrated 10 years of sales in the UK of its appealing, no-nonsense range of cars and revealed that it’s the Dacia Duster which is the best-seller in the UK. Which, with prices starting at just £8,995 – and now more like double that – is no surprise.

Now, Dacia has revealed the all-new Duster and it’s gone very modern with a new platform and hybrid engine options as well as more modern tech.

Now sitting on the same modern Renault Platform as the rest of the Dacia range, and the Renault Clio, it comes with a choice of three powertrains and 2WD or 4WD options, with the Hybrid 140 getting a 1.6-litre petrol with 94bhp plus a 49bhp electric motor, the TCe 130 mild-hybrid with a 1.2-litre three-pot petrol and 48v mild hybrid motor – which is available in 4WD and 2WD – as well as a TCe 100 Bi-Fuel LPG which we probably won’t get.

Still looking like a Duster – but a slicker take – the new Duster is virtually the same size as the current model and with a new grille and butch stance, rugged cladding all round made from what Dacia call ‘Sparkle’ which is 20 per cent recycled, and bash plates which are dyed in the mass to hide scratches and bumps.

Inside, there’s a 7.0″ driver display and 10.1″ infotainment even in the base Essential trim, Expression models get 17″ wheels and more toys, and Extreme (rugged) and Journey (comfort models top the offerings.

Spend more – and we don’t have prices yet – and there’s stuff like traffic sign recognition, rear park assist, lane departure and even OTA updates.

It all sounds great, just as long as the starting prices don’t jump up much from the current £17,295.