Test new Dacia Duster: driving the cheapest LPG version - VIDEO
Let's dare to write it, it's a safe bet that the Duster will eventually become a model as iconic as the monuments such as the Land-Rover Defender, Jeep Wrangler or the most popular Lada Niva, the Russian cousin whose production will cease and whose replacement will share its base with the… Dacia. Nearly two million Dusters have been sold worldwide since the launch of the first generation in 2010, the vast majority under the Renault brand.
A minimal restyling which is limited, at the front, to the adoption of a new luminous signature in Y lying, like the Sandero and Spring, with in addition, and for the first time at Dacia, LED indicators – but not scrolling, let's not exaggerate – and new grille designs. On the side, we are content with new aluminum rims supposed to be more aerodynamic, borrowed from the Sandero Stepway, “style” aluminum mirror shells – we are not at Audi! – and black shoes at the ends of the roof bars, now supplied as standard. At the rear, there is the same light signature on redesigned lights and a slightly longer spoiler. And that's all. The fact remains that in this sober Comet Gray shade, our Duster looks great!
On board, the changes are just as tenuous. The dashboard was not entitled to the minor facelift enjoyed in other markets by the Duster badged Renault, making it more opulent, with in particular the adoption of oblong air vents. Having become more responsive and offering better definition, the multimedia touch screen has seen its diagonal increased to 8 inches and receives a smartphone interface, Bluetooth connectivity and voice control. As for the USB port, it migrates from the top to the bottom of the center console, and is duplicated. Knowing that the rear passengers are also now entitled to theirs. As for the seats, they have been redesigned to provide better support and increase their seat length, while the headrests – à la Volvo – are taken from the Sandero and Clio. Without forgetting, the height of luxury, a sliding central armrest housing a storage space of 1.1 litres.
This small turbo engine with variable intake, however, shines more by its flexibility than by its performance.
At the wheel, there is a great smoothness of driving with a light but sufficiently precise direction and a good mechanical flexibility. The small entry-level 1.0-litre 3-cylinder – which accounts for nearly 20% of sales – is now only offered in dual-fuel petrol-LPG. Slightly more efficient when it runs on gas: 100 hp and 170 Nm, compared to 90 and 160 on petrol, this small turbo engine with variable intake nevertheless shines more by its flexibility than by its performance, quite modest, but made acceptable thanks to a reasonable weight of 1,256 kg, empty. Note that it does not like high revs, and in fact does not offer the same character as the 1.2 liter PureTech Peugeot-Citroën. Equipped with a smooth and well-guided command, its manual transmission benefits from 6 judiciously staggered gears. We can just blame it for a few tiny jerks when reattaching, especially in LPG mode. Still, this block still suffers from poor performance, even more glaring when it runs on LPG, a fuel that increases consumption by around 20%. Consequently, it is advisable to have the very light foot to go down under the 8 liters. During our test run, including the video session, our average consumption was more than 10 liters (and more than 8 in gasoline mode). Fortunately, the capacity of the LPG cylinder has been increased by 16.1 liters to 49.8 litres, which, added to the 50 liters of unleaded, allows a real range of over 1,000 km. All that remains is to put an end to the spare wheel, the location of which is occupied by the gas…
This Duster still enjoys a very serene behavior, which this small engine is not likely to harm, as well as excellent damping comfort, including with the 17 '' rims of our high Prestige finish. Which does not have much to envy to some otherwise more upscale SUVs. Two downsides, however, the new seats are still sorely lacking in lateral support at the level of the backrests, and some noises of aerodynamic origin disturb the peace of mind on board on the highway.
On the equipment side, this high Prestige finish, which represents the vast majority of sales, is enriched in particular with a blind spot alert, a reversing camera, automatic air conditioning, a Wi-Fi interface for smartphones or, on the outside, 17'' aluminum rims, front and rear skids and dark-tinted rear windows.
In addition to this basic bi-fuel engine, this “new” Duster still offers the excellent 1.3 TCe petrol engine with 130 or 150 hp, the latter can be combined with the EDC automated automatic gearbox, as well as the 1.5 diesel dCi 115 hp which offers the choice between 4×2 and 4×4 transmission. An all-wheel drive which, despite the absence of a range of short ratios, transforms the Duster into a very efficient cross-roader, with a ground clearance of nearly 22 cm.
In terms of prices, sinews of war at Dacia, the basic Duster finish “just short” which represented only 1% of sales having been removed, the range now begins in Essential, offered from €14,490, i.e. little or so the same price as before, and peaks at €22,900 in dCi 115 Prestige. Added to this are the prices for “Up & Go” offers, models already manufactured which the customer can use immediately, and which also “offer” certain equipment.
Our opinion
With an unbeatable performance/price ratio, this “first price” Duster only suffers from high fuel consumption, partly offset by the price at the LPG pump (€0.86 per litre). And only gets 3 out of 5 stars in the EuroNCAP crash test…
Technical sheet
Buy Dacia Duster ECO-G 100 test version Tested version: €18,100 (Prestige) Starting at: €14,490 Average manufacturer consumption/average of the test (l/100 km): 6.3-6.4 (6. 8-7 LPG)/8.4 (10.4 LPG) CO2/penalty: 125-127/0 Fiscal power: 5 HP Country of manufacture: Romania
Range offered LPG: 100 hp, from €14,490 to €18,100 Petrol: from 130 to 150 hp, from €18,850 to €22,400 Diesel: 115 hp, from €16,990 to €22,900
Driving Engine: 3-cylinder, 12 valves, petrol injection, turbo, variable intake, 999 cc, stop & start, DPF Transmission: front-wheel drive, 6-speed manual Power (hp at rpm): 90 to 4,400 (LPG: 100 hp at 4,600) Torque (Nm at rpm): 160 at 2,200 (LPG: 170 at 2,000) Weight (kg): 1,256 Length x width x height. (m): 4.34×1.84×1.69 Wheelbase (m): 2.67 Fuel tank: 50 + 49.8 (LPG) liters Maximum speed (km/h): 168 km/h 0-100 km /h: 15''1 (GPL 13''8) 0-1,000 m DA: 37''9 (GPL: 36''2) Standard tyres: 215/65 R 16 Test tyres: Continental EcoContact 6 (215/60 R17)
Living Rear legroom: 70 Front/rear elbow width: 139/142 5/2 chest (l): 445/1,623
Recommended options Hands-free cards (€250) Multi-view camera (€300) Heated front seats (€200)
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