Dacia Duster Review & Prices

The Dacia Duster is a brilliant small SUV. It looks cool and rugged, but that’s not just for show - there’s real off-road ability to back it up. The Duster is roomy, solidly built and represents exceptional value. However, you’ll notice a few places, particularly on the interior, where costs have been cut just a bit too far.

The Dacia Duster is what you get when you buy Sylvester Stallone from the middle aisle of Lidl. It’s square-jawed, tough-looking and properly capable, yet it undercuts pretty much everything comparable on price. Yes, some parts feel a bit budget, and it’s not quite as cushioned as more traditional SUVs - but it has so much character that it’s easy to forgive.

What really defines the Duster is its affordability. Entry-level versions come in under £20,000, and even the range-topping model sits comfortably below £30,000. Alongside that, you get loads of interior space and genuine go-anywhere ability. Even the most basic versions have more ground clearance and a tougher build than most small SUVs, and there’s a proper four-wheel drive option that’s far more capable off-road than you’d expect.

Its relatively compact footprint makes it an obvious alternative to cars like the Volkswagen T-Cross, Peugeot 2008 and Renault Captur. At the same time, the aggressive pricing means it also overlaps with newer Chinese entrants such as the Jaecoo 5 and Chery Tiggo 7.

Styling is a big part of the appeal. For something so affordable, the Duster has real presence - the blocky proportions, sculpted bonnet and chunky cladding combine with a smart front end and distinctive lighting signature to create something genuinely eye-catching. The Jeep Avenger might have the heritage, but it doesn’t look anywhere near as tough.

Importantly, it’s not all about appearances. The exterior cladding is made from a durable recycled material called Starkle, which is coloured all the way through so it won’t show scratches or scuffs as easily.

Inside, that rugged theme carries on. You get physical buttons, durable materials and a layout that feels far more cohesive than the previous Duster. Rather than feeling like a collection of leftover Renault parts, this latest Duster has a cabin that feels designed with purpose. Even entry-level cars come with a digital driver display and a 10.0-inch touchscreen - a big step up from the old model, where base versions made do with a simple phone holder.

It’s clearly been designed with family life in mind. Surfaces are easy to clean, and even the standard mats are hardwearing rubber rather than plush carpet. The trade-off for the low price is a lack of luxury - most of the plastics are hard, and the upholstery doesn’t feel especially premium.

Space is a real strength, though. Adults have plenty of room in the back, and the 472-litre boot is generous for a car of this size. That said, the high window line and slightly lower roof mean the rear can feel a little dark.

Engine options include a self-charging hybrid that’s impressively efficient, and can even be paired with an additional electric motor to create a four-wheel drive setup. Lower-spec models use a 1.2-litre turbo petrol with mild hybrid assistance, which is also what you’ll find in the 4x4. Most versions come with a manual gearbox, so if you want an automatic you’ll need to go for the hybrid.

Fans of the old Duster might miss the diesel, but the hybrid is efficient enough to effectively take its place.

This latest version also feels more polished on the road. It deals with bumps more smoothly than before, and the steering is more precise. It’s comfortable and refined enough for motorway journeys, while the raised driving position makes it easy to handle around town.

Verdict

The Dacia Duster is not a car you’d buy for driving thrills, but that’s not really the aim - it’s about getting as much as possible for your money, and on that front the Dacia Duster delivers in a big way. Though it’s no longer the very cheapest car of its kind on sale, its combination of rugged capability and remarkable practicality means it’s still one of the best.

Check out our best Dacia Duster deals, or get a great price on a Dacia Duster leasing deal. We’ve got deals on other Dacia models, or you can search for a used Dacia for sale. And remember that Carwow can help you to sell your old car when the time comes, too.

The Duster isn’t as arrestingly cheap as once it was (remember the original £9,999 Duster?) but it still represents exceptional value for money if you’re shopping for a compact SUV. A VW T-Cross, for example, is smaller inside but as much as £6,000 pricier.

A Peugeot 2008 is £9,000 more in basic form (although much better-equipped as standard, of course). At least the Renault Captur, mechanically related to the Duster, gives the Dacia a slightly harder time, with only a £3,000 difference in basic form. Of course, the Duster 4x4 gives the Dacia an added edge, and there just aren’t that many other compact SUVs with proper four-wheel drive and serious off-road ability. One of the few is the Jeep Avenger 4XE hybrid, and that’s around £7,000 pricier than the cheapest Duster 4x4, with much less space inside.

The Duster with the full hybrid engine makes the most sense from a daily driving perspective, as it’s super-efficient and quite good to drive. But our favourite option would be the mild hybrid 4x4 model, because that level of go-anywhere ability for such a low price is difficult to resist. As far as trim level goes, the mid-spec Journey is the best option, gaining the useful climate control and surround-view camera options. Even if you go comparatively wild on the spec sheet, though, you’ll find an absolutely top-spec Duster is still thousands of pounds less than many other entry-level SUVs.

Most recently we tested a 4x4 version in Extreme trim, in February 2025. We liked how it drove, and felt it had all the equipment needed - but the upgraded seat upholstery of this model was quite sweaty, and the glitzy alloy wheels felt at odds with the rest of the car’s rough-and-tumble nature.

The Dacia Duster is a little more agricultural than some alternatives, but it’s easy to drive and comfy over bumps

In town

We’ve found that this latest Duster is much smoother to drive in town than the previous model, particularly if you opt for the 1.6-litre hybrid engine - because this allows you to coast along silently on electric power alone. The other engines aren’t bad, though, and all models benefit from the Duster’s upgraded suspension, which is firmer than it was before. Though this means it doesn’t iron out bumps quite as well as a Peugeot 2008, it doesn’t bounce around as much as the old car did, which means a less sickness-inducing ride for your passengers.

Visibility isn’t the best, thanks to a shallower window line and narrow rear windscreen. But all models above the base car do get a reversing camera, and the tight turning circle and light steering  mean the new Duster is pretty manoeuvrable in town.

On the motorway

All versions of the Duster do need a bit of a boot getting up to motorway speeds. The mild hybrid 130hp 1.2-litre and the 140hp full hybrid have ample power considering the Duster’s light weight - they just occasionally need working harder than, say, the 150hp engine of a Volkswagen T-Roc.

One problem on long journeys if you have a manual Duster is that there’s limited space for your left foot, which can lead to a bit of cramp.

Once you’re up to speed, the Duster is very stable and secure, albeit slightly noisier than alternatives thanks to less sound deadening. All the hard plastics on the interior do tend to amplify the sound, too, and the hybrid in particular can sound quite coarse when it’s revving high. It’s much quieter than the diesel used to be, though. The Duster hybrid will soon get an upgrade to Dacia’s new 1.8-litre hybrid engine, as seen in the Bigster, which is good news because this is smoother and more economical.

On a twisty road

You’re not going to mistake the Duster for a hot hatchback any time soon, but with the stiffer suspension it’s much more precise and controlled than before. It stays flatter in bends, instead of leaning like a ship, though it does fidget about a bit over rougher surfaces.

Four-wheel drive models have more sophisticated rear suspension which improves comfort levels slightly, as well as the benefit of those driven rear wheels helping to push you out of bends and adding traction when the roads are slippery.

If your idea of a twisty road is one that involves deep ruts and mud rather than sweeping corners, then you’ll really love the 4x4 version of the Duster. It’s really capable, with plenty of ground clearance, good grip levels and useful additions such as selectable drive modes and hill-descent control. While you won’t be chasing down Land Rover Defenders, it’s certainly by far the most capable off-roader you can buy new for less than £50,000.

The Dacia Duster is quite large against alternatives, which translates into good interior space, even if the dark finishes are quite claustrophobic

Practicality is a high point for the Dacia Duster. The rear seats have plenty of space and the boot is larger than some cars from the size above.

The driver’s seat does have height adjustment, but it misses out on additional features such as an extendable seat base, and the lumbar support can’t be adjusted up and down. The front seats are squashy and comfortable but they didn’t really hold us in place while cornering, and the driving position felt a bit awkward for us at 6’2 tall, especially in manual form. 

The hard-wearing upholstery appears more expensive than you’d expect given the Duster’s budget leanings, though, with rugged denim-like upholstery for most models, or a microfibre that feels almost like wet-suit neoprene for top-spec Extreme Dusters.

There are plenty of storage slots for odds and ends, including a shelf perfectly sized for your smartphone, a pair of cupholders and large door bins. There’s also a clever modular system called YouClip that Dacia’s developed, with mounting points across the cabin and boot - you’ll be able to attach clamps, phone or tablet holders or even lights. Expect to see a whole range of Dacia accessories developed to fit this in the future.

Space in the back seats

The rear doors open nice and wide, and the flat rear bench lends itself well to accommodating three adults - assuming they can fit width-wise. It’s comfortable for two six-footers, though, even if they’re sat behind a driver of a similar size. Headroom is fine although the seat is set quite high, which felt a bit enclosing for our taller passengers.

There’s USB-C charging available for rear passengers, as well as one of the aforementioned mounting points - ideal for holding a tablet so that those in the back can watch a movie or play a game on a long journey.

Boot space

Boot space varies depending on the model you select. Two-wheel drive petrol models get 472 litres of space, which is one of the biggest boots in a car of this size - more than the 385 litres of the Volkswagen T-Cross or 400 litres of the Skoda Kamiq. Four-wheel drive and hybrid models lose some capacity as they have mechanicals to accommodate under the rear - raising the boot floor by a few inches, reducing the hybrid’s boot volume to 430 litres. Still decent, though, and we found it was ample for all the paraphernalia of a family day out.

The rear seats fold easily with tabs on the top edge, but they do leave a significant hump in the load floor when flat. They go down in a 60:40 split, and there are bag hooks and an optional rubber liner to keep the carpet clean.

Adventurous sorts will enjoy the optional Sleep Pack, which takes the form of a bespoke wooden box in the rear. Using the dropped seat backs, you’ll be able to fold out a futon-style double bed for comfortable in-car camping. We’ve spent the night in a Sleep Pack-equipped Dacia before, and can confirm that it really works - though the thin mattress isn’t best suited to side-sleepers, and you do end up rather close to the Duster’s roof.

The Dacia Duster’s interior is hard-wearing and well built, but it’s far from plush

At launch, the basic model of the Dacia Duster didn’t even come with a touchscreen - but that cut-price version wasn’t very popular, so Dacia dropped it from the range. Now, even the entry-level car has a 10.1-inch touchscreen, which features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to make connecting your smartphone effortless - a necessity, as its standard feature set is a bit bare.

Top-spec cars get sat-nav and all versions get a reversing camera which is displayed on the central screen. Digital instruments are also standard and though the screen is a pretty puny 7.0-inch affair it looks bigger thanks to some clever lighting used on either side of it.

And gratifyingly, you get some proper buttons underneath the screen to control the air-conditioning - which makes life much easier in the Duster than it is in something like the Jaecoo 5. We’d personally trade a bigger screen for some proper physical buttons any day of the week.

The Duster’s functional cabin also looks really cool. It’s sort of cyberpunk meets lumberjack - clearly designed for hard work outdoors with rubber floor mats, wipe-clean surfaces and nice touches like a specific off-road menu. But it’s also quite cool and angular, and uses interesting textures and patterns to disguise the cheaper plastics, particularly those on the dashboard and doors.

While the steering wheel and gear selector - the items you use most - are posh enough in the hand, everywhere else you touch definitely feels like it’s coming from the bargain basement. We can forgive that for the Duster’s price tag, though.

MPG figures for the Dacia Duster aren’t half bad given its spacious interior and blocky silhouette. If you take the base ‘Expression’ model, then you’re looking at official figures of 52.3mpg for the mild hybrid petrol with front-wheel drive, dropping to 47.1mpg for the 4x4 version. The full hybrid car claims to return 56.5mpg (figures correct as of 1/12/2025).

In our experience of driving the Duster on real roads, we found the hybrid model could achieve a real-world 50mpg, while the 4x4 model could hit about 42mpg in mixed driving. 

There’s no plug-in hybrid Duster to reduce company car tax bills, but Dacia is usually better as a private purchase anyway. The hybrid offers the lowest CO2 emissions of the Duster’s engines at 114g/km, and so the lowest road tax or company car rates. Opting for a higher trim level or a 4x4 variant will see emissions increase, with a corresponding rise in tax - though at 135g/km for the petrol 4x4, it’s not too shabby all round.

Euro NCAP score (2024): 3/5

Adult occupant: 70%
Child occupant: 84%
Vulnerable road users: 60%
Safety assist: 57%

Dacia’s official Euro NCAP scores often suffer as the firm tends to shy away from fitting active driver aids to keep costs low. And so it proves with the latest Duster, which has scored three stars out of five in safety testing. Child occupant protection is good at 84%, but the 70% adult occupant score is quite disappointing.

Despite scoring poorly for driver assist technology, the new Duster comes equipped with all the basics as they’re now required by European law - so you get autonomous emergency braking, traffic sign recognition with a speed alert, lane-keeping assist, driver attention monitoring and rear parking sensors. It’s also nice that Dacia fits an easy shortcut to turn the more annoying of these features off with just two presses, so you don’t have to root through menus.

*the basic three-year warranty is extended by a year with each approved service

Historically Dacia’s no-nonsense engineering has led to reasonable reliability - less to go wrong! The new Duster introduces a lot more software and safety systems to the fray, but the engines and oily bits are well-proven and should be pretty dependable. That’s sadly not entirely borne out by the Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, though, which rated Dacia 29th out of 31 manufacturers.

Dacia's Zen warranty gives you up to seven years of cover, provided you continue to service your car at an approved Dacia retailer. The mileage limit for this is 75,000 miles. As standard, you get three years of cover, with a further four unlockable through the Zen program. That's really good, and matches all but the very best on sale - MG and Kia both have seven-year warranties, but Toyota has a similar service-linked policy offering up to a decade of cover.