Dacia Duster 1.2 130 PS hybrid, the mild-hybrid test

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It is called the Dacia Duster, but it could just as well have been christened 'the most anticipated car of 2024'. But Dacia Duster actually sounds better.

After seeing it up close, discovering what it looks like inside and what its prices and features are, now the time has finally come to start it up and, with the steering wheel in our hands, try it out. I did it on the roads around Malaga, Spain in a first contact of several tens of kilometres. I'll tell you how it went.

Exterior | Interior | Driving | Trivia | Prices

Dacia Duster 2024: Exterior

The dimensions don't change, everything else does. The 2024 Dacia Duster is based on the Renault Group's CMF-B platform, the same one already used by the Jogger, the Sandero but also the Clio. This has important implications on the on-board technology and driveability, as we will see in a moment, and also on the usability of interior space.

Yet despite the fact that the bones are completely new, the Duster's proportions remain the same, with an overall length of 4.34 metres.

This does not mean, however, that its styling has remained the same. Far from it. The more 'boxy', as they say nowadays, square shapes underline the adventurous character of this C-segment SUV which, in fact, thanks also to a height of around 22 centimetres on the 4x4 version, is ready to be battered. This is also shown by the protective guards around the bodywork, made of a material invented by Dacia and called Sparkle, 20 per cent of which is derived from recycled materials and not superficially painted. Scratch-proof.

Some references to the current Duster can be found at the front, characterised by the Dacia logo that extends to the light clusters that incorporate a ypsilon structure, which is also found in the headlights. By the way, the front headlights have LED low beams. Finally, the wheels range from 16 to 18 inches, depending on the trim.

Dacia Duster 2024: Interior

I mentioned the ypsilon, didn't I? Here, take a look at the air vents or at the structure of the door panels. It's a recurring motif that gives the styling of the Duster 2024 continuity and also an overall sense of robustness, as are the plastics used to assemble the interior.

Both the dashboard and door panels, in fact, are rigid to the touch, yet do not convey the feeling of cheapness in the slightest. At elbow height, however, there is pleasant padding, both on the doors and on the arm in the middle, which conceals a rather spacious cockpit. There are actually no problems when it comes to emptying pockets. In front of the gear lever there is wireless charging for the phone and, immediately above, another compartment, while behind it is the double cup holder.

With the exception of the Essential entry trim (which is chosen by very few customers as standard), the Dacia Duster 2024 has 7-inch digital instrumentation and a 10.1-inch central infotainment screen. The on-board system is extremely simple in its graphics, always intuitive, yet rich in functions and various options. There's also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto without a cable. Air conditioning is fully controlled by physical controls.

Moving to the rear seats, it immediately jumps out at how much space there is for the knees but especially for the head. There is a nice airy feeling thanks to the large windows, and there are two USB-C sockets on the centre tunnel. The only downside is the absence of air vents.

Moving to the boot, the minimum load capacity is 472 litres. There is an exploitable double bottom and then lots of accessories such as hooks, rings, 12V socket and then the universal YouClip hooks, introduced just with the Duster and useful for a whole range of accessories such as LED lights, additional hooks, cup holders and more.

Dacia Duster 2024: Driving

For the first time, the Dacia Duster also becomes a hybrid. The one I tested is equipped with "light" electrification (which then means mild-hybrid ) and sees the combination of a 1.2 three-cylinder Miller-cycle engine with chain timing and variable geometry turbine with a 48V hybrid module that acts as a starter/generator.

Exploiting the energy stored, fully automatically through kinetic recovery, within a 0.8 kWh battery, the electric motor is able to support the petrol engine in all starting and cranking situations or at times of maximum effort, relieving the work of the three-cylinder engine.

Thus consumption is improved, of course, but so is the general smoothness of use. Power output is 130 PS and Nm are 230. So the 0-62 mph is done in about 9 seconds, while the top speed is 112 mph.

There is also an Eco driving mode to smooth out the delivery, which is otherwise always quite responsive and brilliant when needed, thanks also to the fluidity of the six-speed manual gearbox which, only at times, felt slightly rubbery in its engagement. After all, we are talking about a car that had not yet 'completed' 435 miles of total mileage.

The steering is light and not excessively direct, perfect therefore for this type of car. The suspension's absorption is very good. The set-up with the 18-inch rims allows it to 'float' easily over bumps and dips while at the same time digesting even the deepest individual irregularities.

In addition to electrification, the CMF-B platform has also enabled the adoption of various driving aids. These include, among others, automatic emergency braking, road sign recognition with warning of exceeding limits, lane departure warning, the driver attention monitoring system and the active lane assist. The latter intervenes directly on the steering to bring the car back into the centre of the lane, but its calibration can still be improved as it does not always intervene in time. Finally, the button to deactivate these devices is convenient as the acoustic warnings can be annoying in the long run.

In this test drive on the roads around Malaga, mainly on motorways with speeds between 100 and 120 km/h (62 and 75 mph) and then a quiet suburban area, average consumption was around 6 litres/100 km (47 mpg-UK).

Dacia Duster 2024: Curiosities

The mild hybrid engine can also be combined with all-wheel drive. Indeed, the Duster, which, after all, lives up to its name, does tempt you to rough it up a bit, and it knows how to defend itself. I also tested it in a fairly demanding off-road terrain and it coped admirably, thanks to specific angles of 31° (attack), 24° (bump) and 36° (exit), in addition to the aforementioned ground clearance of close to 22 cm.

Besides the mechanics, there are the electronics with downhill speed control and driving modes for low-grip surfaces such as snow, mud, sand and off-road, for maximum grip.

Dacia Duster 2024: Pricing

We are still waiting for UK pricing to be announced despite already being announced in several other European countries. For comparison the new Duster in Italy has a starting price of €19,700 for the Eco-G LPG version in Essential trim, rising to €21,400 for the Expression and €22,900 for the Journey and Extreme.

The 130 PS 1.2 mild-hybrid in this test starts at €22,900 in Expression trim and rises to €24,400 for the Journey and Extreme. With 4x4 the Expression costs €25,400 and the Extreme €26,900. Then there is the 1.6 Hybrid, i.e. the full hybrid version, with 140 PS: it is priced at €26,400 in Expression trim and rises to €27,900 for the Journey and Extreme.

More from Dacia:

UK: Dacia offers up to seven years of warranty

UK: Dacia Sandero, Jogger get extra safety equipment at no extra cost

The new Dacia Duster gets a sibling from Nissan and Renault

New Dacia Spring becomes UK's most affordable new EV

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