Is the Dacia Duster the UK's best value car? We tested it in Tayside
Way back in 2012 the original Dacia Duster won the Scottish Car of the Year Award.
Back then it cost from just £9,000, making it by far the cheapest SUV available in the UK. Millions were sold worldwide and they've become one of the most popular cars in Scotland.
A dozen years on, I was excited to find out what the third generation of the Duster was like.
The first thing I noticed when the Duster arrived at my home in Dundee is how stylish it is. Dacia's designers have done an excellent job of creating a car that looks both rugged and modern. It doesn't look downmarket or dowdy when parked next to other family SUVs such as the Seat Ateca and Skoda Karoq.
Launched late last year, the third-generation Dacia Duster is available with a 130hp, 1.2 litre three-cylinder petrol engine, or as a non-plugin hybrid that pairs a 1.6 litre petrol engine with an electric motor and battery.
Oddy, the pure petrol is the only Duster available with four-wheel drive and the hybrid is the only one available as an automatic.
The 4×4 Duster is surprisingly capable off-road but unless you need to hit the dirt often the hybrid is the one to go for. It's more powerful, smoother, more economical and more modern. And two-wheel drive Dacia Dusters still have enough ground clearance to get you up a rutted farm track.
Everything costs more in 2025 than it did in 2012 and you can no longer buy a Dacia Duster for nine grand. However, with prices starting at a little over £18,000 it is still astonishing value for money.
The Skoda Karoq starts at just under £30,000, with the Seat Ateca costing more than £28,000 and the Nissan Qashqai coming in at £30,000.
My hybrid version came in mid-spec Journey trim and cost a touch over £26,000. It had most of the creature comforts you could want, including keyless entry, a wireless phone charger, reversing camera, and plenty of USB ports for charging. It also came with a false floor in the boot that's useful for stashing muddy gear.
We took the Dacia Duster to Carrbridge for the weekend. Setting off from Dundee, its light steering made the city's streets easy to navigate. The hybrid system means that at low speeds the car often goes about its business in electric mode.
On the A9 at 60mph it isn't as quiet and refined as a Mazda CX-30 or a Hyundai Tucson, but then it is only about two-thirds of the price. There's a modicum of wind and road noise but nothing particularly intrusive.
Ride quality is very impressive. As we got off the A9 and onto the backroads around Aviemore the Duster soaked up bumps and undulations very nicely.
The Duster has a 0-62mph time of around 10 seconds, giving it a decent enough turn of speed. It's frugal too – official fuel economy is 55mpg and I averaged around 49mpg during my week with the car.
The driving position is high up giving a good view of the road. Meanwhile, plenty of adjustment makes it easy to find a comfortable driving position.
Dacia earns a gold star for installing proper physical controls for the heating system instead of making you fiddle around with a touchscreen.
The infotainment system is used for what it should be – changing the radio and so on. It's a bit slower and less responsive than the best rivals' systems but you get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so most people will just mirror their phone's controls.
Our four-month old daughter didn't complain about legroom in the back and with good reason – she's tiny and can't talk. However, all but very tall adults will be fine back there, with ample levels of leg and head room on offer.
At 517 litres boot space is excellent and it can lug more gear around than some bigger cars.
Since the Duster came on the scene a couple of other budget options such as the MG ZS and KGM Tivoli have sprung up. And it's true that a lot of people lease their cars nowadays and there are some great deals to be had.
But the Dacia Duster retains its title as the country's best value SUV. In a world where everything seems to cost a fortune it's great to know there's a car that offers so much for so little.
Price: £26,050
0-62mph: 10.1seconds
Top speed: 106mph
Economy: 55.4mpg
CO2 emissions: 114g/km
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Top 10 fastest-selling used cars last month with bargain hatchback topping the list… and a shock runner-up
The motor in the top spot took just 8.6 days before it was snapped up HOT CAKES Top 10 fastest-selling used cars last month with bargain hatchback topping the list… and a shock runner-up Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE top 10 fastest-selling motors last month have been revealed - and the car ranked in second place is somewhat surprising. Data from Motors shared this week showed that used examples of the evergreen Vauxhall Corsa were the quickest out of the door of dealerships across the country in May. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The newest version of the Vauxhall Corsa was the best-selling used car of May Credit: PA 2 The Ford Explorer was, perhaps surprisingly, in second spot Credit: Rich Pearce On average, a Corsa that's roughly six months to a year old stood on a forecourt for just 8.6 days before it was snapped up. The much-loved hatchback, which, on average costs between £11,000 and £14,000 second-hand, was followed, perhaps surprisingly, by the Ford Explorer in second place. Nearly-new examples of the pure-electric family SUV sold after 11.6 days on average - which the experts at Motors believing the Explorer's popularity was down to its 'keen pricing'. Still, the Explorer's place on the list is by far the most eye-catching, compared to others. The full top-10 list can be found below. Fastest selling used cars in the UK in May 1 - Vauxhall Corsa Age: 6 Months to 1 Year Fuel Type: Petrol Mileage: Less than 5k Miles Average Days to Sell: 8.6 2 - Ford Explorer Age: Less than 6 Months Fuel Type: Electric Mileage: Less than 5k Miles Average Days to Sell: 11.6 3 - MG HS Age: 1 Year to 2 Years Fuel Type: Petrol Mileage: 10k Miles to 20k Miles Average Days to Sell: 11.7 4 - Seat Ateca Age: Less than 6 Months Fuel Type: Petrol Mileage: Less than 5k Miles Average Days to Sell: 13.1 5 - Peugeot 2008 Age: Less than 6 Months Fuel Type: Petrol Mileage: Less than 5k Miles Average Days to Sell: 13.2 6 - Toyota Yaris Age: 2 Years to 3 Years Fuel Type: Hybrid Mileage: 10k Miles to 20k Miles Average Days to Sell: 14.7 7 - MG HS Age: 1 Year to 2 Years Fuel Type: Petrol Mileage: 5k Miles to 10k Miles Average Days to Sell: 14.8 8 - Vauxhall Corsa Age: 3 Years to 4 Years Fuel Type: Petrol Mileage: 20k Miles to 30k Miles Average Days to Sell: 16.0 9 - Peugeot 208 Age: Less than 6 Months Fuel Type: Petrol Mileage: Less than 5k Miles Average Days to Sell: 16.2 10 - Nissan Qashqai Age: 3 Years to 4 Years Fuel Type: Petrol Mileage: 10k Miles to 20k Miles Average Days to Sell: 17.9 Motors also revealed that dealer inventories averaged 52 units during May with the average price of a used car on their platform at £17,197. Overall, dealers were forced to trim their prices to get stock off of their forecourts. Commenting on the data for May, Motors marketing director Lucy Tugby told Car Dealer Mag: 'Other nearly new cars in our Top 10 include the Seat Ateca, Peugeot 2008 and Peugeot 208, suggesting competitive pricing as dealers moved to clear their stocks to avoid competing with promotions on new cars. 'The fast sales were achieved despite our May Market View analysis tracking a monthly increase in days to sell from 29.3 to 30.3.' OUT WITH THE OLD We're almost at the halfway point of 2025 in what's been a whirlwind six months or so in the motoring world. Ford puma E The UK is in the midst of a transition to electric vehicles which comes with new regulations and economic pressures, while the industry continues to adapt to changing consumer behaviour. Elsewhere, the Ford Puma remains the nation's favourite motor while Tesla's favouritism begins to dip, and Nissan's problems are going from bad to worse. We've also had some exciting car releases, from the Alpine A290 hot hatchback and Dacia Bigster SUV, through to the outrageous Aston Martin Valhalla. We've also learned of the demise of some of our favourite models - ready to drive off into the sunset. Here are some of the biggest nameplates reaching the end of their production runs that have been announced this year.
South Wales Argus
4 days ago
- South Wales Argus
Town treated to free chips with a twist powered by an electric car
In the aptly named Kent town of Deal, National Fish and Chip Day was celebrated with 300 portions of chips given away, as well as a limited run of battered fish. But it wasn't your ordinary chip shop, with the chippy being powered by two electric cars and fronted by TikTok's 'Chip Shop Diva', Destiny Harold. The Dacia Spring, which its makers say is the cheapest electric vehicle currently on the market, was the power behind the frying, in partnership with local chippy, The Blue Mermaid Fish Bar. It comes after a poll of 2,000 adults found fish and chips is the most popular treat on a British holiday, as well as cream tea and hot doughnuts. Others to feature in the top 20 list include Mr Whippy ice cream, Cornish pasties and mussels. Quintessentially British foods, such as fish finger sandwiches, strawberries and cream and a pie and mash also featured in the ranking. A spokesperson for car brand Dacia said: 'It was fun treating passers-by today and showing the power of our electric car, Spring, using its vehicle to load technology, which allows you to power external devices off the car's battery. 'It's no surprise we have a national day dedicated to the iconic meal that is fish and chips and the study shows just how much we love it and associate it with holidays by the seaside. 'Playing on the phrase 'cheap as chips' in line with our affordable car and being in the appropriately named Deal, was a great way to celebrate National Fish and Chip Day.' The research also found 41 per cent of adults describe such foods as nostalgic, while 45 per cent feel satisfied after eating them. When ordering a classic fish and chips, cod (48 per cent) and haddock (19 per cent) were the most popular choices, but 69 per cent simply order a portion of chips. It also emerged 44 per cent believe fish and chips is the 'food of the people' and 39 per cent said class doesn't impact how people eat it. While 46 per cent feel there is something nostalgic about eating the British staple with a wooden fork, which 33 per cent typically do, although 38 per cent opt to eat it by hand. Food psychologist, James Cornish, said: 'There are few things that unite the British public quite like fish and chips. 'Golden, salty, comforting, and steeped in history, this timeless dish is more than a meal - it's a national treasure. 'Loved across generations, social classes, and regions, it's one of those rare things that truly brings us together. 'There's a certain kind of magic in fish and chips - a simple meal that somehow carries the weight of memory, comfort, and delight. 'Maybe it's because we don't expect too much from humble food, but our delight is excelled through the delivering of more than we expected.'
Auto Car
4 days ago
- Auto Car
"Have we gone too far?" Dacia boss says cars must get smaller
Close 'It's ridiculous to buy a C-segment car just to take to school or the supermarket. You're using tonnes of metal and lots of screens just to go to Tesco. It's fair and intelligent to ask: 'Have we gone too far?'' Dacia CEO Denis Le Vot certainly thinks so, as does his boss, Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo, along with de Meo's counterpart at rival firm Stellantis, executive chairman John Elkann. De Meo and Elkann recently joined forces to call on European legislators to move away from EV mandates and instead focus on an overall reduction of CO2 emissions.
