2024 Dacia Duster revealed, poised for Australia as a Renault
This rugged-looking Dacia Duster small SUV is expected to be sold in Australia as a Renault from 2025 – but it may not earn a five-star safety rating.
The 2024 Dacia Duster – an SUV made by French car maker Renault’s Romanian budget brand – has been unveiled for Europe, and it is in line for Australian showrooms.
As previously reported, the Duster small SUV is expected to be rebadged as a Renault and sold by the French brand’s Australian distributor from 2025 – meaning Australia will have its first Dacia, but not with the niche name.
However executives have warned the Duster may miss out on a five-star ANCAP safety rating.
The third-generation Dacia Duster is built upon a more basic version of the ‘CMF-B’ platform which underpins the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur, allowing the small SUV to adopt modern engines from its parent company’s line-up.
There are three engines on offer: a turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder, capable of running on petrol (67kW/160Nm) or LPG (75kW/170Nm), a turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance, or a 70kW 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a 37kW electric motor in a full hybrid variant.
Both the turbocharged engines are available exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission, while the most powerful hybrid is only mated to an automatic transmission.
Front-wheel drive is standard on the turbocharged options, with all-wheel drive available for the two hybrids.
The Duster measures 4340mm in length, 1910mm wide and 1660mm tall, boasting a 472-litre boot and approach/departure angles of 31 and 36 degrees respectively for all-wheel-drive versions.
The base ‘Essential’ grade has fewer luxury features to keep the price down, featuring a four-speaker sound system, a 3.5-inch digital instrument display, an integrated smartphone mount – in place of a dedicated infotainment screen – and a USB port.
The mid-level Expression gains a 10.1-inch touchscreen – with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities – plus a 7.0-inch digital instrument display and 17-inch wheels.
Towards the top of the range is the Extreme – equipped with off-road-focused features such as rubber floor and boot mats, modular roof bars, washable interior upholstery and a built-in navigation system – and the flagship Duster Journey.
The Dacia Duster Journey adds wireless smartphone charging, a six-speaker sound system, keyless entry and start, built-in satellite navigation and 18-inch wheels.
All variants of the Dacia Duster are equipped with cruise control and a speed limiter system – a soon-to-be requirement in Europe – as well as automatic low-beam headlights, autonomous emergency braking, speed sign recognition, rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist and a driver attention alert.
The Dacia Duster is fitted with six airbags, omitting a centre airbag which has become a key step towards – but not a requirement for – a five-star safety rating in Australia.
More information on the Dacia Duster's Australian launch will be reported when information is made available.
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