Summary
The Dacia Duster is a small SUV/crossover, priced at the budget end of the market. This model is the second generation, which was launched in late 2017 before going on sale in the UK in the middle of 2018. By 2024, this Duster has been repaced by a new third-generation SUV.
The second-generation Duster received a broad range of scores and reviews from the UK media, ranging from outstanding to outright recommendations not to buy one. It was praised for providing good value for money, but criticised for its driving dynamics and poor safety rating compared to other cars in its class.
In a 2020 What Car? survey of the 50 most reliable cars in the UK up to eight years old, the Dacia Duster ranked an outstanding sixth place. In its 2021 survey, What Car? rated the Duster sixth in its list of the most reliable small cars.
The SUV received a mid-life update in Autumn 2021. This consisted of a number of incremental improvements to the current car, rather than an all-new model. No longer on sale, the second-generation Dacia Duster holds a Used Car Expert Rating of B with a score of 66%.
Key specifications
Body style: Small SUV/crossover
Engines: petrol, diesel
Price when new: From £17,295 on-road
Launched: Summer 2018
Last updated: Autumn 2021
Replaced: Spring 2024
Image gallery
Media reviews
Reviews, road tests and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
The Car Expert
Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol/LPG Comfort Bi-Fuel
“Given Dacia is all about value and saving people money, the introduction of this factory-fitted LPG offering is a brilliant addition to the firm’s range. Considering the system adds a minimal £400 to the price, the fact it brings no setbacks and the potential to save £600 on petrol costs each year, the Dacia Duster Bi-Fuel is definitely worth considering.”
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Model reviewed: 1.6-litre petrol manual SCe 115 Comfort
“The Dacia Duster is a cheap car with a genuine breadth of ability and a modicum of personality, and that makes it an attractive proposition.”
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Auto Express
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“The Dacia Duster is better than ever, and is possibly the best value SUV you can buy.” (Shane Wilkinson)
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Model reviewed:
Score: 8 / 10
“Dacia’s latest updates aren’t quite enough to hide the Duster’s age, but it still offers tremendous value for money.”
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Model reviewed: 2021 facelift range
Score: 7 / 10
“The Dacia Duster remains true to its ethos, offering decent practicality and all the equipment you really need at a frankly astonishing price. There’s no escaping the age of some of its underpinnings, though.”
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Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol/LPG manual Comfort 100 TCe Bi-Fuel
Score: 8 / 10
“Dacia’s new range of petrol-LPG models could spark a renaissance in bi-fuel cars. The Dacia Duster TCe 100 Bi-Fuel makes for an interesting and cost-effective alternative to diesel models for drivers covering more than average annual mileages.”
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Model reviewed: Comfort Blue dCi 115 4×4
Score: 6 / 10
“If you want the space, rugged styling and raised ride height of a 4×4, but without the luxuries and price premiums associated with more expensive crossover rivals, nothing comes close.”
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Auto Trader
Model reviewed: (2023)
Score: 9 / 10
“There’s a new badge on the Dacia Duster’s grille but the car behind it is just as appealingly affordable and no-nonsense as ever.”
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Autocar
Model reviewed: 1.3-litre petrol manual Comfort 4×2
Score: 8 / 10
“The Dacia Duster offers a very acceptable proposition to families on a budget – and an even more welcome antidote to the suffocating complexity of modernity. It’s a handsome SUV with a petrol engine, a manual gearbox, five seats, a spacious boot and a touchscreen for your music and phone, and that’s pretty much all. Far from that being an indictment, that’s something to treasure while we still can.”
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Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol/LPG manual Comfort 100 TCe Bi-Fuel
Score: 8 / 10
“If you were in the market for a 1.0-litre Dacia Duster already, there’s little reason not to opt for this instead. At only £400 more than the entry-level petrol, you could break even on the extra costs in little over a year of driving.”
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Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“By focusing on making only worthwhile improvements to this super-affordable family car, Dacia has also preserved what we liked so much about its predecessor: its rare, unaffected simplicity of character.”
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Car
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Dacia Duster is a handy, cheap and practical tool rather than a car to get excited about, and yet there’s a simplistic satisfaction you get from driving one. Like a mountain goat off road and just sophisticated enough on it to be something on your potential buy list.”
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Score: 8 / 10
“It’s fantastic value, whether you’re paying cash or exploring the PCP options. And the fact that it now looks and feels much smarter, slicker and more modern is a bonus.”
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Carbuyer
Model reviewed:
Score: 7 / 10
“The great-value Dacia Duster will have you asking why other SUV models are so pricey.” (
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Carwow
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“The Dacia Duster is an exceptionally affordable SUV that’s more spacious than most alternatives but entry-level models come with barely any equipment at all.”
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Daily Mail
Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol/LPG manual TCe 100 Bi-Fuel Comfort
“Dacia claims ‘superior torque’ in LPG mode though I struggled to tell the difference, which frankly I saw as an advantage. I don’t really want to feel a difference. I want the drive to be smooth and event-free, which in fact it was.”
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Model reviewed: 1.6-litre petrol manual Comfort
Score: 8 / 10
“Everyone should own a Duster at least once in their lives, and if Dacia can come up with a touch more oomph, while keeping the price of this fully loaded Comfort SCe version sub-£15k, I can’t imagine why anyone with half a brain cell wouldn’t do just that.” (Chris Evans)
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“If you’re looking for a practical everyday family value-for-money SUV that won’t break the bank, or a reasonably priced ‘station car’ to get you to your daily train commute, it’s got to be a contender.”
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Eurekar
Model reviewed:
“As Dacia goes about overhauling its corporate image within the Renault group, the Duster is joining the smaller Sandero hatchback and Sandero Stepway with upmarket tweaks and styling changes including new-look Y-design light clusters and a chromed radiator grille – all changes that keep it at the top of the tree when it comes to value for money motoring.”
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Heycar
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“The Dacia Duster is so cheap, it’s guaranteed to grab your attention. And it’s not a bad car. It’s comfortable, practical and won’t cost you a fortune to run. Unfortunately, it’s easy to see where costs have been cut, and you’ll need at least a mid-spec model to avoid giving the kids a harsh lesson in austerity.”
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Honest John
Score: 8 / 10
“If it’s bells and whistles you want, you’ll be disappointed. What you do get is an honest and unpretentious SUV that’s great value.”
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Motoring Research
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Whichever way you look at it, less than £12,000 is ridiculously cheap for a brand new SUV. A lowly three-star safety rating is a black mark, but the Duster scores highly for its honesty and practicality.”
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Motors.co.uk
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 4 / 10
“Britain’s cheapest SUV can be yours for less than £12,000 on-the-road. It might have one of the silliest names on the market, but the Dacia Duster is not a car to be sniffed at.”
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Parkers
Model reviewed: Range review
Score: 9.4 / 10
“Incredibly affordable small SUV offers style and substance”
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The Sun
Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol manual Essential
“Budget motoring is in safe hands with Dacia. If you can hack the Duster in base spec, you’ll be properly quids in.”
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Model reviewed: Range overview
“Powerful SUV from Dacia is well-equipped, roomy and yours for under ten grand.”
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The Sunday Times
Model reviewed: Duster Comfort
Score: 6 / 10
“Dacia isn’t the brand to go for if you’re after sophisticated, satisfying handling, powerful engines and silky-smooth transmission, but the new Duster does offer improved looks, more sophisticated LED lighting, better economy and some surprising bits of kit, such as heated front seats and wireless Apple Carplay/ Android Auto.”
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Model reviewed: SCe 115 Comfort 1.6-litre petrol manual
Score: 4 / 10
“A painfully slow, difficult to drive and not especially attractive elderly Renault in an Ilie Nastase suit.” (Jeremy Clarkson)
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The Telegraph
Model reviewed: 1.5-litre diesel manual 4WD Comfort
Score: 6 / 10
“In many ways, the Dacia Duster is at its most convincing in this form. With four-wheel drive and a diesel engine, it slots neatly into the role of an affordable off-road workhorse. If you want a Duster for road use, you’ll still want the perkier, more refined and less compromised petrol-engined car.”
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Model reviewed: 1.6-litre petrol manual 2WD Comfort
Score: 8 / 10
“It might still be cheap to buy, but the Duster now looks and feels like a much more complete SUV. If you can live with the disappointing safety rating it’s well worth a look.”
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Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“The Dacia Duster isn’t trying to kid anyone. It’s not cheap in a way that insults your intelligence or makes you feel mean. It’s a far better car than it needs to be at the price, and we love it for that.”
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What Car?
Score: 6 / 10
“The Dacia Duster is cheaper than any rival you wish to name. It has some obvious shortcomings as a result of its low price, but if you want cheap, no-frills motoring with a big boot and more than enough everyday practicality, it’s unrivalled.”
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Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
Overall score: 3 stars
Date tested: December 2017
Date expired: January 2024
Read the full Euro NCAP review
Adult protection: 71%
Child protection: 66%
Vulnerable road users: 56%
Safety assist: 37%
Notes on safety rating
The Dacia Duster was originally crash tested by Euro NCAP back in 2017 and awarded a three-star rating. However, this rating expired in January 2024 and is no longer valid as the car no longer meets the standards required for such a rating. This is normal practice, as Euro NCAP reviews its ratings on most cars annually with most ratings expiring after about six or seven years.
Although the rating has now expired, the score is still useful if you are comparing a used Duster to vehicles of similar age – whose ratings will have probably also expired.
Eco rating
No Green NCAP data available for this model.
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
Model tested: 1.5-litre diesel manual 115hp
Overall score: 2 stars
Date tested: November 2020
Read the full Green NCAP review
Energy Efficiency Index: 5.1 / 10
Greenhouse Gas Index: 2.8 / 10
The Dacia Duster 115hp 1.5-litre diesel manual received a 2.5 star rating from Green NCAP in November 2020.
Green NCAP said: “A 1.5-litre in-line four-cylinder diesel engine powers the car tested here, delivering 85 kW and a very hefty 260 Nm of torque. The exhaust after-treatment system includes selective catalyst reduction and a diesel particulate filter, and the car is approved as Euro 6d-Temp.
“Overall, the vehicle offers reasonable fuel consumption values and CO2 emissions. The exhaust aftertreatment fulfils the legislative requirements and provides very good particle emissions control. Some improvement may help to reach better robustness also with regard to the NOx emissions, which are in general well handled by the abatement systems. Better control of ‘laughing gas’ emissions (N2O) would lead to a higher greenhouse gas index.
“As it is, this index is the car’s weak point, at just 2.8 out of 10, and leading to a 2½ star rating.”
This rating only applies to the 1.5-litre diesel manual version of the Duster, and does not imply similar ratings for other engine and gearbox combinations in the range.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
Total claims: 25
Average repair cost: £200.10
Last updated: October 2024
Reliability score
All data based on MotorEasy average workshop costs for extended car warranty claims
As of October 2024, the Dacia Duster holds an excellent reliability score of 86%, according to workshop and warranty data provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our partner, MotorEasy. This scores applies to both this generation Duster and the previous model (2010 to 2017).
The average repair bill is also very low at less about £200, with costs in each category being very competitive. So if you are considering a used Duster, you can be fairly confident that it will be inexpensive to fix if it does ever go wrong.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
| Fuel consumption | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| Petrol models | 46 mpg | C | 40 – 46 mpg | C – D |
| Diesel models | 56 mpg | B | 50 – 59 mpg | A – B |
| CO₂ output | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| Petrol models | 141 g/km | B | 138 – 162 g/km | B – C |
| Diesel models | 134 g/km | A | 127 – 147 g/km | A – B |
| Insurance group | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| All models | 17 | A | 10 – 24 | A – B |
| Service and maintenance | Cost | Score |
| Year 1 | £158 | A |
| Year 2 | £448 | A |
| Year 3 | £699 | A |
| Year 4 | £943 | A |
| Year 5 | £1,336 | A |
| Overall | £3,584 | A |
The Dacia Duster is an affordable car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.
Though the fuel consumption of petrol and diesel models is nothing to shout about, the Duster is still quite economical when compared to other compact SUVs, and its insurance premiums will be cheaper than a lot of vehicles this size too. When it comes to maintenance, the car’s predicted servicing costs over the course of five years of ownership are excellent.
Recalls
Official DVSA safety recalls that have been issued for the Dacia Duster
Date: February 2024
Recall number: R/2024/031
Model types: All
Build dates: 07/2022 only
Number of vehicles affected: 34
Defect: On affected vehicles the left side curtain airbag may not deploy in the event of an impact requiring its activation.
Remedy: Check the number of the left curtain airbag and if necessary replace the one sought identified as non-compliant.
Date: October 2023
Recall number: R/2023/287
Model types: All
Build dates: 02/2023 to 07/2023
Number of vehicles affected: 1
Defect: On the affected vehicle the LPG tank may have been welded incorrectly.
Remedy: Replace the LPG tank.
Date: November 2020
Recall number: R/2020/307
Model types: All (including other Dacia models)
Build dates: 09/2017 to 10/2018
Number of vehicles affected: 2,611
Defect: There is a possible risk of the ignition switch not disengaging correctly after starting the vehicle resulting in the key jamming in the start position. In rare circumstances this may cause a thermal incident.
Remedy: Replacement of the ignition switch.
Date: September 2017
Recall number: R/2017/255
Model types: All
Build dates: 02/2017 to 05/2017
Number of vehicles affected: 1,300
Defect: The flange nut can seize on the thread of the studs in the fuse box which could mean the terminals do not have the correct torque and may be loose. Electrical cables connected to the fuse box might become loose and could cause arcing. This condition could cause for example the horn to stop working airbag/s to deploy in exceptional circumstances fire etc.
Remedy: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace all fuse box cable flange nuts to new correct type nuts and tighten to correct torque.
As of September 2024, there have been four DVSA vehicle safety recalls on the Dacia Duster addressing various different issues.
Not all vehicles are affected by recalls. You can check to see if your car is included in any of the above recalls by visiting the DVLA website or contacting your local Dacia dealer.
If your car is affected by a recall, the vehicle must be repaired and you should not be charged for any work required. If you are buying a used Duster, you should insist that any outstanding recall work is completed before you take delivery of the vehicle.
Awards
Trophies, prizes and awards that the Dacia Duster has received
2022
- Auto Trader New Car Awards – Best Value New Car
- What Car? Awards – Best Family SUV for Value
2021
- What Car? Awards – Best Family SUV for Value
2020
- Auto Trader Awards – Best Value New Car
- Business Car Awards – Best Value Car
- What Car? Awards – Best Family SUV under £20K
2019
- Auto Trader New Car Awards – Best Value New Car
- What Car? Awards – Best Family SUV under £18K
2018
- Parkers New Car Awards – Best Off-Roader
- The Sun Motor Awards – Best Value Car
2017
- Parkers New Car Awards – Best Off-Roader
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the Dacia Duster, you might also be interested in these alternatives
Citroën C3 Aircross | Fiat 500X | Ford EcoSport | Ford Puma | Honda HR-V | Hyundai Bayon | Hyundai Kona | Jeep Renegade | Kia Stonic | Mazda CX-3 | MG ZS | Mitsubishi ASX | Nissan Juke | Peugeot 2008 | Renault Captur | SEAT Arona | Skoda Kamiq | SsangYong Tivoli | Suzuki Vitara | Toyota Yaris Cross | Vauxhall Crossland X | Volkswagen T-Cross | Volkswagen T-Roc
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Lease a new Dacia Duster
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