After successfully conquering  the world of very cheap sedans with Logan and Sandero, Dacia, the Romanian branch of Renault which specializes in economy cars have tried their hands on making a cheap SUV. And this right here, the Duster, is the result!

As you expect it’s not a proper off-roader, it’s more like a jacked-up hatchback. But despite of all of its drawbacks, this car delivers good value for its customer base.

I mean for someone who has driving the Logan for the past couple of years, switching to the Duster feels very sweet! The high-riding driving position and its modest offroad capabilities are its winning cards.

At launch and based on the market, Dacia Duster will be available with either a 1.6 liter 110 hp petrol engine, the same as in the Logan, or two 85hp and 105hp dCi diesel engines. Pricing starts from jut 10,500 Euro for the 2WD version and slightly over 12,000 for the 4×4 variant.

The Romanian car maker Dacia, which is an arm of Renault specializing in economy car has unveiled their new 4×4 called the Duster! A racing verison of this car has already been revealed for snow racing!

Dacia says that the Duster plays different roles in different markets. For example in emerging markets like Russia and Brazil it will be a dignified, reliable and versatile car, but in Europe it’s gonna be a cheap and basic all-terrain vehicle as an alternative to the expensive 4x4s.

Dacia Duster is fairly compact as it’s 4.31 metres long and 1.82 metres wide, but designwise it really has nothing to say! It’s ugly, but you know, that is OK considering the class of the car. It’s an simple and honest car, not a poser! and for that reason it’s cool.

The Duster offers all the functionality you expect from a SUV in the simplest form! It’s available in 4×2 or 4×4 versions. The 4×4 model has a sophisticated differential which has an Auto mode in which front/rear torque split is calculated automatically as a function of available grip. It also has good ground clearance (more than 200mm) and big clearance angles (approach angle: 30 degrees; departure angle: more than 35 degrees).

As for the engines, Dacia Duster gets all of the engines in the range. That means you can have it with either a 1.6 16V 110hp petrol engine or with 85 dCi or 105 dCi diesel power. The car is also fitted with a number of safety features like Bosch 8.1 ABS, as well as EBV electronic brakeforce distribution and emergency brake assist, and two airbags.