Renault's Romanian arm, Dacia, seems to be a small brand born being a simple car manufacturer, but its determination seems to be huge, even when Dacia was under the ownership of Renault.
As crossover utility vehicles became a top priority to European people, including families, it seems that the Romanian brand of Renault launched their first crossover targeted for the adventurous Europeans with the price that matches the pricing of the Chery Tiggo and the Foton Blizzard. The Dacia Duster is not the kind of a crossover you expect from the others. Despite being new to the public since its launch and began sales since spring, the Duster is quite obviously their kind of crossover partner when they were ready to travel all over the vast landmarks from Europe. The Duster's primary target is the Skoda Yeti because from what I can see, both the Duster and the Yeti are competitive in terms of ruggedness and power. The outer view looks more of a carbon copy of the Renault Koleos, but the looks can be as simple as the Skoda Yeti.
On the inside view, the Duster seems to be a bit normal, with no other feature you can find but just the plain-looking seats, audio system, climate control, and the capacity to seat five passengers. There is nothing more to describe the Duster's average interior look but what you feel is what you think.
Depending on your adrenaline and your adventure level, the Dacia Duster comes with different Renault-made engines available for your different tastes of adventure, ranging from the 1.6L, 16-valve engine with 105PS of power output and the 1.5L dCi diesel engine. The Dacia Duster's status as a off-road machine is a major task for the owner via the system similar to Nissan's All-Mode 4x4-i found on the X-Trail and soon to be on the Juke. It can be set at AUTO for the recommended setup at various areas and corners, LOCK for power cruising on tough areas, and 4x2 for economical use.
My thoughts about the Duster:
A probability to own a Duster is a good start for the budget-conscious customer, even when the introductory price starts at 12,000 Euros or about a predicted pricing, which matches the pricing level of Chery Tiggo and Foton Blizzard. It might seem to be a European car with the price of a cheap Chinese car, but the Duster is not a good match for this country dominated by Fortuners, Monteros, Alterras, and other successful SUVs, because it is not well-known in the eyes of a Filipino car enthusiast. What I can say is leave it at the Europeans because Europe is where the Romanian arm of Renault enjoyed its fair success.
