The Ultimate Glow-up

Duster Mk 3 adds extra appeal to familiar practicality and good value

- Jake Groves

THUNK? DACIA DOORS USUALLY DO not thunk in that satisfying way some cars do. They usually clack; the kind of sound that gives an impression from the off that you have bought something cheap. But just take one look at the new Duster. Does it actually look... cheap? Particularly when you realise it is still a five-seat, five-door sport utility vehicle (SUV) that will start from about £19k (Rs 19.95 lakh) when it T gets launched in the United Kingdom later in 2024? No, not to these eyes, anyway.

Of course, Dacia have been shifting away from the word "cheap" for years. It is for those who focus on value, the essentials, and all that kind of stuff. It is an approach we quite like: making nononsense cars for reasonable prices-while just about everybody else's have gone bananas. Dacia have been growing in confidence, entering Dakar in 2025 with the Sandrider and planning to battle a new set of rivals in the larger segments with the Bigster and beyond.

This newfound confidence is apparent in how Dacia have designed the Duster inside, managing to hide its Renault-sourced parts, switchgear, and platform with a lot more nous than ever before. Neat touches are apparent everywhere, with 20 per cent of all plastics used in the Duster being recycled and the new Y-shaped motif incorporated very well.

The chunky and utilitarian interior still feels built down to a price, but the ways in which that has been done make it a much easier pill to swallow. In the front, cubbyholes of all shapes and sizes are scattered about the place-even a pen-holder in the centre console and, for the first time, every version of the Duster comes with a large driver's instrument display and all but base Essential trim feature a big and clean central touchscreen.