Renault Duster

Duster at a glance

The Duster was the first SUV in the Dacia range, built on the low-cost Logan platform family shared with the Renault Sandero and Renault Logan. Its formula of a robust, practical body, simple mechanicals and optional four-wheel drive at a budget price has brought it more than 200,000 European sales a year in its best years. The Renault story is told in the history of Renault, and its models are in the Renault catalogue.

First generation (2010–2017)

The production Duster was revealed on 8 December 2009 and launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010. It is 4.31 m long and 1.82 m wide, with 210 mm of ground clearance and a boot of up to 475 litres, rising to more than 1,600 litres with the rear seats folded. Four-wheel-drive versions use a Nissan system with Auto, Lock and 2WD modes.

A facelift was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2013 and added the 1.2 TCe engine. The 1.6 K4M engine is one of the Renault units featured in our guide to reliable modern engines. In the 2011 Euro NCAP test the Duster received three stars, with 74% for adult occupants, 78% for children, 28% for pedestrians and 29% for safety assist. The model was also sold as the Nissan Terrano in India and some other markets.

Second generation (2017–2024)

Announced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2017, with production models from November 2017, the second Duster kept the B0 platform but received a new body. The boot holds 445 litres with front-wheel drive and 376 litres with four-wheel drive. Engines included updated versions of the 1.5 diesel and the 1.2 and 1.6 petrol units, with a 2.0 petrol in some Gulf and Latin American markets.

Euro NCAP tested it in December 2017 and awarded three stars: 71% for adult occupants, 66% for children, 56% for pedestrians and 37% for safety assist. A facelift was unveiled on 22 June 2021 and went on sale in September 2021; the European range was then reduced to two turbo petrol engines with 130 and 150 hp, a 100 hp petrol/LPG unit and a 115 hp diesel for the four-wheel-drive version. A single-cab Duster Pick-Up with a 1,000-litre bed and 500 kg payload was introduced in October 2020. The second generation left Dacia's European range in early 2024 because of the new GSR2 safety regulations.

Third generation (from 2024)

Unveiled on 29 November 2023 in Portugal and shown at the Geneva show in February 2024, the third Duster moved to the CMF-B platform shared with other Renault Group models. Deliveries in Europe began in May–June 2024. Ground clearance is 209 mm for two-wheel-drive versions and up to 217 mm with four-wheel drive, and the boot holds 472 litres, 6% more than before.

In the 2024 Euro NCAP test of the 1.6 hybrid, the Duster scored 70% for adult occupants, 84% for children, 60% for vulnerable road users and 57% for safety assist.

Timeline

Sales

Rivals: how the Duster compares

The Duster competes with compact SUVs and crossovers such as the Renault Kaptur, the Suzuki Vitara and the Škoda Karoq. Its strengths are real off-road ability with 4x4, generous ground clearance, a practical boot and low running costs. Its weaknesses are modest Euro NCAP scores for the first two generations and simple interior materials. Our guide to the best SUVs for price and quality compares it with other affordable 4x4s.