DACIA REVEALS ALL-NEW DUSTER
The All-New Dacia Duster opens the next chapter in the story of a model that has grown into a standard-setter in its market. It is an all-round icon, encapsulating everything the Dacia brand stands for: ‘Robust and Outdoor’, ‘Essential but Cool’, and ‘Eco-Smart’. Duster was born in 2010, overhauled for the first time in 2017, and rose to the top by rewriting the SUV rulebook.
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Duster is a proven success story. In its 13-year-long career, it has been awarded more than 40 accolades, production stands at 2.2 million units and counting, and it is steadily increasing in popularity, ranking as Europe’s best-selling SUV across all segments in the retail market in 2022. Around 1,000 Duster SUVs roll off the production lines at Dacia’s plant in Pitesti, Romania, every day – about one every minute!
STRONGER AND MORE ASSERTIVE DESIGN
Dacia has reinvented Duster’s design. It still has the striking looks that propelled the previous generations to the top – especially its solid, sturdy SUV character – but pushes them further with Dacia’s new, distinctive design.David Durand, Dacia Design Director, said: “Before even starting work on All-New Duster’s style, we honed its proportions, to find a strong, balanced posture. When you get the proportions right early on, you don’t need artifices to tweak style later.”
Dacia’s philosophy of providing all the essentials applies to the All-New Duster’s design as much as every other model.
The design team started simply, by looking at the cabin, bonnet and wings. Then they assembled them into the whole car to give the model a modern, well-built style, with deliberately taut, self-confident lines.
The simple shapes and volumes add to the design’s power, including the sharp, vertical face, chamfered wheel-arch guards, large tailgate and side windows reaching seamlessly from bow to stern.
The All-New Duster is shielded with a stylish belt wrapping all the way around it. The side underbody shields connect to the hallmarks, then to the wheel-arches, which in turn connect to the front and rear bumpers, making the All-New Duster more robust and ready for the outdoors than ever.
The All-New Duster’s design is consistent, it moves with the times and combines its adventurous character with a more sustainable edge.
- The front and rear skid plates are dyed in the mass, meaning the plastic is already coloured when it is injected to make the part. Not using paint is both good for the environment and for customers, as scrapes and scratches won’t alter the original colour
- The side underbody shields, wheel-arch guards, hallmarks, triangles on the front bumper, front and rear skid plates and rear shield tail are made of a sturdy material called Starkle®. Designed by Dacia’s engineers and LyondellBasell’s chemists, the material, which was unveiled on the Manifesto concept car, is up to 20% recycled. Its composition includes white particles that give it a mottled look, which Dacia decided to flaunt instead of painting
David Durand continues: “We wanted the exterior and interior design to be consistent. The taut and tough style inside makes you feel properly protected.”
This feeling also comes from the high, vertical new dashboard. The shape of the air vents, which resemble the wheel arches, adds to the consistent feel.
Like the outside, the inside comes with all the essentials – meaning the features that serve a purpose. A lot of work went into the ergonomics, including the 10.1-inch centre screen positioned in the driver’s field of view and at a 10° angle towards them. The new automatic transmission controls are particularly driver-friendly. The steering wheel’s flattened surfaces at the top and bottom make it exceedingly comfortable to handle.
David Durand said: “Duster wouldn’t be Duster without a clever and practical interior that makes daily life easier for users. Everything is designed to make you feel at home, front and back”.
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Lastly, the new ‘Y-shaped signature’ underscores the link between the All-New Duster’s interior and exterior:
- Inside, the surface of the air vents are Y-shaped (and Copper in the Extreme trim), and the Y also appears around the door-panel armrests. The brand name in the middle of the steering wheel has been replaced with the Dacia logo
- Outside, the All-New Duster’s head and rear lamps are arranged in a Y, and the same shape is visible on the alloy wheels. These are also chrome-free (the way the materials are polished is what gives them their shine)
David Durand said: “We wanted to make the All-New Duster’s design more attractive than ever, by making the style even more quintessentially Duster and Dacia, by vigorously and proudly reasserting our values: ‘Robust and Outdoor’, ‘Essential but Cool’, and ‘Eco-Smart’.”
THE CMF-B PLATFORM BOOSTS PERFORMANCE
The All-New Duster is built on the CMF-B platform, which plays a central role in Dacia’s industrial strategy. This competitive and extremely flexible platform was first used on the latest Sandero and Logan models, then on Jogger. It provides all the versatility Dacia needs to optimally deploy its ambitious product plan.On the CMF-B platform, the All-New Duster has more space for passengers and luggage than the previous generation, yet is only fractionally longer overall. The platform’s advanced engineering also reduces vibration and noise from the road, enhancing driver comfort. It provides a quantum leap in driving pleasure with an unmatched connection to the road.
The CMF-B platform has also embarked the All-New Duster on its journey to electrification as it can accommodate powertrains using mild-hybrid and full-hybrid technologies.
Patrice Lévy Bencheton, Dacia VP Product Performance, explains: “The new CMF-B platform is a key asset to develop the Dacia line-up both today and tomorrow. We can see all its potential on the All-New Duster. It houses high-efficiency electrified powertrains, significantly enhances performance across the board and keeps the appeal and accessibility that have made it a hit.”
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A SIMPLE RANGE WITH EVERYTHING YOU NEED
Today, about 70% of Duster customers opt for the higher-end trims. Accordingly, the All-New Duster line-up now has three tiers. These are, Essential, Expression, and a new choice between two distinct yet complementary top trims – Extreme, for fans of the outdoors and an intense driving experience, and Journey, for those who prefer low-key elegance and comfort. Both the latter will be available at similar prices.Key standard equipment and features include:
- Duster Essential: media control, fixed roof bars, six airbags, rear parking sensors and more.
- Duster Expression: same as Essential + 17-inch alloy wheels, 7-inch digital dashboard, 10.1-inch centre touchscreen with Media Display infotainment system and Apple CarPlay / Android Auto wireless replication, reversing camera and more.
- Duster Extreme: same as Essential + modular roof bars, washable TEP MicroCloud upholstery, rubber floor and boot mats, automatic air conditioning, Media Nav Live infotainment system with connected navigation, hands-free keycard, electric door mirrors, YouClip 3-in-1 system, Copper Brown decorative touches inside and out, and more.
- Duster Journey: same as Essential + 18-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, automatic air conditioning, hands-free keycard, electric parking brake, wireless smartphone charger, Media Nav Live infotainment system with connected navigation, 6-speaker Arkamys 3D Sound System, and more.
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