Amit Saraswat 
All-new rugged exterior design
The new Duster features an all-new design without dissolving its much-coveted rugged appearance. Following the latest design language of Dacia, the Duster features Y-shaped LED headlights and tail lights. Furthermore, the Y-shaped design elements are also visible in the design of the alloy wheels. Like the earlier generations of the Duster, the third-gen Duster continues to feature accentuated wheel arches with prominent body cladding.
Furthermore, the new Duster also features dyed front and rear skid plates. The innovative solution doesn’t require a separate paint for the skid plates, reducing the impact from minor brushes while also benefitting the environment. Additionally, the new Duster also features side underbody shields, wheel-arch guards, hallmarks, triangles on the front bumper, front and rear skid plates and rear shield tail, all of which use 20% recycled materials.
More modern interior
A tech-heavy or eye-pleasing interior wasn’t one of the strongest suits for the previous generations of the Duster. However, Dacia has improved the feel and modernity of the third-gen Duster. To begin with, the new Duster packs a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system as standard, offering wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Higher variants of the Duster also add real-time traffic updates for the navigation and a 6-speaker Arkamys sound system.
Dacia has also improved the ergonomics of the third-gen Duster. The touchscreen infotainment system is positioned in the driver’s field of view and further tilted towards the driver by 10 degrees. Its steering wheel also features a flat-bottomed design thus enabling easier ingress and egress.
Improved off-road prowess
It’s impressive to see how Dacia is open to accepting that the Duster is a ‘no-expert 4×4’ unlike other carmakers who brand their crossovers as hardcore SUVs. In its own right, the Duster has been a very capable SUV to tackle mild or medium off-road situations. For the third-gen model, Dacia has further enhanced its off-road prowess with a few nifty updates.
Getting the basics right, the Duster offers a ground clearance of 217mm, which as claimed by Dacia is the highest in its segment. Furthermore, the Duster also offers a 31-degree approach, 36-degree departure and 24-degree ramp over angles. In addition to that, the new Duster also offers terrain response driving modes, which include Auto, Snow, Mud/Sand, Off-Road and Eco.Â
New hybrid powertrains
The third-gen Duster offers a new range of efficient hybrid powertrains. It uses a 1.6L 4-cylinder petrol engine that’s mated to a pair of electric motors. The engine puts out 94PS of power while the electric motors 49PS. The electric motors draw power from a 1.2kWh battery pack and also feed charge via regenerative braking. Dacia claims that with the innovative transmission, the Duster can be driven up to 80% of the time on EV-only mode in city driving conditions
Dacia also offers a mild-hybrid powertrain option with the new Dacia. It uses a new-gen 1.2L three-cylinder petrol engine which is mated to a 0.9kWh battery pack. The electric motors charge the battery with the help of regenerative braking while also assisting with torque delivery as and when needed.
