Incredible but true, here is the Renault Duster!

Do you, like us, have a soft spot for the Duster, but the Dacia badge scares you? There is a trick to drive a Renault Duster!

But how can a Renault logo be placed on the grille of a Duster? This is definitely not a photomontage and we are going to explain how this is possible. For some, Dacia will forever be a low-cost brand, and it doesn’t really matter that the manufacturer makes great cars. Don’t blame them, it takes time for a brand to establish itself and Dacia, by fully playing the low-cost car game, found itself inevitably trapped in that label.

Yet, within the Dacia lineup, there is a perfect car, the Duster. Unveiled in 2010 and refreshed for the first time in 2017, this sturdy and well-finished SUV has everything going for it. A nice look, more than adequate performance, and above all, a price that defies all competition. In its 13-year career, it has been produced in over 2.4 million units, becoming in 2022 the best-selling SUV in Europe, across all segments.

Duster with Two Hats

And the 2024 model, completely revamped and based on the CMF-B platform introduced with the latest Sandero and Logan, will not deny this phenomenal success. To withstand life’s challenges, this new Duster is protected by a genuine belt that wraps all around the vehicle, without any interruptions. The side lower body protections extend around the wheel arches, which are themselves connected to the front and rear bumpers. Enough to tackle terrains much less welcoming than our Parisian streets, such as those in Turkey. An ideal breeding ground for the Duster!

Even though Dacia is distributed in Turkey, the Renault Group has decided to also incorporate the Duster into the diamond lineup. This isn’t new; we have already seen Dacia Duster in South America, but this is the first time the same model appears under two different brands in the same market. Dacia takes the entry-level versions, while Renault gets the higher trims. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, this is still not on the agenda in France.

READ ALSO: Beyond the price, these tips that make the Dacia Duster successful