Dacia Duster

With a more sophisticated platform, design-savvy look and fresh tech, has this all-new version lost sight of the model’s value appeal? How much car do you really need? It’s a question Dacia has been answering quite expertly for the past decade by nailing the fundamentals and saving on the stuff that’s largely immaterial (soft-touch interior mirror, anyone?). It has resulted in cars that are almost uniquely fit for purpose.The outgoing Dacia Duster was a bit of a breakthrough in this respect, just tipping over the edge from ‘feels cheap, but at least it is cheap’ to being a genuinely good car at an unbeatable price. Dacia UK sent me one for a few days before the launch event of the new, third-generation Duster, and actually they could have given the 2018 Duster a facelift with a more modern-looking interior and it would still be eminently recommendable. It’s a genuinely pleasant car to drive: it’s spacious enough, comfortable and easy to get on with.