I suspect they are targeting a different audience than the Yeti, but the Dacia Duster starter price of £9K (without radio!) will likely appeal to the-old-land-rover-rural-user. Still, £13K for the diesel FWD top-of-the-range compares with a Yeti Greenline S at £15K+...

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/dacia-duster-suv-%C2%A38995

Just built one on the configurator, a Laureate dci 110 4x4, metallic paint £470, asr/esp £395 with the adventure styling pack comes in at £16260!. There doesn't seem much scope to spec-up other than the 3 exterior styling packs, and you can extend the warranty to 5 years for £395. This car will only make sense in basic form, the safety is also a worry have NCAP crash tested one yet?

Why the Title,

or comparing a Dacia with a Yeti?

If you get a New Dacia Duster right out the dealers @ £9000,

then a new Yeti is £14,945 for a 1.2 tsi 105 ps

with a discount of £1529 = £13,500 near enough.

*£4.500 difference*

So a very used second hand Yeti or a new basic Dacia.

& Comparing a 13 grand against a 15 grand motor is again enough difference to buy a new car and a spare.

george

The Duster, along with the Sandero, is actually one of Dacia's better cars. Neither have the design issues of the Logan series. Mechanically they're both a sound designs.

Now that doesn't make them good cars, that makes 'em passable. I mean, the Fabia Classic (6Y) with no extras seem like a bloody Rolls Royce.

For some reason Vaz comes to mind. Cheap cars that look like **** but will outlive your grandchildren.

EDIT: For the record, I've driven both. Can't say much about the Duster, I had it for ten minutes, but *hides* I quite like the Sandero.

Edited 27 June, 201213 yr by DaKKs_152

The reason the duster is cheap...is because it is cheap....have a look at the crash test ...3 stars .. that's the same as the old ford escort

Wow, £9k! Just had a look, the expensive version makes no sense, but the basic version is brilliant!

brilliant - watch out yeti inn vlue for money stakes

I saw one waiting for the Arran ferry on Monday. I thought it looked ok but quite small sitting next to Range Rover The mini bull bars were something of a surprise. Maybe they are legal in Germany where it came from.

I'd have thought it would take sales from a different segment to the Yeti. Corsas rather than Golfs

Just built one on the configurator, a Laureate dci 110 4x4, metallic paint £470, asr/esp £395 with the adventure styling pack comes in at £16260!. There doesn't seem much scope to spec-up other than the 3 exterior styling packs, and you can extend the warranty to 5 years for £395. This car will only make sense in basic form, the safety is also a worry have NCAP crash tested one yet?

Hmmm but an equiivalent Yeti SE 2.0 4x4 lists at £20.5K+ per the (broken-in-Chrome-today) Skoda configurator. Maybe a keen dealer would give you 15% off to get close to the Duster deal, but its a hassle versus the what-you-see-is-what-you-pay pricing. And remember the Yeti NCAP score assumes ESP (not sure about the Duster but I wouldn't be surprised if they got less favourable treatment and did the test sans ESP).

PS: still the prefer the Yeti myself though!

do they have an auto?

No Autoboxes yet,

but when or if they do one, i will get my order in if they are still turning out a nice KISS vehicle.

Brought into the UK now before it would need TPMS as standard from November.

(ignore that, probably not relevant since they are already Type Approved in the EU and only 'new' into the UK)

I hope they get an Autobox here in the UK before we ever get to Euro 6 engines and then i will have a vehicle to outlast me.

I have waited long enough now and will wait a bit longer.

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/dacia-duster-automatic-in-the-works-24057.html

After a very long wait I drove the first Subaru XV with CVT and was greatly underwhelmed.

& i actually like CVT's normally.

george

Edited 28 June, 201213 yr by sk4gw

Sorry it's fugly and built by a company owned by Renault.

If I was spending £14 on a 4x4 I'd rather risk my money on a used Kia Sportage. It's better looking and even at 3yr old the warranty would be longer on the Kia.

'Part Time AWD!'

I already have 2 Suzuki Jimny's Automatics from new, 1 a Hard Top and 1 Pick-up'd now. 8 & 12 years old

(Ones with Autoboxes, but built with manual transfer boxes and not too much electrics)

& a nice reliable Kia. 6 years old.

I punted a troublesome Sportage.

I like simple, uncomplicated and tough & to get them from new and treat with care or not as i please.

http://www.olecars.c...-engines-coming

george

Edited 28 June, 201213 yr by sk4gw

I had a good look round a Duster at the Paris show in 2010. Its shockingly cheap and nasty inside, though well screwed together. I quite like its basic design but the interior and indeed everything under the bonnet just looks nasty.

It is a mix of Renault and Nissan parts, and we all know Renaults dont do reliability well after a few miles. I suspect it will devalue like a stone and expect it to retain a 1/3 rd of its price over 3 years.

The Duster for Europe is built in Rumania, but the version for the UK is to be made in India...... now apart from curry nothing has ever come out of India thats any good. Has anyone seen the Lodgy? Now that makes the Duster look desirable!

I expect it will sell OK though, after all its £8995 for a base petrol and a Nissan Quashkai is around £17000? The £12995 diesel top of range looks alright. If it wasnt a Renault and wasnt made in India it might be worth a punt!

It's quite amusing to read some of these comments. Us older guys can remember when exactly the same was said of Skodas. I remember when I got my first fabia in 2000. All my mates thought I was crazy. However even then the overall quality was better than Ford, Vauxhall etc. I've never seen the Duster yet so can't comment on it's quality. It has been on sale for over 2 years elsewhere and came second behind Audi in Germany's equivalent of the JD Power survey.

Just went to have a good look at it in the local Renault dealer.

They had a top spec version with brown gossy trim and leather interior. Overall, it seems very well put together, however the buttons and knobs were quite low quality comparing to anything in VAG cars. One plus point is that although the plastics are all hard, it is quite thick and feels very solid.

Interior space is alright, the rear space is no Yeti but it seems you sit quite close to the ceiling of the car. Headlining is similar quality to other cheap cars (akin to last gen Micra).

The main gripe (for the LHD version) is the offset paddles, might be different for the RHD version? Instruments seems clear and logically lay out. There are a lot of blank plates on the door handle (for electric windows, must be shared with other Renault/Nissan group cars). These switches are mounted in the centre of the car, even for the rear passengers (behind the handbrake).

There is not a lot of cubbies either but I find there are too many cubbies in modern cars anyway. The boot is a good size, high lift though, similar to the Yeti with sparewheels. The parcel blink is a piece of vinyl and does not roll back. visibility seems good in the front, but the windscreen is racked quite far back, seems very similar to the Countryman.

Didn't get to drive it as it was the showroom car and has not yet been registered, so can't comment on that.

I find the shape quite pleasing to the eye, apart form the front.

Overall it is no worse than any super mini at similar price and if I am in the market for a Clio or Micra, I would probably get a Duster instead.

It's difficult to compare it to the Yeti as the price disparity is quite large. Being at this price, I cannot fault it.

In order to make it comparable to the Yeti, I would have to choose the highest spec (no leather seats but with alloys) and compare that to the 2.0 TDI E (no alloys and rear electric windows). The Duster 4x2 1.5 DCI is 12995 and the 2.0 TDI E is 16285. With this price difference, I would be swayed by the Duster.

Edited 28 June, 201213 yr by My_Yeti

The Duster has been extremely popular in France for a few years now - presumably the Renault link makes for easy access to sales/servicing. I think the overall appearance is quite pleasing and I might ceetainly consider the base model as a good-value replacement for SWMBO's Suzuxi SX4 in a couple of years.

Just realised the Roomster SE 1.2 TSI is 10395! That's a much better deal!

I find it funny people saying its only 3 star ncap, and it's Renault so it'll be poor etc etc. I've seen the ncap video and looks as though it survived ok, the added height will fare better if in a collision with another standard car.

With regard to renaults shoddy reliability it may be worth noting that Renault offer longer warranties as standard than skoda. They must have more confidence in their cars?

As others have said it wasn't that long since skoda had the worst name out there, We've had a couple of favorits and estelles and compared to other brands at the time they are rubbish! However they were good honest unique cars. And to those who are showing badge snobbery thinking skoda is some marvellous brand, most people just see them as a poor mans VW for people who can't afford a proper VW.

Just realised the Roomster SE 1.2 TSI is 10395! That's a much better deal!

It's the embarrasment of seeing it when you open the front door in the morning though.

The more I read about the Duster, the more I'm liking it.