talk about Dacia Duster is talking about a versatile, successful model (it has almost two million units sold) and has always been focused on economy, especially in this ECO-G (bi-fuel, running on gasoline and LPG) version.
Frugal in price, the Romanian SUV has in LPG the ideal "ally" to save the wallet of those who choose it, especially in this period when fuel prices have reached historic highs.
But does the promised savings on paper take place in the “real world”? Is this the more balanced version of the Duster or are the petrol and diesel variants better options? We put the Dacia Duster 2022 to the test and covered over 1000 km to answer all these questions,
What has changed in Dacia Duster 2022?
Outwardly, and as Guilherme said when he went to visit France, the renewed Duster changed little and, in my opinion, I'm glad he did.
Thus, to the typical robust look of Duster came some details that brought the style of the Romanian SUV closer to that of the most recent proposals from Dacia: the new Sandero and Spring Electric.
So we have headlamps with the luminous signature in "Y", a new chrome grille, LED turn signals, a new rear spoiler and new taillights.
Inside, the qualities that I recognized in Duster the last time I drove him are joined, above all, by the new infotainment system. Easy and intuitive to use, it relies on an 8” screen and is proof that you don't need numerous submenus to have a complete system, being compatible, as is expected today, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The carbon emissions from this test will be offset by BP
Find out how you can offset the carbon emissions of your diesel, gasoline or LPG car.
In this GPL variant, Dacia also offered him the same switch used in the Sandero (the old one was aftermarket). In addition, the on-board computer started to show us the average consumption of LPG, proving that Dacia listened to the “critiques” of those who used this version.
The interior has retained the practical look and commendable ergonomics.
As for the space and ergonomics of the interior of Duster, there were no changes: the space is more than enough for a family and the ergonomics are in a good plan (apart from the positioning of some controls, but which are little used in everyday life).
Finally, despite the proliferation of hard materials, Duster continues to deserve praise in the field of assembly, whose robustness is evidenced when we take it down the wrong path and are not presented with a «symphony» of parasitic noises as some might expect in a model whose low price is one of the arguments.
At the wheel of the Duster ECO-G
Also in the bi-fuel mechanics there were no changes, the only exception being the fact that the LPG tank has seen its capacity rise to 49.8 liters.That said, I'm not going to tell you that the 1.0 l three-cylinder with 101 hp and 160 Nm (170 Nm when consuming LPG) is the ultimate example of strength and performance, because it is not. However, it was not expected that it would be either, but it turns out to be more than sufficient in normal use.
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The six-speed manual gearbox has a short step that allows us to fully exploit the engine's potential and we easily maintain cruising speeds on the highway. If we want to save, the “ECO” mode acts on the engine's response, but the best thing is to use it when we're not in a hurry.
In the dynamic field, what Duster “loses” on asphalt — a place where it is honest, predictable and safe, but far from being interactive or exciting — “wins” on dirt roads, even in this variant with only front-wheel drive. The high ground clearance and the suspension capable of “devouring” irregularities without complaining greatly contribute to this.
Let's go to the accounts
During this test and without any concerns about consumption, the average went around 8.0 l/100 km. Yes, it's a value higher than the 6.5 l/100 km average I got under the same circumstances running on gasoline, but that's where we have to do the math.
At the time of publication of this article, a liter of LPG (and despite the constant rises) costs, on average, 0.899 €/l. Taking into account the registered consumption of 8.0 l/100 km, traveling 15 thousand kilometers in a year costs around 1068 euros.
Already traveling the same distance using gasoline, assuming an average cost of this fuel of €1,801/l and an average of 6.5 l/100 km, is around €1755.
Is it the right car for you?
As I said about a year and a half ago when I rode the Duster pre-restyling, the Romanian model may not even be the most refined, the best equipped, the most powerful, the fastest or the most well-behaved in the segment, but its relationship cost/benefit if it's not unbeatable, it's very close.
This LPG version presents itself as the ideal proposal for those who, like me, «devour» kilometers every day and want to enjoy a fuel that, at least for now, is being considerably cheaper.
In addition to all this, we have a spacious, comfortable SUV that is one of the few that is not afraid of «dirtying the shined shoes», even without having four-wheel drive. It is a pity that it is a "victim" of the questionable classification of classes in national highway tolls, which forces it to choose Via Verde to be class 1.