Dacia Duster compact crossover has received powertrain updates in the UK to maintain a fresh appeal. The upgraded version benefits form a more powerful version of the 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine which now complies with EU6 emission norms.
The motor pumps out 115 hp against the previous version’s 105 hp. Mated to the same 6-speed manual gearbox, the motor now emits 30 g/km of CO2 lesser. The fuel efficiency is claimed to have improved by 6.2 mpg to 41.5 mpg (14.62 kmpl) for the FWD variant.
In terms of performance, the updated engine manages to be quicker from 0-100 kmph than the older version by 0.5 seconds at 11 seconds while propelling the FWD variant. AWD variant shows an improvement of 0.8 seconds at a 0-100 kmph time of 12 seconds. The SUV gets start/start system as standard.
There are no cosmetic changes whatsoever.The diesel variant which is powered by the 1.5-litre dCi engine also complies with EU6 emission norms now but the output figures are left untouched. Fuel efficiency however has been increased by 7.7 mpg for FWD models (64.2 mpg or 22.62 kmpl) and 6.8 mpg for AWD models (60.8 mpg or 21.42 kmpl).
The enhancements have resulted in slight upward revision of prices. Dacia Duster in the UK now starts at 9,495 pounds (around INR 9.99 lakhs) for the FWD variant. AWD adds another 2,000 pounds (INR 2.08 lakhs) to the price tag.
With immense pressure from Hyundai Creta and Maruti S-Cross, Renault Duster is struggling in India and it’s high time that it receives a product refresh.
