Dacia Duster
| Dacia Duster | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Dacia |
| Also called | Renault Duster |
| Production | 2010— |
| Assembly | Mioveni, Romania |
| Designer | Renault Design Central Europe |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Crossover |
| Body style | 5-door SUV |
| Layout | FF layout / Four-wheel drive |
| Platform | Dacia B0 platform |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1.5 L Diesel I4 1.6 L I4 |
| Transmission | 5-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 4,310 mm (169.7 in) |
| Width | 1,820 mm (71.7 in) |
| Curb weight | 1,180–1,280 kg (2,601–2,822 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | None |
The Dacia Duster is the first SUV developed by the Romanian automaker Automobile Dacia. Officially revealed on 8 December 2009, it is scheduled to be offered in Europe from Spring 2010.[1]
Design
Based on the B0 platform, the Duster measures 4.31 metres (169.7 in) in length, 1.82 metres (71.7 in) in width and has more than 200 mm (7.9 in) ground clearance. It's luggage space has a volume of up to 475 litres (16.8 cu ft), while with the rear benchseat folded and tipped forward, its carrying ability can exceed 1,600 litres (57 cu ft).
The Duster will be offered with two-wheel or four-wheel drive. The 4x4 variants make use of Nissan's all-wheel drive system[2] which allows the driver to choose from three different driving modes: Auto, in which the front/rear torque split is calculated automatically as a function of available grip, Lock, whereby 50 per cent of torque is consistently fed through the rear axle, and 4x2 where the transmission is locked into two-wheel drive for maximum fuel efficiency.
Safety
Dacia Duster features Bosch 8.1 ABS, as well as EBD electronic brakeforce distribution and EBA emergency brake assist. On the passive safety front, Dacia Duster comes as standard with two front airbags (depending on market) and three-point seat belts with load limiters for the front seats. Depending on version, two lateral head/thorax airbags are fitted in addition to the driver and passenger front airbags to provide additional protection in the case of side impact. Pyrotechnic pretensioners for the front seats (depending on version) complete Dacia Duster's retention system.[3]
Engines
Both the 4x2 and 4x4 versions of Dacia Duster will be available with either a 1.6 L, 16V, 110 hp (82 kW) petrol engine, or with 1.5 L, 85 hp (63 kW) dCi or 105 hp (78 kW) dCi diesel power.
These engines boast low fuel consumption and ecological credentials, with the dCi diesel versions emitting less than 140 g of CO2/km in 4x2 form (qualifying Duster for the Dacia eco² signature) and less than 150 g of CO2/km in the case of the 4x4 versions.[1]
Marketing and production
Dacia Duster is scheduled to be offered in Europe, Turkey, Algeria and Morocco from Spring 2010, with expected prices starting under €15,000.[4] From June 2010, the Duster will also be available in Ukraine, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon and in some African countries badged as a Renault, while in 2011, it will be sold in the Gulf States.
In 2011, Renault will begin production of the Duster at its Curitiba plant in Brazil for distribution in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Chile, while at a later date, the Duster will go on to be manufactured at the Avtoframos plant in Moscow, Russia.
Racing
A competition version of the Duster fitted with a 350 hp (261 kW) V6 engine and driven by Alain Prost[5] is currently taking part in the 2009/2010 French ice racing championship Trophée Andros, winning one race so far [6].
Concept car
Renault Design Central Europe presented, at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, a concept car named Dacia Duster[7]
This concept vehicle (a SUV/sports coupe crossover ) addressed the needs of families, with a roomy cabin in a compact package and a large 470 L (124 US gal; 103 imp gal) trunk.[8] The car had a very efficient motor capable of emitting 139 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer and a fuel consumption of 5.3 L (1 US gal; 1 imp gal) per 100 km (62 mi).[8] The Dacia Duster was the first concept car entirely made by Dacia.[9] The Duster normally had four seats but can be converted into a two seat car, the passenger seat slides under the driver's seat and the right back seat slides under the left back seat freeing an extra room of 2,000 L (71 cu ft) ideal for a bicycle.[10]
The Duster concept car had a Dacia Logan 1.5 litre inline-4 engine equipped with Bosch Mono-Jetronic fuel injection producing 106 PS (78 kW; 105 hp) at 5400 rpm and 240 newton-metres (180 ft⋅lbf) at 2000 rpm of torque.[7] It was a front engined, two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive vehicle based on the Nissan B platform.[7] It accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 9.6 seconds.[8] If the model will be mass produced it will have an initial price of around 15,000 euro (US$ 18,750).[11]
Former use of the name
Dacia Duster was also the name used to sell the ARO 10 on some markets, such as United Kingdom.
References
- ^ a b "Duster, the new car from Dacia that rewrites the 4x4 rulebook". daciagroup.com. 8 December 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-08.
- ^ New Dacia Duster
- ^ Dacia Duster at netcarshow.com
- ^ Dacia Duster first official photos at carmagazine.co.uk
- ^ "A competition version of Dacia Duster to contest the 2009/2010 Trophée Andros in the hands of Alain". daciagroup.com. 17 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
- ^ "Dacia Duster Scores First Win in Trophee Andros". autoevolution.com. 8 December 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
- ^ a b c "Dacia Duster Concep". promotor.ro. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
- ^ a b c "Coupe sau maşină de familie? Dacia Duster, prezentată oficial la Geneva". antena3.ro (in Romanian). Antena 3. 2009-03-02. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
- ^ "Primele poze cu Dacia Duster" (in Romanian). banknews.ro. 2009-03-02. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
- ^ "Dacia Duster - crossover coupe concept în premieră la Salonul Auto de la Geneva". informatiiauto.ro (in Romanian). Informatii Auto. 2009-03-02. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
- ^ "Dacia Duster la Salonul auto de la Geneva". Promotor.ro (in Romanian). Promotor. 2009-03-03. Retrieved 2009-03-03.