Ahead of the new-gen Duster, our man north of the border returns to the current version to see if its value for money and rugged approach still deliver.

Dacia Duster Journey TCe 90

List price (BiK): £19,485 (33%) CO2: 140g/km Economy: 45.6mpg Test efficiency: 44.4mpg

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Monday

A new Dacia Duster is due very soon, so it felt apt to revisit the current model this week. Having previously praised the Duster for its many positives, not least cost and decent driving manners, I was keen to find out if the Duster still has ‘it’ ahead of the new model breaking cover. As a company car, the Duster can still cut it for those who need rugged utility in an SUV market that has largely erred to the very soft-roader side of the equation.

Tuesday

There won’t be any off-road excursions in this Duster as it’s the front-wheel drive model with the TCe 90 petrol engine. However, this morning’s drive on ever-worsening local roads, which are turning into tank traps with the cold weather deterioration, the Dacia is the ideal weapon to counter this insurgency. The 17-inch alloys have tyres with decent sidewall depth, and there’s softly sprung but well-controlled suspension to mop up the mess of potholes.

Wednesday

When Dacia updated this Duster generation in 2021, it did a very good job. There’s a feeling of decent quality, even if the cabin is clearly built to a set price menu. The 8-inch infotainment screen is easy to navigate and pair with my phone, though the response time to inputs has a fractional lag that can be distracting when driving. Still, there are separate, proper dials for the heating, thankfully.

Thursday

There’s an endearing puppy-like willingness to the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder TCe 90 engine in the Duster. It’s not that quick off the mark, with 0-62mph taking a leisurely 13.2 seconds, but the engine spools up quickly and the Dacia feels more bustling than the numbers suggest. Truth be told, I’d still take the more powerful TCe 130 in an ideal world, but the 90’s six-speed manual gearbox has well-paired ratios to keep the small motor whirring away.

Friday

Packing in the kids for the usual round of activities proves the Duster is a perfectly able family car. There’s enough space in the back for my son who is now beginning to tower over me in height, and the boot swallows all the football paraphernalia with ease. The only demerit is the door pockets are too small for my needs when stuffing gloves, phone and wallet in there at the same time.

Saturday

Heading into Edinburgh this morning, the Duster is in its element dealing with frosty back roads on the way to the motorway. On roads that have been gritted, the Dacia has a simple poise that means you can concentrate on the road ahead rather than worrying about grip in corners. It also seems to suffer much less from the windscreen being spattered with road muck than a lot of other SUVs – a trick of Duster’s aerodynamics maybe?

Sunday

A tot-up of the week’s figures and the Duster comes out very well against the official claimed fuel economy. It’s returned 44.4mpg according to the dash display versus the factory claim of 45.6mpg. While 140g/km is nothing special, this Duster Journey TCe 90 model’s BiK price means you won’t be stung when it comes to paying tax. All in, the Duster still adds up as a workmanlike and likeable down-to-basics SUV.