Should you buy one?

In short, yes. The latest Dacia Duster builds on the success, practicality, usefulness and general no-nonsense approach of the older generation and includes a much-improved interior, stylish exterior design and more technology for not much more extra money. Not only will you feel like you’re spending your money wisely, but you won’t feel like you’ve wasted it on a cheap-feeling product.

Sure, the Ford Kuga, Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai – to name but three – are superior to the Duster in many ways, but in each instance, while the top models are hovering around the £40,000 mark, the priciest Dacia is a little more than half of that. Basically, your choice is a new Duster or a used rival.

What we like

We love the new design of the car, given it adds so much more presence than before and manages to look super modern. The same can be said with the SUV’s interior, which still feels built to a price but is clever, full of neat solutions and smart ideas. The additional technology and safety assistance help it to feel like a more sophisticated car overall, without going the way of so many manufacturers by making the interior loaded with screens.

The TCe engine is lively, and the Hybrid model brings lots of efficiency and, no matter what model you choose, the Duster will handle smoothly on the road and be surprisingly capable off it.

What we don’t like

The Duster isn’t perfect. The new design brings some usability drawbacks – namely what feels like an increase in wind noise, particularly at higher motorway speeds, and a shallow view out of the windscreen. The Hybrid model’s engine can be noisy, too.

While the interior feels like an overall improvement, rear space isn’t particularly special or competitive. In the second row, legroom can feel tight for the taller among us and the storage options are limited. The boot space also doesn’t feature a flat floor.