Take a look inside the Duster’s cabin and while you wouldn’t conclude that the Promised Land now lay before you, you were unlikely to throw up your hands in horror.
The interior looked very pleasant and was expertly designed, even if it was a bit gray. Diligently examine the largely rock-hard plastics with many different textures and you quickly get an idea of where Dacia had cut corners to meet the affordable price point.
For a car whose right-hand drive seemed like an afterthought (it took Dacia two years to get around to it) the basic driving position was actually quite reasonable.
There was no reach adjustment on the steering wheel, which was disappointing and for taller drivers it felt too far away, but the relationship between seat, driver and pedals was acceptable.
You sat high up in the car in the time-honored SUV style and although the driver’s seat was height adjustable, the seat itself was flat, short and shapeless and offered little more than adequate comfort over longer distances.
The same goes for the Dacia’s side bolsters, whose lack of support was only mitigated by the fact that the Duster wasn’t a car that was ever going to generate substantial lateral forces.
Ergonomically, it was there or thereabouts. The switchgear wasn’t nice and the ventilation controls were set a little too low, but it was never a problem to identify and operate any dial, switch or button.
The all-round visibility was also excellent. However, it’s worth remembering that air conditioning was only available on the top-spec Laureate models.
By class standards, the Duster was also quite spacious. There was room in the back and front for four average-sized adults to travel in peace, with the only straw being the addition of a fifth passenger.
Not only would he or she sit uncomfortably on a cushion between the rear seats, but the central seat belt, whose upper mounting point was far behind you on the C-pillar, was not only not optimal for you, but also for the person. sit to your left.
Predictably, the base model Duster didn’t have much equipment given the price, but you did get power steering and remote central locking.
By choosing the Access version, slightly more equipment was added, mainly in the form of larger steel wheels, electric windows at the front and height-adjustable headrests at the rear.
Move up to mid-range Ambiance trim and suddenly the Duster became a lot more modern, with kit including fog lights, DAB radio, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, while for 2016 the Ambiance Prime specification added a little more luxury, including an exclusive metallic paint job and 16 inch alloy wheels.
The range-topping Laureate and Prestige both offered 16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, while the latter added a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with satellite navigation and traffic updates, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors.
The Duster also had a decent trunk: there were no clever things here like underfloor storage or other means of securing your groceries.
If all you were looking for was sheer space, there was more room than you’ll find in the Yeti, Nissan Qashqai and even the Range Rover Evoque. Seats folded and cargo space were comparable to an Audi A6 Avant.