How important is safety at the price? How important is safety when buying a car at a great price that you love to drive?
This was the first time I had seen the Dacia Duster since its recent refresh.
This is a well-equipped, basic SUV. It looks great and adds simplicity to driving from Romania’s Renault.
Comfort TCe: A great SUV with no frills.
The UK launched the 2013 version in 2013. It has been sold over 2 million worldwide. This new model features a more refined exterior, 3D-chrome grille and Y-shaped LED taillights. A rear spoiler and upgraded interior, including improved headrests and satin chrome handles.
Prices for the range start at £14,495. I was driving the Comfort TCe 130 4X2 front-wheel drive variant powered by a 129hp 1,332cc turbo-charged petrol engine, linked to a six-speed manual gearbox, priced at £18,240.
In keeping with Dacia’s back-to basics philosophy, there are no ‘options’ save metallic paint at £595 and a proper spare wheel at £300, included here.
This updated version was launched in the UK in 2013, and has sold more than 2,000,000 units worldwide.
Prices for the range start at £14,495. We drove the Comfort TCe 130 4X2 front-wheel drive variant powered by a 129hp 1,332cc turbo-charged petrol engine, linked to a six-speed manual gearbox, priced at £18,240
In keeping with Dacia’s back-to basics philosophy, there were no ‘options’ fitted to our test car, save metallic paint at £595 and a proper spare wheel at £300
Duster features anti-lock brake, hill-start assistance, emergency brake help, electronic stability, and traction control
This boot is large and very useful. It can hold two persons’ camping gear with no problem, as you can see.
This car is a bargain for its price. It can accelerate from rest to 60 mph in 10.6 seconds, up to 120 mph at the top, and offers 45.6 mpg of fuel efficiency. CO2 emissions average 141g/km. That’s helped by the ‘Start-Stop’ fuel-saving ECO mode. It’s fully stocked with tinted rear windows and an 8in media display.
Duster features anti-lock brake, emergency brake assistance, hill-start aid, electronic stability, and traction control.
This is the crux. In the Euro NCAP crash tests it scored three stars out of five, scoring adequately for occupant protection (71 per cent) and child protection (66 per cent), but marked down for pedestrian protection (56 per cent) and ‘safety assist’ (37 per cent).
The Duster scored higher than its Dacia brothers, Logan and Sandero Stepway. They scored two stars each while the Renault Zoe scored zero stars. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the cars don’t offer safety. Euro NCAP says they’re not the best.
However, Sandero Stepway’s low score has cost it the title of WhatCar? It was then stripped of the title of ‘Car of the year’.
EuroNCAP is constantly improving safety standards and making it harder for top five stars to be achieved. Check it out! www.euroncap.com.
You can choose from a variety of engines, including diesel, petrol and bi-fuel, and a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission.
And if the five-seater Duster’s not big enough for you, Dacia is currently launching the new seven-seater Jogger priced from £14,995.
Going green: The Skoda ENYAQ Coupé iV vRS will be available to order from February 17
A new, sporty electric Skoda in hot condition
Hold on tight to your hats. The new, sporty electric Skoda model is here.
Following its world premiere last month, the Skoda ENYAQ Coupé iV vRS will be available to order from February 17, priced from £51,885, with first UK deliveries from July.
It is the first all-electric Skoda model to wear the firm’s race-performance oriented vRS badge.
The new vRS is equipped with twin motors — one on either axle — that produce a combined 299hp (PS) allowing it to accelerate from rest to 62 mph in just 6.5 seconds up to a top speed of 111 mph.
Its 82kWh battery pack gives it a driving range of 309 miles. On a 150kW charger, you can get an 80 percent charge in only 36 minutes.
Standard is a panoramic glass roof.
Fully stocked: The ‘home in a box’ is a range of modular units, above, that fit into the luggage compartments
Volkswagen caters for ‘staycationers’
Covid’s boom in’staycations’ means that there are many options available for adding-on camping accessories to your Volkswagen campervan.
A range of modular units above that can be stuffed into luggage pockets is called the “home in a bag”.
The unit includes a refrigerator, sink and water supply. It is compatible to the Volkswagen Caravelle and California Beach Tour models.
The range-topping BusBox, costing £3,340, is compatible with the VW Caravelle and includes a bed, mattress, kitchen area, storage and water supply.
The BusBox is also available without the mattress, priced at £2,555. The KombiBox for the Caddy has a kitchen, water supply and storage, from £2,760.
A comfort mattress is also available, priced at £495. n For more details, see volkswagen-vans.co.uk.
MOTORING: SAVE MONEY
