Just when you though the Dacia Duster has reached peak popularity, they added the type of engine everybody wanted. It's called the TCe 100 and arrives in Britain for just £10,995.
Impressively cheap cars are rare. In fact, most of the family cars you want are about twice this price. Sure, the Duster is nowhere near perfect, but previous base models were a lot worse.
More specifically, the TCe 100 replaces the SCe 115, which had a 1.6-liter, fine for short trips, but not very good on gas. To be precise, the TCe 100 is a 1-liter, 3-cylinder turbo, a lot like the one you get with the new Renault Clio. It punches to 99bhp at 5,000 rpm and 160 of torque at 2,000 rpm, so a bit less power but a lot more torque.
The engine is hooked up to the front wheels via a 5-speed manual and will do the 0 to 62mph (100km/h) sprint in 12.5 seconds, maxing out at an acceptable 104 mph (167 km/h). Dacia says she'll do between 48.7 and 49.5 mpg UK (5.8-5.7 l/100 km) according to the WLTP test cycle, with CO2 emissions of 126 g/km.
Now, we wouldn't be doing our job if we didn't talk about problems owners had with the previous downsizing attempt from Dacia, the 1.2-liter turbo. Some owners complained about improper gasket seals letting fuel into the oil. But as long as it's under warranty and not owned outright (many Dusters go on PCP), you should be alright.
The base Duster Access 100 TCe model gets you features 16-inch wheels, tinted rear wheels, electric windows in the front and manual A/C. Step up to the Essential grade and you will have fog lights, black roof bars, height adjustment on the steering wheel and different alloys. The budget crossover is also available with 130 or 150 horsepower 1.3-liter turbo engines like the one on the Mercedes A-Class or a 1.5-liter diesel.
More specifically, the TCe 100 replaces the SCe 115, which had a 1.6-liter, fine for short trips, but not very good on gas. To be precise, the TCe 100 is a 1-liter, 3-cylinder turbo, a lot like the one you get with the new Renault Clio. It punches to 99bhp at 5,000 rpm and 160 of torque at 2,000 rpm, so a bit less power but a lot more torque.
The engine is hooked up to the front wheels via a 5-speed manual and will do the 0 to 62mph (100km/h) sprint in 12.5 seconds, maxing out at an acceptable 104 mph (167 km/h). Dacia says she'll do between 48.7 and 49.5 mpg UK (5.8-5.7 l/100 km) according to the WLTP test cycle, with CO2 emissions of 126 g/km.
Now, we wouldn't be doing our job if we didn't talk about problems owners had with the previous downsizing attempt from Dacia, the 1.2-liter turbo. Some owners complained about improper gasket seals letting fuel into the oil. But as long as it's under warranty and not owned outright (many Dusters go on PCP), you should be alright.
The base Duster Access 100 TCe model gets you features 16-inch wheels, tinted rear wheels, electric windows in the front and manual A/C. Step up to the Essential grade and you will have fog lights, black roof bars, height adjustment on the steering wheel and different alloys. The budget crossover is also available with 130 or 150 horsepower 1.3-liter turbo engines like the one on the Mercedes A-Class or a 1.5-liter diesel.