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DUSTER: THE CONCEPT
CROSSOVER FROM DACIA UNVEILED AT GENEVA MOTORSHOW
• Dacia is breaking
fresh ground and springs yet another surprise with the unveiling
in Geneva of Duster, a futuristic, image-building crossover that
promotes the same values for which the brand has stood from the
beginning.
• Duster is Dacia's first concept car and the fruit of close
collaboration between Renault Design Central Europe in
Bucharest, Romania, and Renault Design Technocentre in
Guyancourt, France.
• Duster's athletic stance adds an undeniable sporty feel to the
brand's hallmark robustness.
• Inside, the use of colour, generous cabin space and an
original modular layout ensure a particularly convivial ambience
for occupants.
ROBUST AND SPORTY
Duster – Dacia's first
concept crossover – is proud to be different. Seen from the driver's
side, it is visibly a sporting coupé, yet passengers entering from
the other side will see it as an MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle) with a
traditionally opening front door and rear-hinged rear door which
suggest plush travelling refinement.
Duster's height of 1.49
metres, short front and rear overhangs (65cm and 80cm respectively),
generous
wheelbase (2.80m) and compact volumes (4.25m long, 1.64m wide) exude
an overriding sense of robustness and sports appeal.
The front end features a
broad bumper with two horizontal air-intake slits that suggest
power. The grille
features evident Dacia styling cues and is flanked by headlamps
which wrap over the front wings to form a tapering line of light
that stretches rearward towards the doors.
Viewed from the side,
the clear-cut lines of the wheel arches and tall doors reinforce the
impression that Duster sits squarely on the road. The Anthracite
Grey bodywork and extensive one-piece glazed sweep – made possible
by the absence of a central pillar – highlights the styling of the
sides which are unmistakably reminiscent of Duster's graphic
identity.
At the rear, the
engraved Dacia logo further emphasizes the concept car's robust,
dependable credentials. Like Logan, Duster is just 4.25 metres
long, and its inherent agility ensures that it is perfectly at home
in the urban jungle. Meanwhile, its 21-inch, five-spoke aluminium
alloy wheels, exterior mirrors positioned on the window surround and
trapezoidal aluminium exhaust tailpipes are telltale signs of its
sporting pedigree.
Special care has gone
into Duster's aerodynamic efficiency (Cd: 0.30) and the fluid lines
of the body sides enable air to flow freely along the vehicle's
flanks before being jettisoned through the rear lights. The
aerodynamic, wing-like forms of the roof-mounted direction
indicators also channel airflow towards the rear.
The sum of all this work
has naturally been beneficial to fuel consumption, and Duster stands
out as a
particularly environmentally-respectful crossover. Despite its
performance potential, the particulate filter-equipped 1.5 dCi 105hp
engine (77kW) emits just 139g of CO2/km, equivalent to fuel
consumption of 5.3 litres/100km.
A CROSSOVER WITH DACIA HALLMARKS
This futuristic
crossover showcases the brand's core values – namely simplicity,
robustness and authenticity – in a surprising form, yet Dacia's
hallmark ingenuity and generosity are immediately apparent in the
way designers have approached Duster's cabin.
The concept car's
two-tone chocolate and blue interior exudes a sense of well-being
and conviviality. The fully glazed roof floods the cabin with light,
while the enveloping forms of the staggered slim-line front seats
provide first class comfort and support. The driver's seat is
incorporated in a structure which extends all the way from the sill
to the centre console, forming a sculptural, one-piece ensemble that
echoes the exterior's sporty appeal.
The user-friendly
dashboard features fluid, expressive lines while employing simple
materials. The driver's side front airbag is housed in the lower
part of the steeringwheel which has made it possible to position the
screen centrally and free up appreciable stowage space on the
dashboard. The latter's receding lines also provide record kneeroom
of 280mm for the front passenger who benefits from an exceptionally
comfortable seating position. The bellows-like form of the original
two-tone dashboard incorporates a 20-litre glovebox, while the door
inserts each include eight-litre stowage bins. Another bin has been
cleverly concealed in the back of the rear right-hand seat. A simple
push causes a box to slide forward from the boot which itself is in
total keeping with the Dacia spirit, with the upright tailgate
providing a carrying capacity of 470dm3 (VDA), a remarkable
achievement for a vehicle of Duster's compact overall dimensions .
Duster is an adaptable,
modular concept car. The four-seat 'daily driver' layout can be
swiftly converted into a leisure configuration in a matter of
seconds. The passenger seat slides underneath the driver's seat on
rails concealed in the floor to leave just one front seat and
consequently free up a total carrying volume of two cubic metres.
Thanks to a recess in the floor and a strap located under the
dashboard, this space can be used to carry a trials mountain bike.
