Dacia Duster: PH Fleet

"I believe I can fly!" Mighty Duster takes to a quarry and returns with its head held high

As the car landed, as I was trying my best to keep the car settled and stopped before the drop, the lyrics to R. Kelly's song weren't ringing in my ears. My thoughts were along the lines of "I hope I don't have to do that again." But once the photographer revealed the glory of full flight, the Space Jam anthem rang true.

Mechanical sympathy is definitely something that has to be taken into account - no, really - when including a token off-roader as part of a grand feature for sister publication Autocar. We went to a pay and play off-road site in Yarwell, littered with body panels from hardcore off-road machines. Honestly, I was pretty wary about taking the Duster on this adventure. With its selectable 50/50 split four-wheel drive and Continental Cross Contact LX tyres meant for light off-road use I didn't have much hope of it getting out in one piece, and even less hope for me staying clean and dry. That feeling only strengthened when I saw the machines that were also brought along - G-Wagen, Wrangler, Discovery, an Isuzu D-Max tinkered by Arctic Trucks and a Land Cruiser.

Moving cautiously I tested the car down a fairly steep descent and, to my surprise, the car eased down. But gravity did all the hard work there. How about the ascent? Switching to 4WD with traction control switched off I give it a go with a short run up and, once more against expectations, the little Duster scurried up.

Like a worried parent guiding their child along a jungle gym for the first time, I thought the Duster wasn't as capable as it actually was - over the two days it showed off its off-road prowess time and time again. After getting over the initial fears, the quarry did become a playground. Even deliberately trying to get it stuck proved harder than originally thought. The much heavier off-roaders sank pretty easily but, presumably thanks to its sprightly 1,312kg kerb weight, the Duster managed to keep its head above the gloopy water.

One of the challenges to separate the men from the boys was the rock crawl - now with only a 210mm ground clearance and a 29.3-degree approach angle, many of those important oily bits were at risk of being caught by a rogue rock and it was therefore agreed that the Duster should bow out gracefully. Far from disgraced, however.

The Duster had proved to be a lot better than any of us on the shoot ever thought. Hence the suggestion that the Duster is the spiritual successor to the Lada Niva in the fact that both are pretty light and agile, with the added advantage that the Duster has been built to suit the modern world. And not 70s Russia. I still get that feeling every time I drive it - not the most comfortable, not the fastest and certainly not the most refined, but still able to put a smile on my face when I want to adventure off the beaten track.

FACT SHEET
Car: 2016 Dacia Duster TCe 125 4x4
On fleet since: January 2017
Mileage: 5,218
List price new: £15,795 (As tested £18,980 comprising Metallic paint for £495, European mapping for £90, Aspira leather upholstery for £500, Protection Pack for £495, Touring Pack for £565, Action Pack for £755 and Window Pack for £285)
Last month at a glance: Dacia takes on the big boys in a quarry Dust-up

Previous reports:
Duster debut!
Excelling on the off-road escapade
NC500 in a Duster