It's funny how certain cars add up to more than the sum of their parts. They shouldn't be so appealing to the average PHer, but they just are, and that's that. Like the Dacia Duster. It's basic, cobbled together from slabs of old Renault and therefore it's cheap. Yet also incredibly cheerful, and a proper little workhorse off road if you opt for the four-wheel-drive model. Now there's a new special edition that Dacia hopes will make it even more enticing, called the Duster Extreme SE.
I even love the name. There are many names Dacia could've chosen: Extreme All Terrain perhaps, or Extreme Voyager or Extreme Explorer maybe. It could've even selected a trim from the current Duster range and adjectivised that: Extreme Comfort or Extreme Prestige both work. But no, Extreme SE it is. Possibly the most full-on, unconscionable SE trim there's ever been. Absolutely fantastic stuff.
Right, how's the Extreme SE pushing the edges of what's possible, then? Well, it's worth taking a deep breath and slowing down your heart rate a little becausealas, there are no flame throwers - there's not even a peashooter, as far as I can tell. It just so happens the Duster Extreme SE is based on the Prestige trim and "adds an unbeatable mix of style and value to the award-winning Dacia Duster range." Which translates to 17-inch black alloys and Urban Grey paint (plus the option of seven other colours), complemented by orange highlights that appear on the door mirrors, front grille, roof-bar mountings and the rear nameplate.
The orange theme appears inside, as well. It's applied to the seat stitching, door pulls, centre vents and centre console. And being based on the top-of-the-line trim means it's also well equipped. You get features including rear-parking sensors, a rear-view camera, cruise control, privacy glass, climate control, blind-spot monitoring and keyless entry. It even has wireless smartphone mirroring and Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto to go with its 8.0-inch touchscreen and sat-nav.
There's no shortage of engine options, either. The Extreme SE is available with the TCe 90, 130 and 150, plus the TCe 100 Bi-Fuel. Running on LPG that delivers more power than the TCe90, feels gutsier low down and it's more refined, plus, with both tanks brimmed, has a range of nearly 800 miles. Mind you, to realise the Duster's genuine off-road prowess you'll need the dCi 115 diesel, which is the only Extreme SE with four-wheel drive.
It might not be adding much in the way of substance, but the typically thrifty Dacia trademark means you're hardly being duped. Prices start from £17,495 for the TCe90 and Bi-Fuel, rising to £21,645 for the four-wheel-drive diesel, which is an uplift of just £300. If you order one in April, when it goes on sale, it could arrive as early as May.
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