GENEVA — The Dacia Duster is a dilly. The 2009 Geneva Auto Show is graced with the first-ever concept from the Romanian automaker, a subsidiary of France's Renault. It's a compact four-passenger crossover that stretches the boundaries of design, inside and out, but delivers on the brand's core values of simplicity and frugality.
The Duster — older American observers will recall the name was once used on a sporty Plymouth in the 1960s — is a collaborative effort between Renault Design in Guyancourt and the company's Bucharest design center. It is described simply as "a futuristic, image-building crossover."
Part of that image-building comes from the vehicle's distinctive styling, including its unusual door configuration: a single portal on the driver side and two on the passenger side, including a rear-hinged rear door.
Then there are the headlamps that wrap over the front fenders and head rearward, as well as the all-glass panoramic roof, the 21-inch five-spoke alloy wheels and the trapezoidal aluminum exhaust pipes.
The anthracite gray exterior contrasts with the two-tone cabin, which is rendered in chocolate and blue. The front seats are staggered, with the driver segregated from the rest of the cockpit. The passenger seat slides underneath the driver seat to free up space for cargo or leisure gear.
The Duster is powered by a 1.5-liter common-rail turbodiesel that delivers 103 horsepower, returns 44 miles per gallon and, thanks to a particulate filter, emits only 139 g/km of CO2.
Inside Line says: This should be one of the more refreshing design concepts on the floor at Palexpo. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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