Dacia Duster review

The Duster provides a good amount of headroom up front, however the front seats don't slide very far back at all, so really tall drivers will struggle to get comfortable. It's also annoying that there’s no passenger seat height adjustment for any trim and entry-level cars also miss out on driver’s seat height adjustment.

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The front doors are tall and wide, so getting in and out is a breeze. Storage provision is reasonable, with decent front door bins and a pair of fixed cupholders ahead of the gearlever that also double as extra oddment space. There is a selection of cubbies between the front seats, too; some are too small to be of use, although others are more accommodating.

While height-adjustable front headrest and seatbelts are standard, you’ll need to step up to Comfort trim for a front armrest.

The Duster offers a decent amount of space in the rear, and certainly feels more like a proper family car. But at this bargain end of the family SUV class, the MG GS offers more room up front and in the rear.

Access in the Duster is good, thanks to tall door openings, while the car’s raised floor means you don’t have to bend down too much to get kids in and out of child seats. It’s possible to fit three child seats across the back, depending on the model, but there’s a wide centre tunnel that means a middle passenger has to sit with their feet splayed either side of it.

Entry-level Dusters have a one-piece folding rear bench that limits the car’s flexibility considerably; at least next-rung Essential models and up get a 60/40 split-folding bench that’s much more versatile. Folding the rear seatbacks is easy enough and leaves a very long but not particularly flat load area. Still, you can flip the seatbase up first to help create a flatter space.

The front passenger seat doesn’t adjust for height, but you can fold the backrest forward by about 45deg to help with load long loads when the rear seats are folded.

The Duster’s boot is large by any standards but immense when compared with those in most rivals. Front-wheel-drive models have 445 litres of boot space, while four-wheel-drive Dusters offer a slightly less competitive 411 litres (376 litres with the optional spare wheel fitted). Regardless, there’s easily enough space in the boot to carry a week’s holiday luggage, a fold-up buggy or a large family grocery shop.

With the rear seats folded, front-wheel-drive cars offer 1623 litres of space; plenty big enough for a visit to a well-known Swedish store for some flat-pack furniture. The boot itself is also a very practical shape: wide and high, with only a small lip to load items over.