Dacia's 3rd-gen Duster SUV looks set to top the charts

​They say that musicians have a tough time creating the “always-tricky second album”. Especially if the debut was a massive success.

Please bear with me as I make the same comparison here and forgive me that the Duster is technically on its third album.

14 years ago, Dacia introduced their SUV and completely owned the USP that it was Ireland’s cheapest SUV. It sold in its thousands and the 2017 tweaked second-gen did nothing to stop the popularity. If anything, it increased it because the changes were subtle enough and enhanced an already very good car.

Let’s just say the second iteration maintained its price point while sneaking in a few creature comforts and ‘extras’ that a lot of its competitors would list ‘as standard’.

But, now the company is at a bit of a junction in the road. Motormouths flew to Malaga last week to be among the first motor journalists in Europe to get behind the wheel of Duster 3.0.

The rounded curves have been dismissed sent packing back to Romania and in their place we now get hard lines and rugged angles. The dimensions have also been increased a tiny bit and for the first time ever there is an electrified powertrain.

There is a lot more safety features in this version too so you can dispel the ridiculous myth that Dacia cars fold under pressure because of their price point. It is simply not true.

The biggest change is at the front grille, where the company’s revamped logo sits proudly, and is flanked by new-look LED headlights and sits above a much better looking bumper.

There is some choice cladding around the wheels and the company has introduced a complementing panel that sits on the front doors called ‘Starkle’ which is a clever mix of recycled plastics in keeping with the company’s move towards improved sustainability.

My test car was the Extreme version, which had gorgeous bronze-tinted door mirrors and a matching Dacia at the back.

While the length and width haven’t changed much, you notice that its ride height has increased adding to overall ruggedness but also acts as an improvement to the car’s aerodynamics, in a bid for better fuel efficiency.

The 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine has some help from a 1.2kWh battery (similar to their seven-seater Jogger) which acts as a good powertrain to manage limited-speed driving like traffic and parking.

The Hybrid 140 version can do a claimed 80 per cent of city driving in electric mode. And the car is now produced using 20 per cent recycled plastic. The last one was just 12 per cent, by the way.

Driving-wise, it is very easy and even fun. My lofty perch in the driver’s seat gave brilliant visibility and I found it very manoeuvrable and light on the steering. Basically, don’t be fooled by the chunkiness of this car, as it is much more dexterous than it looks.

When you do need to put the pedal down, it has the firepower too. The engine kicks in with a slight roar and there is minimal road noise during motorway driving.

Inside, there is a much more contemporary design than the last two versions. It is still ‘simple’ yet it seems more refined now with some clever designs and panelling.

The entry-level Essential (like before) lets owners use their smartphone on the dashboard as the source of infotainment.

However, on our test vehicle last week there was a 10.1-inch touchscreen that Dacia promises to keep updated for the next eight years, as well as a 7-inch digital instrument display.

There are three more litres of storage space throughout the cabin also — which may be a tiny number (relative to everything else) but is a big result when it comes to functionality and convenience for new Duster owners and their passengers.

I only had a few hours in the car, but first impressions are really good.

I didn’t think the last Duster was ugly but I do think this version is better. In fact, it is a great-looking car.

And so back to the ‘difficult second album’ analogy. My concern for Dacia with this new Duster is that they have sold 2.4 million of them around the world, and a large part of that is down to the asking price.

Now in the third version they have improved it so much and included so many new add-ons and safety features that they may no longer be the cheapest available.

Irish pricing isn’t available yet, but we expect to know towards the end of the summer. If they can get it right (heavily influenced by extreme Irish Government taxation) then they are on to winner.

It has a rare mix of charm, strength, sex appeal and practicality. If the price is right, then expect to see a lot more Dusters in Irish roads towards the end of the year, when Motormouths will get a full week behind the wheel and report back.