This Custom Dacia Duster from Germany Has Everything You Could Ever Want

The Dacia Duster should be an attractive vehicle, if you’re not a badge snob, but are looking for the cheapest way to get a fully-fledged capable off-roader. However, it will never attract those looking for toys or high quality finished surfaces, because it has very few of the former and none of the latter.

Still, since we do live in an age when everything is possible, one can realistically buy a Duster, and in particular, one that already has the full options list ticked off, then going to work. This is exactly what a garage from Germany achieved by fitting dozens of extra gadgets and trinkets to make it far more of an appealing vehicle – many little details add up to make a big difference.

The car originally came with leather seats, all-wheel drive, the top spec 110 PS diesel engine, 15-inch alloys, four electric windows and few other notable extras. It retains all those features, bar the wheels which have been replaced by 20-inch aftermarket units, but adds a whole lot more, as the video posted after the jump reveals. It’s all in German, and 25 minutes long, yet it’s self-explanatory, and you don’t need to understand the language to get what is being discussed.

From what I gather, it has been fitted with everything from a working dual exhaust, front engine guard and chunkier plastic cladding, to a small spoiler on top of the hatch and some cool-looking aftermarket LED rear lights that will probably go even better on an all-black car to begin with – the two tone paint would not have been my first choice, but could have been worse…

Inside, the cheap old stereo reminiscent of the first-gen Logan sedan has been ripped out and replaced by a modern touchscreen unit (the facelifted Duster gets a good one from the factory), and many plastics have been sprayed in the exterior orange color, finished off by tasteful chrome accents. There’s also a self-dipping mirror, aftermarket cruise control, automatic lights, revised dials, heated seats and probably more that we missed.

Yes, it is a bit overdone, but with a little more restraint, this kind of customization job could open up the Duster to a new clientele, though it still doesn’t escape the problem of scratchy plastics.

By Andrei Nedelea

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO

Elia Brings in the Bling to Dacia Duster SUV

It seems German tuner Elia is convinced that the Dacia Duster's low starting price means that buyers will have extra cash left for upgrading their ride, so it's churning out one project after the other.
If the two-tone, orange and black-themed and the completely murder out Duster tunes that we showed you back in the summer didn't do the trick for you, here's one more proposal from Elia.

Locally Made Right-Hand-Drive Renault Duster to Launch in India

The Renault-Nissan Alliance is gradually expanding the availability of its Duster small SUV, originally branded as a Dacia, to more international markets. Following the recent presentation of the Renault Duster for the South American region at the Buenos Aires Motor Show, today, the French firm confirmed its launch in India.
To be sold under the Renault marque, the right-hand drive [RHD] version of the Duster will be fully produced at the Renault-Nissan Chennai plant in India and rolled out across the local market in the second half of 2012. The RHD Duster will also be available in the UK starting from next year.

New Renault Duster for South America Debuts at Buenos Aires Motor Show

The Renault-Nissan Alliance’s low-cost Dacia Duster SUV has lost its Romanian badges to cater to the needs of the South American market where it will be sold under the Renault brand.
Redesigned for the local market, the Renault Duster SUV makes its regional debut at this week’s Buenos Aires Motor Show. It will first launch in Argentina and Brazil during the last quarter of the year, with more countries to follow after. Production will take place at Renault’s Curitiba plant in Brazil.

Nissan GT-R-Powered Dacia Duster Racer Filmed Testing at Magny-Cours

The Renault Group is upping the ante for Dacia with its decision to enter the Romanian brand’s Duster crossover in the famous Pikes Peak international hill climb that will take place this year on June 26 in Colorado, USA. The purpose built racecar was spotted over the weekend testing at the Magny-Cours motor racing circuit located in France.

Eibach and Giacuzzo Design Dacia Duster

Following in the footsteps of Elia, German aftermarket specialists at Eibach and Giacuzzo Design teamed up to create a tuning package for the Dacia Duster SUV. The two companies opted for light modifications in order to stick to the basic character of the Duster and to make sure the price of the tuning package would remain affordable for the car's target group.

Renault’s Dacia Duster “No Limit” Racer gets 850HP V6 Sourced from the Nissan GT-R!

Following an early reveal on racing driver Jean-Philippe Dayraut's website, Renault today released official photos of its PikesPeak contender, the 850HP Dacia Duster “No Limit”. The name comes from the “Unlimited” class of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, which imposes no restrictions on the size or power output of the engine, maximum power or torque. In addition, there are no restrictions concerning the transmission or the aerodynamic characteristics. Looking at the size of the Duster's rear wing, it is obvious the car competes in the “Unlimited” class.
The one-off prototype was built by Tork Engineering (which handled the design, production, assembly and development) and Sodemo (engine), in association with Renault Sport Technologies, which supplied certain components.

Dacia Duster Pikes Peak Race Car Revealed by Driver

When Renault announced it will compete with a Dacia Duster prototype at the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, we knew from the official rendering that the race car would carry a big rear wing. We didn't expect it to be colossal however, as the first real-life photos can reveal.

Dacia Releases Limited Edition Duster for Skiing Instructors

Renault’s low-cost Romanian brand Dacia has released the first limited edition version of its new small SUV model, called the Duster École de Ski Français [ESF], which translates to French Skiing School. Event though parent company Renault has not offered details about how many units of this series Dacia will produce, the Duster special could become one of the rarest sights on French streets since it can only be bought by ESF skiing instructors.

Dacia Produces its 4,000,000th Vehicle after 45 Years

Renault's Dacia brand produced its 4,000,000th car at the Mioveni plant in Romania, 45 years after the company’s foundation in 1966. The car with which Dacia achieved the milestone is a 4WD Duster Laureate in a brown finish powered by an 110HP 1.5-liter diesel engine.

Andros Trophy 2011: This is How France's Winter Version of NASCAR Looks Like

Four-time Formula 1 champion Alain Prost and his Dacia Duster took first place at the Andros Trophy season finale held in Paris on the Stade de France this past weekend. Although the competition did not count for the championship, it attracted more than 50,000 spectators at France's largest stadium that was transformed into an ice-covered oval track. What they witnessed was a superb ice-skating contest for cars and bikes. Follow the break for the videos.

850HP Dacia Duster to Go Hill Climbing at Pikes Peak

After successfully competing in the Andros Trophy ice-racing championship with F1 star Alain Prost behind the wheel, the guys at Renault Sport Technologies want the Dacia Duster to perform in a whole different league. In particular, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb which will be held on June 26 this year.

Renault Unveils Updated Dacia Duster Ice for next Andros Trophy

As Renault is continuing to work on Dacia's image, the Duster Ice will once again compete in the Andros Trophy, after finishing in second place last year. Set to be piloted by the legendary Alain Prost, the updated model features a number of evolutions for the new season. The opening round of the ice-racing championship will be held at Val Thorens (France), on the 4th and 5th of December.

Elia Dresses Up and Tunes New Dacia Duster SUV

Elia, the German tuning house of all things related to the Renault-Nissan Alliance, has just launched two styling packages and an performance kit for Dacia's low-cost Duster small SUV.

Named "Adventure Kit", the first package adds a bull-bar to the front end and new protective side bars. The second package is more comprehensive and includes either 16-inch alloy wheels (18-inch rims are available as an option), LED daytime running lights up front, side skirts and a chrome piece for the tail pipe.