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 It retains all those features, bar the wheels which have been replaced by 20-inch aftermarket units, but adds a whole lot more, as the video posted after the jump reveals.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