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Dacia Duster Concept 2009
[b]DUSTER: THE CONCEPT CROSSOVER FROM DACIA UNVEILED AT GENEVA MOTORSHOW 2009[/b]
• Dacia is breaking fresh ground and springs yet another surprise with the unveiling in Geneva of Duster, a futuristic, image-building crossover that promotes the same values for which the brand has stood from the beginning.
• Duster is Dacia's first concept car and the fruit of close collaboration between Renault Design Central Europe in Bucharest, Romania, and Renault Design Technocentre in Guyancourt, France.
• Duster's athletic stance adds an undeniable sporty feel to the brand's hallmark robustness.
• Inside, the use of colour, generous cabin space and an original modular layout ensure a particularly convivial ambience for occupants.
[b]ROBUST AND SPORTY[/b]
Duster – Dacia's first concept crossover – is proud to be different. Seen from the driver's side, it is visibly a sporting coupé, yet passengers entering from the other side will see it as an MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle) with a traditionally opening front door and rear-hinged rear door which suggest plush travelling refinement.
Duster's height of 1.49 metres, short front and rear overhangs (65cm and 80cm respectively), generous wheelbase (2.80m) and compact volumes (4.25m long, 1.64m wide) exude an overriding sense of robustness and sports appeal.
The front end features a broad bumper with two horizontal air-intake slits that suggest power. The grille features evident Dacia styling cues and is flanked by headlamps which wrap over the front wings to form a tapering line of light that stretches rearward towards the doors.
Viewed from the side, the clear-cut lines of the wheel arches and tall doors reinforce the impression that Duster sits squarely on the road. The Anthracite Grey bodywork and extensive one-piece glazed sweep – made possible by the absence of a central pillar – highlights the styling of the sides which are unmistakably reminiscent of Duster's graphic identity.
At the rear, the engraved Dacia logo further emphasizes the concept car's robust, dependable credentials.
Like Logan, Duster is just 4.25 metres long, and its inherent agility ensures that it is perfectly at home in the urban jungle. Meanwhile, its 21-inch, five-spoke aluminium alloy wheels, exterior mirrors positioned on the window surround and trapezoidal aluminium exhaust tailpipes are telltale signs of its sporting pedigree.
Special care has gone into Duster's aerodynamic efficiency (Cd: 0.30) and the fluid lines of the body sides enable air to flow freely along the vehicle's flanks before being jettisoned through the rear lights. The aerodynamic, wing-like forms of the roof-mounted direction indicators also channel airflow towards the rear.
The sum of all this work has naturally been beneficial to fuel consumption, and Duster stands out as a particularly environmentally-respectful crossover. Despite its performance potential, the particulate filterequipped 1.5 dCi 105hp engine (77kW) emits just 139g of CO2/km, equivalent to fuel consumption of 5.3 litres/100km.
