Dacia Duster Black Edition

There are two things wrong with the new Dacia Duster Black Edition: firstly, Dacia has resorted to including ‘black’ in its name, which is now getting really hackneyed and just shows a lack of imagination; secondly, the price is way too expensive.

Dacia’s main selling point is it’s a budget brand. That ethos is borne out extremely well by the £11,595 Duster Ambiance dCi 110 4x2, a mid-range model that forms the basis of the Black Edition.

The Black Edition’s generous extra specification includes 18” alloy wheels, a brushed black vinyl bodywork wrap, leather upholstery and a Kenwood media system that incorporates a 6” screen, satellite navigation, a DAB radio and a DVD player.

However, all of the extra equipment takes the cost up to a staggering £17,575, which is over 50% more than the Ambiance version.

That figure also pitches the Black Edition against some very talented rivals, for example the Nissan Qashqai and Škoda Yeti. Admittedly a similar amount only buys those competitors’ entry-level variants, but nevertheless they probably offer a better long-term ownership experience.

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