Last January, the Romanian brand Dacia, part of Renault Group, achieved its first victory at the Dakar Rally. The Qatari driver Nasser Al-Attiyah and his Belgian navigator Fabian Lurquin took first place on the podium of the 48th Dakar Rally with a Dacia Sandrider prototype. The other team members, although they didn't finish on the podium, also showed good results.
Sébastien Loeb finished fourth, Lucas Moraes seventh, and Cristina Gutiérrez in 11th position. Now, to celebrate their triumph in the iconic race, Dacia has launched a special edition of the Duster, called Spirit of Sand. The new limited edition combines a gasoline engine with a mild hybrid, which also runs on LPG, and 4x4 all-wheel drive.
The Spirit of Sand version is partially inspired by the Dacia Duster Soul of Dakar concept car from the end of 2024. Exterior enhancements include copper-brown accents and special graphics on the lower part of the body. Additionally, the engine and transmission are protected by a 6-millimeter duralumin plate on the underbody. Black 17-inch wheels are fitted.
The interior is at the Extreme level and is complemented by automatic air conditioning, an adjustable driver's seat, an electric parking brake, and adaptive cruise control. The Cold and Parking packages are included and add a heated windshield, heated front seats and steering wheel, blind spot monitoring system, a 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, and blind spot monitoring. The equipment also includes a 10-inch multimedia display and modular roof rails suitable for both leisure and everyday use.
The new Dacia Duster G 150 4x4 has all-wheel drive. The hybrid system consists of a 1.2-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine with 140 hp, paired with a 48-volt starter-generator and a Valeo electric motor with 31 hp and 87 Nm on the rear axle. The rear unit is also supplemented by a two-stage gearbox and a clutch. The total system power is 154 hp. The battery has a capacity of 0.84 kWh.
The transmission is a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and for the first time in the brand's history, paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel are included. Fueling is possible not only with gasoline but also with LPG. According to Dacia's data, the range can reach up to 1500 km with the two tanks according to the WLTP standard, while the average fuel consumption is 7.3 l/100 km with LPG and 6.0 l/100 km with gasoline in a combined cycle.
The goal is to offer a compromise between off-road capability and low operating costs, which can be reduced by up to 30% compared to equivalent traditional engines. The limited Dacia Duster Spirit of Sand series will be produced in only 500 units and will be offered exclusively in Romania. Deliveries will begin in April, and the price is 28,990 euros.