India-Bound Dacia Duster Scores 3 Stars In Euro NCAP Crash Test

The Dacia Duster, which is set to launch in India as the Renault Duster soon, has been awarded a 3-star rating in the latest round of crash tests by the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP). 

The safety watchdog tested the Duster with a 1.6-litre petrol hybrid powertrain and with a front-wheel drive setup. The rating also applies to the Duster’s variants with 1.0-litre petrol LPG and 1.3-litre petrol engines but not to the 1.3-litre petrol with the four-wheel drive configuration. While a left-hand drive version was crashed by Euro NCAP, the rating also applies to the right-hand drive version as well. 

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The Dacia Duster scored 28.2 points out of 40 in the adult occupant protection tests. In the front and lateral impact test, the Duster scored 11.4 and 12 points out of 16, respectively. In the rear impact test, it scored 3.6 points out of 4 and in the rescue and extrication tests, it scored 1.2 points out of a possible 4. Euro NCAP notes, “The passenger compartment of the Duster remained stable in the frontal offset test. Dummy numbers showed good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger. Dacia demonstrated that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and those sitting in different positions.”

In the child occupant protection tests, the Dacia Duster scored 41.6 points out of a total of 49. The Duster secured 15.6 points in the front impact test and 8 points in the lateral impact test, with a total of 23.6 points out of 24. Euro NCAP tested the Duster with a dummy of a 6-year-old and a 10-year-old child. As it does not get an integrated child restrain system (CRS) and a child presence detection, it scored 6 points out of 13. Euro NCAP commented, “The passenger compartment of the Duster remained stable in the frontal offset test. Dummy numbers showed good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger. Dacia demonstrated that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and those sitting in different positions.”

The Dacia Duster scored 38.1 points out of 63 in the pedestrian safety tests. In the impact protection tests, the Duster managed to secure 21.9 points out of 36 and 16.2 points out of 27 in the impact mitigation tests. “Protection of the head of a struck pedestrian or cyclist was predominantly good or adequate, with poor results recorded on the stiff windscreen pillars and along the base of the screen. Protection of the head of a struck pedestrian or cyclist was predominantly good or adequate, with poor results recorded on the stiff windscreen pillars and along the base of the screen,” noted Euro NCAP. 

In the safety assist test, the Duster managed to score 10.3 points out of 18. Euro NCAP commented, “Protection of the head of a struck pedestrian or cyclist was predominantly good or adequate, with poor results recorded on the stiff windscreen pillars and along the base of the screen."