A true star on the European market, the Duster has no sporting vocation. But the Renault group has a different sales strategy depending on the country. In Brazil, a 170 hp variant has thus appeared, the highest power ever seen on a road “Dacia”.
In Brazil, the Duster is not badged Dacia but Renault. Which partly explains why it does not exactly model its range on the model we know. Thus, across the Atlantic, the SUV swells the muscles. It is now available in a new TCe version of 170 hp when, in Europe, it must be content with capping at 150 hp.
The Duster is sold with a Renault badge in most non-European countries.
And why not with us?
Under the hood, we find the 1.3 TCe already crossed on the Renault Arkana and Captur. Except that on the latter, it develops 10 hp less. This boost in power, which allows the Duster to reach 100 km/h in 9.2 seconds*, is also obtained by the Renault SUV from its fuel. In Brazil, ethanol is very popular. The country even uses E100, without a single drop of gasoline. A fuel whose properties make it possible to optimize the performance of turbo engines. In France, despite the enthusiasm for E85, the probability of seeing a 170 hp Duster arrive is on the other hand almost nil… Spread the word! Besides, this is not the first time that Renault has launched more powerful versions of its models in another country. Between 2015 and the end of 2021, it marketed a 145 hp Sandero RS. A small, fairly affordable sports car which, however, has never crossed the borders of the continent.
*9.7s for the TCe 150
the Most Powerful Duster Ever…
Do you know the true most powerful Duster of all time? This is the Pikes Peak version of the SUV. Developed in 2011 by driver Jean-Philippe Dayraut, the racing off-roader had a power of 850 hp for only 950 kg. He was then equipped of a Nissan GT-R twin-turbo V6! Designed to try to win the most famous of American hill climbs, this real prototype dressed in Duster bodywork could not however do better than third, during its first participation in 2011. Its return in 2012 will result in an outing road after a brake problem, and we will not see him again at Pikes Peak afterwards.
TO READ. Pikes Peak: the most incredible hill climb in pictures
