Dacia Duster LPG doesn't bite the dust

© DaciaFails to impress with looks, impresses with low running costs - that's Duster in a nutshell

Dacia may be one step behind its parent company Renault in terms of technological advancement, but everybody has to conform with the Euro emission standards. That's why the 105 PS Renault-sourced 1,6-litre petrol engine fitted in the Duster until recently was replaced by a same-displacement 115 PS SCe unit supplied by Nissan. Along with the older motor, the LPG system disappeared from the options list, but luckily not for long – a new one, also co-developed with Landi Renzo, is back on the cards.

Typically for Dacia, prices are reasonable and the autogas system makes no exception – in Italy it only costs 500 euros on top of the regular price, which pays back after 10 thousand km of driving, a distance in many cases covered in less than a year (LPG costs 0,57 euro, while petrol is 1,56 euro per litre at the moment). According to Dacia, th Duster's average fuel consumption is just 6,4 l/100 km, which means its single-tank range is nearly 400 km. Refueling with autogas costs (at current rates) just 16 euros.

The Duster isn't the only model returning to LPG after an "engine swap". The Dokker and Lodgy vans have also been updated to comply with Euro 6 and are now available with factory-fitted autogas systems, which makes Dacia's LPG line-up complete – all the brand's models can be had with optional cost-and-emission-slashing systems. At these prices, we'd be surprised if anyone still wanted a Dacia running on petrol only...