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2017 - Nouveau Dacia DUSTER

Look-a-like: Dacia Duster and…

2017 – Nouveau Dacia DUSTER

This Look-a-like is going to be a bit different, as it is based on a suggestions from CSB readers. In the metaphorical crosshairs this week: Dacia Duster, a car whose second generation recently debuted ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show, impressing both Bart and myself.

First, as suggested by our readers, the rear of the Duster bears a strong resemblance to the Jeep Renegade. This is particularly true of the graphics of the rear lights, which incorporate a crosshair/Phillips screw head motif (albeit set at different angles), a bright inner section and a dark surround, as well as their square shape and placement on the outer edge of the bodywork, such that they almost don’t intrude in the rear hatch opening.

Another aspect of the Duster’s design that has been singled out is the front, which is very similar to the VW Amarok. Although the integrated lights and grille assembly was already present in the first generation Duster, for the second generation it was sharpened to give the car a more aggressive, confident look (the original could be accused of looking a bit droopy). The end product uses a lot of the same tricks that the Amarok uses: chrome elements to liven up the black grille, lights which connect with the grille but are more swept back, from an arial view, and whose lower edge ever so slightly rises for a more dynamic look, and a small “undercut” in the lights’ inner bottom corner, giving them a more squinting, aggressive vibe. Nothing wrong with the end product of course – the design of the front of the original Duster’s front was quickly adopted for the second-generation Dacia lineup, and in the second-generation Duster this design has reached its most elegant conclusion.