What's the difference?
The Dacia Duster, a well-liked small SUV in Europe, has been available in overseas markets for about 15 years and it’s now here, albeit rebadged as the Renault Duster.
At a time when people increasingly want to escape the modern-day rat race, vehicles such as the Duster offer a family- and budget-friendly way of achieving just that.
A new small 4x4 that actually might be somewhat capable off-road and with a manual gearbox? How refreshing.
But is the Duster a legitimate rival for something like the Suzuki Jimny?
Read on.
There has never been a better time to be shopping for an electric SUV in Australia, with the avalanche of Chinese brands constantly smashing through the price floor as they bid for the title of Australia’s cheapest.
MG led the charge with its S5, which is $40,490, drive-away. Then Leapmotor upped (or downed?) the ante with its B10 with a $38,990, drive-away, price tag. And now BYD has knocked them both out with its Atto 2, officially Australia’s cheapest electric SUV (at least for now), with a MSRP of $31,990, which, in NSW, translates to a drive-away cost of less than $35K.
Cheap is one thing. But cheerful? Let’s find out, shall we?
The Renault Duster 4x4 Evolution (manual) is a driver’s car. Lots of fun for day-to-day duties and a real visceral experience if you like to have a few laughs on loose-dirt and gravel tracks. And it’s adequately capable for off-roading adventures. It also has more than its fair share of cheeky charm.
Obviously it’s not anywhere near the most capable off-road vehicle available. That’s not what it’s intended to be. But it’s one of the most fun to drive on- and off-road.
And for $36,490 (excluding on-road costs), you’ll still have cash enough for a set of all-terrain tyres and some accessories.
The BYD Atto 2 isn't just the cheapest electric SUV in Australia, it's also one that doesn't feel all that cheap, which is a hell of a magic trick. If it's easy, comfortable city motoring you're after, the Atto 2 delivers in spades. But if your blood type is high octane, there are better driving EVs out there.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.
Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.