The Duster LCV
CV Show 2015 debut, hosted by TV presenter Rachel Riley
Dacia announced at the CV Show today plans to enter the UK light commercial vehicle market later this year with a commercial version of the Duster SUV – the Duster Commercial.
In keeping with Dacia’s strapline of ‘You do the maths’ – a nod to its no nonsense approach to value – TV presenter and mathematical whizz, Rachel Riley, will be on the Dacia stand during the CV Show for an interactive launch of the Duster Commercial.
The new models – available in 4×2 and 4×4 guises – have been created at the specific request of Dacia UK and Dacia Ireland, where car-derived vans account for 30 per cent of the LCV market.
Andy Heiron, Dacia Brand Manager in the UK, said: “Our aim is to bring Duster – the Renault Group’s global best-seller – to the UK’s van buyers in true Dacia style with a value-for-money product and transparent pricing. Owners and drivers will benefit from a practical and functional vehicle that can be serviced and maintained in our network of 223 dealers and service outlets.”
Thanks to a false floor with load protection, Duster Commercial has a load capacity of 1,150 litres (4×2) or 1,000 litres (4×4), a payload of 550 kg and a flat cargo deck almost 1.4 metres long and more than a metre width between the wheel arches. The new models are expected to appeal strongly to local and regional businesses as a mobile toolbox, while their low price will be especially attractive to charities.
Dacia has sold more than 16,000 Dusters in the UK since launching the car here in January 2013, and the Commercials will add to the sales potential of the range.
The Duster Commercial is available solely with a 1.5-litre, 107 hp dCi 110 diesel engine, but offer buyers the choice of Ambiance or Lauréate equipment packages, each with the option of two- or four-wheel drive.
The availability of all-wheel drive, meanwhile, opens up huge possibilities with landscape gardeners, ground maintenance staff, farmers and forestry, power and communications companies who need to reach remote areas, often in extreme weather.
Order books open this month, with first UK deliveries expected at the end of June.
