If you're looking for a spacious SUV with an automatic gearbox for under €30.000, like probably everybody in the Netherlands, there's a big...
chance you'll end up with one of these two cars here. The Suzuki Vitara is available with an automatic gearbox again and the Dacia...
Duster has an automatic gearbox for the very first time. In the Netherlands that is.
And they've paired the introduction of a new gearbox with a facelift. You can recognize the facelifted version by the new headlights,
which are LED's and they even come with LED-indicators. That is a first for Dacia, and I really like this new color as well. Orange Arizona.
If you come knocking at Dacia for a Duster with automatic gearbox, you'll make dealerships very happy. That's because the automatic...
only comes with the most powerful petrol engine, that produces 150 horsepower. Also, it has to come with the most luxurious trim level.
So you'll always have the Prestige, which actually means this is the Bentayga under the Dacia's.
There's one version that's even more expensive, which also comes with four-wheel drive, but that's not available with an automatic gearbox.
Speaking of which, the automatic gearbox is more than decent enough. It's a 6-speed double clutch automatic, and even though it's not the...
quickest double clutch automatic gearbox I've ever seen, it changes gear quite rapidly.
More importantly, it chooses the gear changes very well. Also, it feels very smooth. It picks up smoothly as well.
That fits the personality of this car as well. It's quite a homely car, pretty comfortable as well. Not weak in any way.
When you drive over imperfections, you can feel them pretty well actually. But it never becomes annoying in any way.
The steering is light and a little bit senseless, but that makes steering very easy and that's what it's all about in a car like this.
Also, I really like driving a Duster. Despite the lacklustered driving characteristics. That's because it feels like quite a tough car.
You're quite high up, you've got quite a big bonnet to look at, it just feels like an off-roader which can do everything.
Even though it isn't, especially in this version. Besides that, I think the interior looks really good. It's slightly aimed towards you,
and they did a good job when it comes to the interior design. The buttons look good as well. The climate control even looks a tad...
premium. Also, it's all been drawn up in the same style, which shows that they've really put effort in their design.
On the other hand, you can't really miss the fact that it's a budget car. Dacia never pretended otherwise, which is to be praised,
but it becomes clear the moment you get in. Everything is made out of hard plastics, the door handles are old-fashioned and not handy,
and the fact that the buttons for the heated seats, which it does have, are mounted directly on the seat. That saves cable distances.
In more expensive cars however, it usually has a different solution.
The amount of noise also signals it's a cheaper car. You might even hear it now. But you can clearly hear rolling noises, chassis noises,
and on the motorway there's a lot of wind noises. That's when you remember you're driving a Dacia.
Also, there aren't a lot of optional extra's. Especially when it comes to driving features. I mean, it does have cruise control,
but no adaptive cruise control or lane assist, and they aren't available either.
When it comes to driving aids, Suzuki has already scored the first few points of the day. The Vitara does have adaptive cruise control and...
a lane assist, so they're one step ahead. Also, in other area's, Suzuki clearly shows they're not a budget-brand.
Sure, they try to keep costs low and affordable, and they tend to succeed in that, but Dacia is clearly marketed as a budget-brand.
Suzuki isn't, and it shows. The dashboard is made out of softer materials, and they've spent more time on making the digital instrument cluster look better.
At the same time, it's not an interior that I will remember. It doesn't even look that modern, so if you would've told me it was from ten years...
I would've believed you. Except for the screen, of course, but the screen isn't that good either.
In both the Dacia and Suzuki, the system works better if you just connect it to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. If you don't,
it stands out that the system in the Suzuki is very slow compared to the system in the Dacia. Both have simple systems, but the one in the Dacia...
works much better. Other than that, ergonomics are relatively similar, but I have to say that the heated seat-control buttons are actually in view.
Just like with the Duster, you don't have to spend a lot of time choosing the drivetrain. The Vitara is only available with a 1.4-litre BoosterJet...
mild hybrid-engine producing 129 horsepower. Since that version was released, the Vitara lost is automatic gearbox eligibility, but...
that has changed with this new 6-speed automatic gearbox. That it's available again is very good news, but when it comes to...
the gearbox itself, I'm not very impressed. That all starts with the setting off, because the Manual-mode is right behind Drive.
It's good that you can manually change gear, but if you set off without thinking of the exact placement of the gear levere, you might accidentally...
put it in Manual, so it'll remain in first gear. That's unhandy, just like the position.
Also, when you're underway, it's not a very nice gearbox to use. It's a tad slow, you can feel the gear changes, and when you...
release the throttle and put your foot down again, it doesn't always pick up as smoothly. So altogether, it's not a very nice gearbox.
The engine is more than alright though. It produces a tad less power than the Duster, but it's lighter as well. The performance feels similar as a whole.
Also, the Vitara has mild-hybrid help, which is supposed to help, but I don't have the figures yet. You'll have to wait for the written test.
When it comes to the drive, the differences between these cars aren't that big. Or rather, they seem to have the same personality.
This is quite a woolly car as well, with predictable handling and decent comfort. If there's a difference to be mentioned, it'd be the fact that...
the steering is tad more communicative in the Vitara and that the car feels more compact as a whole. That's both positive and negative.
Positively, it's more agile, but on the other hand, it feels like less car for your money.
It feels smaller, and you're less high up. That's why the Duster feels like the tougher car of the two.
It doesn't only feel tad bigger, but it actually is. Even with the seats up, the Duster has 100 litres more luggage space to offer.
And you can actually see the floor being bigger. If you fold down the seats, the difference grows to 500 litres, which makes this Duster about as...
spacious as a Nissan Qashqai or a Volkswagen Tiguan. Cars from a higher segment.
On the rear seat, the differences aren't that big. The seating in both is decent. However, the legroom is a little limited.
But let's get back to the most important subject: money. That's what it's all about with cars like this.
The good news for the Dacia is that you're unable to get it above €30.000. Even if you add leather to this top-of-the-range version, you'll stay...
under that magical number. If you want the Suzuki, you can get it above that number, because a bright color will take it up to €31.000.
But that's a tiny difference. If you ask me, I'd spend my €30.000 on the Dacia, because it's got a better gearbox and it's more spacious.
Also, it's a car that shows it's budget-personality with pride, and I can only applaud that.