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2025 Dacia Duster Soul of Dakar

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The start of one of the largest and most difficult rally races in the world, the Dakar Rally (01/03 – 01/17/2025), is approaching, and the Romanian car manufacturer Dacia has presented a special vehicle dedicated to this race, the Duster Soul of Dakar.

The Duster Soul of Dakar has a livery reminiscent of that of the Dacia Sandero prototype that will compete in the upcoming Dakar Rally. It is equipped with optional components for the Duster model (InNature) such as a waterproof bag, a luggage box and a shovel, located on the roof rack. Inside, there are YouClip fasteners such as hooks for bags and holders for smartphones, tablets and drinks.

Although Dacia could have done more, some believe that the Soul of Dakar is an example of what a series of special versions based on the current offer will look like. This was also hinted at by Dacia director Denis Le Vot. Such a project would not require large investments, and it would be a good marketing move.

When it comes to the powertrain, the car uses the same engine as the standard Duster, a mild hybrid 1.2-liter engine with 130 hp (95 kW). The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission with an electronic four-wheel drive system, which is different from most Duster models that have front-wheel drive.

At the upcoming Dakar Rally, Dacia will participate with the Sandrider model powered by Nissan’s 3.0-L twin-turbo V6 engine with 360 hp (265 kW). In the vehicle will be one of the greatest in the world of rally sports, Sebastien Loeb and Nasser Al-Attiyah.

Source: Dacia

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2025 Dacia Duster Soul of Dakar
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Dacia Sandero is still the best-selling new car in Europe

Dacia has been recording sales growth for years and has become the leading brand of the Renault Group. In the first half of 2024, the Romanian manufacturer delivered 143,596 units of its best-selling car, the Sandero, making it the best-selling new car on the old continent. Also, another model records outstanding results and that is the Dacia Duster.

According to sales results for July, Dacia Duster is the fourth best-selling car in Europe with 15,884 units (+29%). This effect is mainly the result of the launch of the new generation. Nevertheless, Duster positioned itself in front of big favorites such as Kia Sportage, Toyota Yaris, Renault Clio, Hyundai Tucson, Opel Corsa and Volkswagen Golf.

Dacia Sandero is untouchable on the throne with 22,398 units sold, which is a growth of 34 percent compared to the same month in 2023. Volkswagen remained in second place, but not Golf but its SUV derivative T-Roc, with 19,254 registered units (+5%), while third place went to Toyota Yaris Cross with 17,314 cars sold, which is 47 percent more compared to the same period in 2023. . year.

Some other cars are not doing well, such as the Tesla Model Y, which has seen a decline in demand for months. In July, it recorded a drop of 16 percent, finding itself in the 24th place of the best-selling cars on the old continent. However, it still tops the BEV list ahead of the Volvo EX30 and Volkswagen ID.4.

Demand also decreased for the models Clio (-5%), C3 (-9%), Octavia (-10%), Golf (-13%) and Puma, which is also the brand’s best-selling model, although it recorded a 25 percent drop compared to 2023.

Source: Jato Dynamics

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New Dacia hybrids will combine LPG and electricity

Diesels were the most desirable cars in Europe for years, but the development of electric cars and increased demand pushed them into the background. However, it gave the opportunity to manufacturers to find new solutions like LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) used by Dacia cars. Starting next year, the new generation of cars will combine LPG with MHEV technology.

The EU heavily encourages the purchase of hybrid cars, primarily targeting current diesel owners. Adopting new regulations on internal combustion engines forced manufacturers to speed up the electrification of their cars. So Dacia also increased the number of its fully electric and hybrid cars, which resulted in a good positioning in the market, and the new decision to combine LPG and electrification will definitely make it even better.

The Romanian brand is currently developing a new generation of engines, which will be more powerful than the current 1.0 ECO-G with 100 hp (74 kW). The basis will be the new Renault 1.2 TCe gasoline engine, which means that the three-cylinder block remains, but in combination with 12 and 48-volt mild hybrid (MHEV) technology, with a total power of 120 hp to 150 hp. Buyers will be able to choose engines with manual and EDC dual-clutch automatic transmissions, and FWD and AWD versions. The first models that will be launched are the new Duster and Bigster, which are expected in late 2024 or early 2025.

Source: Dacia