The 2023 Dacia Duster is a rufty-tufty, no-nonsense compact SUV from Renault-owned Romanian budget brand Dacia. It’s about the same size as a Nissan Qashqai, but because it uses a platform, parts and engines from a bygone era, it costs a fraction of the price. The Dacia brand is about giving customers as much car as possible for the most affordable price possible, and the Duster is perhaps the ultimate embodiment of that. Sure it’s a little rough around the edges, and it scrimps on some of the latest in-car technology, but it’s functional everyday transport that’s appealingly honest in its character.

Strengths:

Very affordable price
Not as compromised as you might expect
Four-wheel-drive versions genuinely good off-road

Weaknesses:

Missing some safety technology
Poor Euro NCAP rating
Most engines feel breathless

Is the 2023 Dacia Duster better than the 2023 MG ZS?

The MG ZS is about the only similarly sized SUV rival that can get anywhere near the Duster on price. With both cars, you have to make compromises for such a low price, and with both, these come in the form of dynamic ability and safety kit. Which of the two you should choose depends on what’s important to you. The MG has a much nicer interior than the Dacia, but the Dacia - provided you go for a four-wheel-drive version - is much better off-road.