Dacia Duster to remain rugged 4x4 in move to electric power

Dacia is readying its hugely popular Duster for the EV age – and the upcoming electric variant is set to stay true to its affordable, rugged ethos as well as retain the option of a go-anywhere 4x4.

The Romanian brand will showcase the next chapter of its reinvention in November, following the launch of its new Bigster flagship SUV earlier this year. CEO Denis Le Vot has already promised that there will be “a lot about electrification” as part of this showcase, suggesting that the firm will give the first details of how it will transition from ICE to EV power across its line-up.

Because of its focus on affordable models, Dacia currently only has one European EV, the Spring supermini, and it is sticking with ICE power for its core models: the Sandero, Jogger, Duster and Bigster.

But as the 2035 phase-out date for ICE cars in the UK and the European Union approaches, Dacia is turning its attention to putting an electric line-up in place. As a result, EV versions of each of its cars are in the pipeline – and Le Vot has already told Autocar that an electric Duster “will come in time”.

Dacia has not disclosed a timeframe or specific details for an EV version of its big-selling crossover – a car that has sold 65,000 examples across Europe so far this year.

In keeping with Dacia’s policy of using architectures and technology from its Renault sibling brand, the electric Duster will be based on the EV-specific CMF-BEV platform that underpins the Renault 5, 4 and upcoming Twingo.

Effectively an EV-adapted version of the current, petrol-powered Duster’s CMF-B platform, this structure can be used for city cars right through to mid-sized SUVs and will be the basis for all of Dacia’s upcoming electric cars.

Crucially, it has now been confirmed that CMF-BEV can house a second motor on the rear axle, which means the Duster EV can remain faithful to its rugged, outdoorsy billing with the addition of a 4x4 variant.

All existing production cars that use CMF-BEV are front-driven and there had been questions over whether the platform’s packaging could facilitate a second motor. However, Renault recently revealed a 4x4 concept version of the 4 – understood to preview an imminent production version – which adds a driven rear axle to enhance the crossover’s off-roading abilities.