Dacia Duster’s Dilemma: Drei Sterne im Euro NCAP-Crashtest und die Debatte über Sicherheit vs. Erschwinglichkeit

The latest Dacia Duster scores three stars in Euro NCAP crash test

A limited range of safety features limits its overall score

How safe are brand new Dacia vehicles? If one were to judge based solely on the star ratings from the testing organization Euro NCAP, one might have concerns. This is because the compact SUV only managed to secure a three-star rating in the recent series of crash tests. However, that doesn't tell the whole story.

In the latest round of Euro NCAP safety evaluations, the Dacia Duster and Suzuki Swift were awarded three stars. On the other hand, the Mercedes E-Class, VW Passat, and its counterpart, the Skoda Superb, along with the Skoda Kodiaq, achieved the top rating of five stars. BMW's X2, along with Renault's Espace and Rafale, are considered equivalent to the five-star-rated 2022-tested Austral and X1 models. This raises some questions about the rating criteria…

Photo Gallery: New Dacia Duster's EuroNCAP Crash Test (July 2024)

Dacia's straightforward marketing approach is no secret, as the brand has historically prioritized cost-effectiveness over advanced driver assistance systems, often including only the minimum legally required features. Suzuki has a longstanding reputation for producing small, basic, and affordable vehicles. Therefore, it comes as no surprise to Euro NCAP that both the Duster and the Swift earned no more than three stars in the Euro NCAP safety evaluations.

Legislation mandates that all vehicles must be equipped with features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, smart speed limiters, and fatigue detection systems. Both the Duster and the Swift comply with these requirements but offer little beyond the mandatory technology. Dacia, on the other hand, has consistently highlighted that its customer base does not desire a plethora of assistance systems.

The Euro NCAP criteria for achieving a five-star rating in active safety measures are significantly more stringent than the legal requirements. In terms of protecting child passengers, the Duster, which is manufactured in Romania, surpasses the smaller Swift.

Let's examine the detailed performance of the new Duster: it achieves 70 percent in adult occupant protection, with notable impact to the driver's chest during an offset frontal crash against a deformable barrier. For child occupant protection, the Dacia scores 84 percent. Pedestrian protection is rated at 60 percent, while the score for safety assist technologies is 57 percent. By comparison, the BMW X2 scores 92 percent in safety assist technologies, with the Swift at 62 percent.

Euro NCAP's Secretary General, Dr. Michiel van Ratingen, commented: "Our latest results reveal an increasing disparity in the safety aspirations among car brands. The variation in star ratings can be partly attributed to the market segments vehicles are competing in, yet Euro NCAP also perceives it as a reflection of a brand's prioritization.

Brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Škoda, VW, BMW, and Renault believe that their customers prioritize safety more in their product lineup. While Dacia and Suzuki focus on affordability, consumers should be aware that there are competing models to the Duster and Swift on the market that offer a significantly higher level of safety.

Additional from Dacia:

Source: European New Car Assessment Programme

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