Autoblog

WSJ: Renault pondering return to North America

Chris Shunk — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Renault

Dacia Duster - Click above for high-res image gallery

Renault hasn't been in the US market since 1987, the year the Alliance and the Encore stopped trickling out of AMC factories. Few have missed the French automaker's presence since it left our shores, though many thought the doors would once again open to the land of opportunity once Nissan was in the fold. That hasn't happened so far, but a story in The Wall Street Journal shows that Renault is at least thinking about once again coming Stateside to sell cars and SUVs. Gerard Detourbet, head of Renault's entry-level vehicle division, told WSJ that the company is studying a move to North America, and the vehicle that could influence the decision is the low-cost Duster SUV.

The Duster, which for now is being build by Dacia in Romania, will eventually be sold as a Renault once production ramps up. If the apparently capable Duster is a success in emerging markets like South America and Eastern Europe, there could be a chance Renault would give the mini ute a chance in the U.S. But Detourbet reportedly doesn't see Renault entering the U.S. market with just one vehicle like it did with the Alliance in late 1982, instead favoring a family of affordable vehicles as the best approach. And with Renault's Logan line already established in many parts of the world, the budget-minded nameplate could be reworked for U.S. duty at some point in the future.

While it's nice to hear that Renault is at least considering a return to America, we're not all that hopeful that anything will happen within the next three to five years. Besides, once the Duster is retrofitted for U.S. duty it'll probably be heavier, more expensive and overwhelmingly diesel-less.

Gallery: Dacia Duster 4x4

[Source: Wall Street Journal - Sub's Req'd]

WSJ: Renault pondering return to North America originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dacia shows off new production Duster 4x4

Jonny Lieberman — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, SUV, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Renault, Diesel, Off-Road

Dacia Duster - click above for high-res image gallery

You know what the problem with Autoblog is? Not enough Romanian cars! To rectify this hateful situation, we present to you the all-new Dacia Duster, a compact SUV that "rewrites the 4x4 rulebook." What that means is that in Europe, most SUVs are in fact soft roaders. Totally useless in the rough stuff despite their fancy all-wheel drive systems and too expensive for the majority of the people to purchase. The Duster, on the other hand, is going to cost little (hey, it's a Dacia!) yet be quite capable when the going gets rocky, muddy and/or roadless.

We've seen a tricked out, snow-racing version of the Dacia Duster before, but that's not the borscht and potatoes of the new Duster, so to speak. Designed primarily with emerging markets in mind (Russia, Turkey, Brazil, Maghreb), the Duster will also be badged as a Renault and sold in continental Europe. Never forget that it was Renault who helped Dacia to get off the ground in the mid-Sixties by handing over the tooling to the Renault 8, which reemerged as the Dacia 1100 (and the totally awesome 1100S).

Despite its cute-ute looks, Dacia is claiming that the Duster is the real, all-terrain deal. The stats seem to back that up: eight inches of ground clearance combined with 30 degree approach and 35 degree departure angles reminds us of ye olde Jeep Cherokee (hey, the old AMC-developed Cherokee had a lot of French in it). While missing the Cherokee's low gears, the Duster gets a three-stage transmission featuring an auto torque-split mode, lock and two wheel-drive. The tranny tech is actually sourced from Nissan (also owed by Renault) and it figures to work really well. in fact, there is some speculation that the Duster is based off Nissan's Qashqai. Also helpful is that the Duster weighs just 2,816 pounds in 4x4 guise (2,596 pounds as a 4x2). Then you factor in a torquey diesel power plant (105 horsepower, 266 pound-feet of torque) and you've got yourself quite an impressive bad road beasty.

Chances of us getting it here? Slimmer than none. First of all, whomever it is that still owns to rights to the Plymouth brand (Chrysler, Fiat, Daimler, the UAW, Obama?) would have nothing but dollar signs in their eyes if a Duster showed up. Then, of course, there's the undeniable fact that car makers have a sick aversion to giving us cheap, simple, rugged utilitarian diesel trucks. However, you're more than free to purchase an X5 xDrive35d from BMW, and soon you'll be able to buy a reworked Infiniti QX56 that halfway resembles a FX. Good stuff, right? We'll be getting a glimpse of the Duster up close and in the flesh come Geneva, but that'll be fleeting. Press release can be found after the jump.

Gallery: Dacia Duster 4x4

[Source: Dacia]

Continue reading Dacia shows off new production Duster 4x4

Dacia shows off new production Duster 4x4 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Snow Drift: Dacia Duster debuts for Trophée Andros with Alain Prost

Noah Joseph — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, SUV, Europe, Renault, Specialty

Dacia Duster Trophée Andros - Click above for high-res image gallery

Let's set one thing straight here. The retirement of a leading Formula One driver is often portrayed as some sort of tragedy - for the driver himself especially. But the truth of the matter is that for a former World Champion, the world is his oyster. Retired F1 drivers can go on to compete in virtually any racing discipline they wish, with nothing to prove in the process. Of contemporary retired World Champions, Hakkinen and Rosberg went to DTM, Mansell took the Indy title, Lauda's training to become an astronaut and Villeneuve's gone...well, everywhere. But Alain Prost has gone another route entirely.

Having retired from F1 in 1994 after his fourth World Championship, Alain started his own team. Prost Grand Prix eventually folded in 2002, and the following year, the French driver began competing in the Trophée Andros. The most prominent ice racing series in the world, the Andros Trophy is held primarily in France where it draws some big names. World Touring Car Champion Yvan Muller won the Andros Trophy ten times, but in 2006 and 2007, Prost took the title twice in a row, driving a specially prepared Toyota Auris. This year, however, the quadruple F1 champion will be driving this: the new Dacia Duster.

Although a production version of the budget SUV won't be unveiled until Geneva in March - a year after the concept version debuted there - the Romanian subsidiary of French automaker Renault has given the world a sneak preview with this ice-racing version. Specially built by Renaultsport - the same outfit that fields single-seater formulae and makes all those wonderful hot hatches - the Duster ice racer packs Nissan's highly decorated VQ engine: a 3.0-liter 24-valve V6, mounted in the middle (that is, behind the driver) of a tubular chassis, driving 350 horsepower through a six-speed sequential gearbox to all four wheels via limited slip differential and a mechanical four-wheel-steering system. A fiberglass body helps keep weight down to just 2,100 lbs - the minimum allowed in the series - which should help Prost keep his competition on ice and keep Dacia fans (like Top Gear's James May) cool until the production version hits proper tarmac. Check out the full details in the press release after the jump and photos in our high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: Dacia Duster Troph�e Andros

[Source: Dacia]

Continue reading Snow Drift: Dacia Duster debuts for Trophée Andros with Alain Prost

Snow Drift: Dacia Duster debuts for Trophée Andros with Alain Prost originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Production-ready Dacia crossover spotted?

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:02:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Geneva Motor Show, Crossover, Nissan, Renault

Spy shots of the 2010 Dacia crossover -- Click above for high-res image gallery

These are said to be pictures of Dacia's coming crossover, caught in a Dacia facility in Romania. Said to be based on the Nissan Qashqai platform and using four wheel drive tech from the Nissan X-Trail, this is another in a line of vehicles with which Dacia wants to take its brand to the world. Names mentioned include Duster and Steppe, and production plans call for one million units per year at a price of €12,000. It is expected to be officially unveiled at next year's Geneva Auto Show. You can have a closer look at it in the gallery of high-res photos below. Hat tip to Ironick

Gallery: Dacia CUV Spy Shots

[Source: Dacia Club via Automarket]

Spy Shots: Production-ready Dacia crossover spotted? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva Preview: Dacia Duster concept first from low-cost brand

John Neff — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:55:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Geneva Motor Show, Crossover, Renault

Click above for high-res image gallery of the Dacia Duster Concept

Renault's low cost Romanian brand, Dacia, will be unveiling its very first concept at the Geneva Motor Show this week. Called the Duster, the concept features a crossover-style body with some very interesting styling elements like headlights that trail off across the front fenders and rear tail-lights that stretch forward across a flying buttress of sheetmetal above the rear wheels. Kudos to Renault designers in Romania and France for penning such an interesting shape. Contained within is an equally useful interior with a neat modular trick: The front passenger seat slides underneath the driver's seat on rails, creating enough room to carry a mountain bike inside the car rather than on top of it. Of course, there are those concept car elements that have to be included like ridiculously large 21-inch wheels, an all-glass roof and rear-hinged back doors, but the Duster's powertrain is anything but fanciful. The concept is powered by Renault's 1.5L dCi four-cylinder diesel engine that produces 105 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. Dacia says that's enough to push the Duster to 62 mph in 9.6 seconds while returning 44.4 mpg (U.S). Check out the official press release from Dacia after the jump, our high-res gallery of images below and keep an eye on our live coverage of the Geneva Motor Show by clicking here.

Gallery: Dacia Duster Concept

[Source: Dacia]

Continue reading Geneva Preview: Dacia Duster concept first from low-cost brand

Geneva Preview: Dacia Duster concept first from low-cost brand originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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