Romania gets a four-seat Duster Pick-Up with a tiny bed while the UK receives a two-seat Duster Cargo light commercial van instead
Pickups have long been the go-to choice for people who need space for cargo but aren’t ready to give up a proper back seat. In most cases, that means a load bed big enough to actually carry things. The new Dacia Duster Pick-Up, though, seems to have missed that memo.
This latest creation comes from a partnership with Romturingia, a Romanian company known for building pickup conversions of previous Duster generations. Earlier efforts used a single-cab layout with a proper load bed, but this time the formula changes. The new Duster Pick-Up keeps a dual-cab configuration, which leaves the cargo area on the smaller side.
Small Bed, Big Compromise
The most noticeable alteration is the redesigned tail. The roof has been cut just after the D-pillars, leaving the rest of the bodywork intact, including the short rear overhang. The exposed cargo area is lined with plastic trim along the floor and sides, finished off with a custom downward-opening tailgate. A new bulkhead with a flat rear window separates passengers from whatever ends up in the back.
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Official figures put the maximum loading length at 1,050 mm (41.3 inches), with a width of 1,000 mm (39.4 inches) and a payload capacity of 430 kg (948 pounds). To keep things secure, the bed comes with two metal rails and four anchoring rings for tying down different types of cargo. Inside, there are four seats in total, with rear passengers getting a central armrest.
The limited scope of the changes means the truck keeps the same footprint as the standard Duster, measuring 4,345 mm (171.1 inches) in length, 1,813 mm (71.4 inches) in width, and 1,656 mm (65.2 inches) in height, with ground clearance reaching up to 224 mm (8.8 inches).
The Duster Pick-Up falls under the N1 light commercial vehiclecategory. Buyers can choose from Expression, Extreme, and Journey trims, which carry over the same equipment as the SUV. Power comes from two electrified options, the mild-hybrid 130 with all-wheel drive or the front-wheel-drive Hybrid 140.
More: Dacia’s Most Popular SUV Is Going Electric Soon
The new Dacia Duster Pick-Up is available through Dacia dealers in Romania, with a starting price of €25,983 ($30,800) excluding VAT. By comparison, the regular Duster begins at €17,200 ($20,400) in the same market, although the pickup conversion is built on higher-spec versions and isn’t offered with the entry-level non-electrified powertrain.
At the moment, it is not clear if the Duster Pick-Up will reach other markets. Interestingly, this is not the first dual-cab version of the popular SUV, as the old Renault Duster Oroch did it first as a four-door pickup that has been on sale in South America since 2015. However, this one features a stretched wheelbase and a redesigned rear end with a longer overhang, making it more suitable for commercial use.
A Duster Van For The UK
While Romanian buyers get the chance to try out the Duster Pick-Up, UK customers are offered something different. The Duster Cargo swaps out its rear seats for a flat wooden load floor, four tie-down points, and a mesh bulkhead separating the cabin from the cargo area.
The rear windows don’t have covers, but they are tinted for privacy. Furthermore, Dacia added a removable load cover so that the cargo remains out of sight. The boot has a capacity of 1,030 lt (36.4 cubic feet) when measured to the roof, with an extra 119 lt (4.2 cubic feet) under the floor.
The LCV is exclusively available in the Expression trim. Equipment includes 17-inch alloy wheels, roof bars, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.1-inch infotainment display, A/C, manually-adjustable seats, rear parking sensors, a rearview camera, and a few basic ADAS.
Two Ways To Power It
The company offers the Duster Cargo with two electrified powertrain options – the mild-hybrid 130 4×4 and the more potent hybrid 155, which has just been added to the lineup. The former is for those who seek better off-road capabilities and AWD, while the latter is more geared towards efficiency.
More: Dacia’s New 4×4 Hybrid Wants To Kill Fuel Bills And Range Anxiety In One Shot
The Duster Cargo is already available to order in the UK. Pricing starts from £22,995 ($31,400) for the mild-hybrid 130 4×4 powertrain, and from £23,595 ($32,200) for the hybrid 155. Note that these prices don’t include VAT, registration, and delivery fees.
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Thanos Pappas, a product design engineer by trade, has been wading through automotive journalism for… Read full bio

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