This one-off car celebrates Dacia's entry in Dakar Rally
What's the story
Dacia, Renault's subsidiary, has unveiled the exclusive Duster Soul of Dakar edition. The unique model has been introduced to celebrate the brand's participation in the upcoming Dakar Rally.
The vehicle sports a unique black, gray and orange livery inspired by the Dacia Sandride r, which will be competing in the next Dakar tournament.
It also comes with a specially designed roof rack with waterproof bag, cargo box and shovel for tackling challenging terrains.
Specs
Interior and performance
The interior of the Duster Soul of Dakar comes with unique hooks for extra smartphones, tablets, as well as other accessories.
However, despite these aesthetic changes, there are no mechanical changes to this special edition vehicle.
It is powered by a 1.2-liter turbo-petrol engine that delivers 128hp, linked with a six-speed manual gearbox and an all-wheel-drive (AWD) setup.
Future plans
Dacia CEO hints at potential production models
While Dacia has officially labeled the Soul of Dakar as a one-off, CEO Denis Le Vot has hinted at the possibility of similar cars making their way into showrooms.
Speaking with Autocar UK, he said he would be open to using the Dakar Rally as inspiration for future road-going models.
"Maybe we can use a taste and feel of the Dakar car on some limited series or whatever, but we will see," he stated.
Market expansion
Duster to arrive in India
Renault India has confirmed that the Duster will be launched in the country sometime in 2025.
A Nissan derivative of this model is also expected to join the line-up at a later date.
The announcement marks an expansion of Renault's offerings in the Indian market, and possibly brings a new competitor in the compact SUV segment.