Dacia has confirmed it will launch a new full-hybrid all-wheel-drive version of the Duster and Bigster in the UK, and the set-up features an electrified back axle.
The new Hybrid 150 4x4 powertrain joins the 130 4x4 in the Duster line-up but replaces the 130 4x4 in the Bigster range. It combines a 138bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine that drives the front wheels with a 31bhp electric motor that turns the rears.
Compared with the 130, the new 150 offers a 23bhp boost to 152bhp. It also swaps the six-speed manual for an equivalent automatic gearbox – and the motor gets its own two-speed ’box (for better torque distribution on and off road) that can also disengage the rear axle.
A tiny, 0.84kWh lithium ion battery means the Hybrid 150 4x4 can also switch off the engine for periods of electric-only driving. While no EV-only range have been given, Dacia says the system will drive in EV mode 60% of the time in normal driving conditions. In mainland Europe, it is also sold as an LPG-fuelled model under the Hybrid-G 150 4x4 badge.
The set-up will be offered in the UK later this year. Dacia said more information on timings and pricing will be confirmed “in the coming months”.
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What do you get when you make a Duster bigger? A silly name and a real worry for the likes of Ford and Hyundai
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Will is Autocar's news editor. His focus is on setting Autocar's news agenda, interviewing top executives, reporting from car launches, and unearthing exclusives.
As part of his role, he also manages Autocar Business – the brand's B2B platform – and Haymarket's aftermarket publication CAT.
I can see this being huge with utility companies and the boat people importers (RNLI). This is the trick that JLR and Ineos missed...a cheap 4x4 of adequate size.
4x4 sh#t boxes......great.
Tesla Model 3
8 Tesla Model 3BYD Atto 3 Evo
BYD Atto 3 EvoHyundai Bayon
7 Hyundai BayonAlpine A290
8 Alpine A290Kia K4
8 Kia K4