The Duster that "distinguished itself" is the one produced under the Renault brand at a plant in Brazil. In October 2019, the same Latin NCAP tested the Romanian-assembled Duster (under the Dacia brand), and the car performed well then – following a series of tests, it was awarded a decent four stars for safety.
Latin NCAP concluded that the Brazilian Duster is a frankly life-threatening car. For instance, in the organization's practice, it was the first car to experience fuel leakage in a frontal impact. Additionally, during the side impact simulation, the crossover tipped over onto its side, its central pillar seriously deformed, and the doors opened. Furthermore, experts lamented that "their" Duster lacks side airbags, whereas the Romanian Dacia Duster includes them even in standard equipment.
As a result, the popular crossover scored only 29.47 percentage points for adult occupant protection, 50.79 for pedestrian protection, and 34.88 for safety systems.
The fuel leak prompted Latin NCAP to demand that Renault recall all second-generation Duster models produced in Brazil. Additionally, the French manufacturer was asked to address the issue of doors unlocking in a side impact (the test was conducted with an impact on the right side), as passengers could simply fall out of the vehicle.
It is worth noting that under the stricter European Euro NCAP program, the Dacia Duster received three stars for safety.
