It is part of the final list of contenders for the title of Car of the Year 2025. The Dacia Duster, launched in 2024, could replace the electric Renault Scénic which won the prize last March. To do so, it will have to do better than the R5 E-Tech, the Citroën ë-C3, the Kia EV3 and also the Alfa Romeo Junior. In the meantime, its qualities as an SUV with a better design than the previous generation, and also more comfortable, have allowed it to obtain another award, almost as prestigious.
A few days before the end of the year, Dacia still saved the day by winning the Autobest 2025 prize, awarded by 31 journalists in Europe. Unlike Car of the Year, the Autobest jury is represented by a single journalist/media per country, which allows for a much more balanced weighting of the opinion of each nation. The Dacia Duster 2024 has thus taken the lead against the Citroën C3, the MG3, the Opel Frontera and the Renault Symbioz. Mostly affordable models, which give an overview of the criteria taken into account.
What does the Autobest prize really reward?
"That's the idea of this trophy: that they are not only attractive, but also as cheap as possible" wrote Michel Holtz, journalist at Caradisiac and French representative of the Prize. The man specified that, this year in particular, the five pre-selected cars had received particularly close scores from each other. "This shows that manufacturers have finally become aware of the reality of the European market and its purchasing power, which has been out of step with the prices displayed for several years", analyzed Michel Holtz.
A cousin of the Renault Captur, the Symbioz won second place for its qualities as a car offering excellent handling. In addition to its price and amenities, the jury promoted its on-board space, superior to the other contenders for the Autobest 2025 title.
In parallel with this title, Dacia has had a successful 2024 in Europe thanks to the Sandero. Sales of the low-cost city car dominated the European rankings, with the reward being a resounding victory over the Tesla Model Y, victorious in 2023. To overtake Dacia, the American manufacturer would still need to complete 65,000 order forms for its electric SUV, while the Sandero sold more than 240,000 units. A success greatly influenced by the sales of the LPG version, which exceeded 48,000 units in France alone, between January 1 and October 31.
Source: Autobest
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