Dacia Duster Pickup: Quirky, Compact, and Romania-Bound
The American auto market loves its pickup trucks, a sentiment reflected in the sheer variety available. From heavy-duty workhorses to mid-size adventurers, the U.S. caters to nearly every truck need. Yet, there's a noticeable gap: a truly compact, almost car-based pickup, a void once filled by vehicles like the Chevy El Camino. Regardless of size, the unifying factor has always been a functional cargo bed. Even smaller, SUV-derived pickups offer a practical way to haul goods. This brings us to a peculiar creation from Dacia, Renault's Romanian brand: a pickup version of their compact Duster SUV. What makes it so surprising? Its remarkably small, arguably impractical, cargo bed. And that is saying something, considering the Hummer H2 SUT roamed the streets once.
The bed itself is a diminutive 41.3 inches in length and 39.4 inches in width. This conversion is handled by Romanian coachbuilder Romturingia, and it's not their first attempt. They previously offered a conversion for the 2017-2023 Duster generation. The key difference – besides any official backing – between the old and new versions (the latter sharing a platform with the 2024 and earlier Nissan Kicks) lies in bed size. The earlier conversion featured a significantly longer bed, achieved by welding the rear doors shut, creating a new rear bulkhead, and installing a custom cargo box. This approach mirrored aftermarket conversions seen in the U.S. on vehicles such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Charger, and Subaru WRX.
The latest Dacia Duster pickup retains its rear doors, resulting in a double-cab configuration similar to the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. However, instead of extending the rear body to create a spacious cargo area, Romturingia simply removed the roof and repurposed the lower portion of the hatch as a tailgate. Despite its size limitations, the bed can reportedly handle up to 948 pounds of cargo.
Under the hood, the Duster pickup offers familiar hybrid engine options. The Hybrid 140 combines a 94-horsepower 1.6-liter inline-four engine with two electric motors: one serving as a starter-generator and the other integrated with the gearbox, producing 49 horsepower. The combined output is approximately 140 horsepower. Alternatively, the Mild-Hybrid 130 pairs a 130-horsepower, 1.2-liter turbocharged inline-three engine with a small electric motor for starting and regenerative braking. Both engine options are paired with an all-wheel-drive system, and the Duster boasts a respectable 8.8 inches of ground clearance.
Sadly, the quirky Dacia Duster pickup remains exclusive to the Romanian market. With a starting price around $31,000 (based on current exchange rates), one can't help but wonder if Nissan might be persuaded to develop a similar Kicks-based version for the American market.
