The Romanian-built Sport Utility Vehicle just became the most affordable automatic crossover on the market.

Although the Dacia Duster has been with us since 2009, it just received a brand new automatic six-speed EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) transmission. According to the company, the new unit combines the comfort and smoothness of an automatic gearbox with the fuel economy and low CO2 emissions of a manual transmission, making the Duster an even more appealing proposition.

Especially considering the model’s price, as the Lauréate dCi 110 4×2 Auto has a starting MSPR of £14,895 ($19,355) in the U.K, while the flagship Prestige can be bought for as little as £15,795 ($20,521).

The EDC transmission comes mated exclusively to the 1.5 dCi 110 hp turbodiesel engine. A pairing that returns a combined fuel economy of 62.8mpg and CO2 emissions of 116g/km

The new Duster also comes with a lot of changes for the 2017 model year, including new upholstery for all versions (including part-leather ‘Aspira’ seats), DAB as standard from Ambiance trim upwards, new head lights, and 16-inch ‘Tyrol’ diamond-cut alloy wheels.

The Laureate and Prestige variants can also be commissioned with a rear parking camera, while their visuals can be improved with a Pennine Green metallic paint.

The update also lets customers configure the Duster with the 1.2 TCe 125 hp engine, so that now every trim level can be either commissioned with a petrol or diesel powerplant.

PHOTO GALLERY