2014 Dacia Duster – Driven To Write

Second Coming

In a week where we’ve been subjected to further SUV-related atrocities, we seek comfort in a UK debutante from Romania.

2018 Dacia Duster. Designer, Erde Tungaa second from left. Image credit: (c) autodesignmagazine

This week’s new offerings from Ingolstadt and the Petuelring are both in their way equally disgusting, each vying with one another to out-pummel and preen, their decadence only matched by a barrenness of spirit as depthless as it is vain. But confronted by a seemingly unending series of vulgar behemoths to emerge from their rocking cradles to slouch towards Bethlehem, where is the hapless commentator to turn?

Is ‘the ceremony of innocence’ drowned or merely drowning? Do we, horrifying as it seems, by mere mention of these heaving monstrosities in some way dignify them? It’s an appalling thought so let us therefore turn our horrified gaze away and Continue reading “Second Coming”

Two Fevered Decades – Taking the Temperature of the European Car Market.

Robertas Parazitas looks at the changing shape of the European car market over the last twenty years. The numbers tell several stories; some are manifestly obvious, others may surprise you.

The right-hand column lists European sales in 2017, highest to lowest. The numbers to the left tell several stories, many of them unhappy. Continue reading “Two Fevered Decades – Taking the Temperature of the European Car Market.”

The Dust Settles

Welcome to the all-new Dacia – now even Dustier.

Why are you showing me this? I can see it’s a Dacia Duster.

Yes, but this is the new Dacia Duster.

Really? Not being funny or anything, but this looks more like a mild facelift. Are you certain it’s new?

We’ve only got Renault’s word on this, and while it’s clearly on the outgoing car’s inner structure, Dacia insist every exterior panel has been changed. This is what they have to say on the matter: Continue reading “The Dust Settles”

Weekend Number Crunching: Renault

Renault’s November sales figures have been released. Good or bad or what?

Among the 75% of smaller cars that make up Renault´s UK sales, is the Zoe.

Renault UK released their latest sales figures on Wednesday. The headline, as they present it, is that their sales are still increasing, a 20 month upward trend. They make the point that their percentage change is ahead of the general market trend too. They sold 61,172 vehicles in the year to date, which is almost a 50% improvement on last year. 5,586 of those were sold in November.

The biggest contributor to this increase is probably the popularity of the Continue reading “Weekend Number Crunching: Renault”