Duster Becomes a Pickup with Over 1,000 km of Range — So What Spoils It?

© Borel

France now has a Dacia Duster Pick-Up, but it isn’t a factory-built mass version from Renault. The conversion is the work of Borel: the company turns the ordinary SUV into a utilitarian pickup with a two- or four-seat cab.

The idea is simple, the price is not. The Duster has its roof and rear bodywork cut away: the single-cab version keeps only the front row, while the double cab retains the rear seats too. The load bed ends up small, around 1 sq. m, with a payload of 430 kg. This is not a proper body-on-frame pickup but rather a working conversion of a compact crossover.

The mechanicals sound more interesting. Borel offers only the Journey trim with the 150 hp Eco-G 1.2 engine, which runs on petrol and LPG. All-wheel drive is standard, and the range without refuelling exceeds 1000 km. The equipment isn’t bare-bones either: 18-inch wheels, climate control, adaptive cruise, a 10.1-inch infotainment screen, keyless entry and front and rear parking sensors.

The main problem is the price. The two-seat Duster Pick-Up costs €37,900. The four-seater is €38,900. That is roughly €8000 more than an ordinary Duster.

A pickup like this looks useful for small businesses, farmers and service companies. But the Duster has always been bought for its sensible price, and here it is the price that raises the first questions.