It's always been easy to be sniffy about Dacia cars and their budget offerings. Lots of hand-me-down technology from parent company Renault, nasty plastics and indifferent styling have all added to the impression that these cars offer little other than cheap pricing.

Until now, that is.

Dacia’s most popular model, the Duster, managed to overcome the above disadvantages to become one of the most popular cars in Ireland - 4,000 were sold last year - because a lot of people saw it as a value for money SUV proposition. Its latest incarnation has moved things on considerably in terms of styling, technology and interior comfort, while still having some legacy issues.

The styling looks like it was influenced by the Cubist School and it now stands rather smartly, very smartly in fact, on a new platform. The dimensions are not that greatly altered with this latest version - 4.3 metres long and 1.8 metres wide - but it does look rather more aerodynamically pleasing.

The interior has certainly been given a welcome upgrade but there is still a lot of black plastic, right down to the floor mats. Yet it’s an improvement.

The no-frills approach is still evident, however. For example, the entry level Essential model (starting from €25,990) has no infotainment screen and offers instead a small cradle in which to mount your smart phone for things like media and navigation.

You have to move up to the Expression version (starting at €28,390) to get a 7" display screen and a 10.1" infotainment screen and other things such as alloy wheels.

There is good interior space, with room for four adults to sit comfortably but the driver seat travel and steering wheel adjustment can just about accommodate the taller driver.

Then there are issues like the fact that the buttons to control functions like heating and the fan are not backlit, presenting challenges when driving in the dark.

There’s no diesel option anymore, which won’t please some who still see it as a more practical option and the 1.6 four cylinder hybrid (it’s not just Renault that has an input to Dacia technology these days, but Nissan also) is expected to be the main seller here.

I drove the hybrid version and managed to return good consumption figures - about 5.8 litres per 100 kilometres on a longer journey and good use of electric only in the city. The car had a tendency to switch a bit more easily into petrol mode when starting off and therefore ran a little less leaner than I would have liked. Once it settled though it was smooth and even.

The suspension has been upgraded and is now stiffer, which means a good deal less role when cornering but also means that the car does not absorb rougher road surfaces well. It juddered considerably on one particular stretch.

The car is well thought out inside and there are plenty of storage spaces. The boot is generous and the rear seats fold in a 60/40 configuration. They do not, however, fold flat which is a consideration for those who need extra capacity on a regular basis.

Overall, the Duster is a good deal more pleasant to drive than the car it replaces but there are issues surrounding its safety testing. Many cars in this class have a five star rating from the crash-testing body, EuroNCAP, but the Duster achieved only three stars.

While it does have safety features such as emergency braking and six airbags, it scored only 70% for adult occupant protection and 60% for the protection of vulnerable road users.

The three year or 100,000 kilometres warranty on Dacia cars is also more limited than on other competitors, but then everything comes down to price.

For a comfortable and fuel-efficient 1.6 petrol hybrid the Dacia has a distinct advantage but you don’t get everything you wish for.