Fancy a chunky 4x4? An SUV with attitude? Prepare to spend £20,000. Maybe even £25,000.

But not if you buy a Dacia. That’s Dar-cher to you and I, a Romanian brand now owned by Renault and ready to shake up the British car industry.

The Duster, tested here, can be yours for £8,995. OK, so it’s not as posh or lush as some more mainstream brands but for that sort of money it has to be worth a look.

I can tell you it’s a little unfashionable in parts (the cabin looks a touch dated) and the specification can be lacking, but what you get for your money is a lot of sensible car for the money.

No wonder they’re becoming almost commonplace on the streets. And no wonder Dacia (pronounced Darcher like archer) is seen by many as the saviour of Renault.

Low-cost motoring has been all the rage on the continent where car snobbery is less important than here in the UK. Simply put, when you can get a compact SUV capable of plugging mud with the best Land Rover can offer for less than the price of a Fiesta, somehow the badge on the bonnet is the least of your worries.

If Dacia is a mystery to you, you’re not alone. Snapped up by Renault some time ago, critics thought the French firm was taking a huge risk. The passing of time has proven the naysayers wrong, as Renault’s input has led to a portfolio of value-driven, dependable, stylish and capable products from superminis to the aforementioned Duster.

Lifestyle SUVs are two-a-penny these days but few are cheap. Most are increasingly car-like in their appearance and on-road performance.

Duster retains a chunky-looking, purposeful exterior of a 4x4 but with enough curves to help it slice through the air with relative ease.

Low power petrol and diesel engines are offered (1.6-litre, 105bhp petrol and 1.5-litre, 110bhp diesel), plus the choice of front or four-wheel drive. The switchable all-wheel drive system allows a driver to choose between front-drive, an auto-sensing mode and a locked up 4x4 setting. Factor in three trim levels and there’s little else you might want. Well, apart from air-con, a stereo and alloy wheels.

Yes, this is how Dacia can price the Duster so low. If you want these creature comforts you’re going to have to pick the middle specification.

Still, even if you opt for the flagship Duster you’re not even close to high-spec Skoda Yeti money.

Despite the popularity of Skoda’s compact lifestyle SUV, not everyone wants plush upholstery and highly polished cabin trim in a car that’s destined to be a rough and tumble workhorse. And in this respect the Duster trumps its well-established rivals.

Familiar Renault switchgear rounds off the driver-centric side of things, while the Duster’s cabin is a good size and easily capable of accommodating a growing family.

By now only someone spoilt by sat-nav and climate control could find fault with the Duster. In Dacia’s defence it’s all about knowing your audience and, so far, the firm has pretty much nailed it.

On the move there’s a similar feeling of accomplishment. While neither engine is bursting with excess horsepower, brisk progress is possible.

Predictably all-wheel drive variants grip and go with ease on a variety of surfaces, but if the Duster is scheduled for only light duties there’s no shame in opting for a two-wheel drive variant.

By taking a common sense, low frills approach to motoring Dacia has won many friends and satisfied owners.