Dacia Duster

Renault-owned, Romanian budget marque Dacia has proved a big hit in Europe with its range of value-for-money family models. Dacia has been transformed under the Renault banner to the point that it has sold 1.25 million vehicles in the past five years, thanks to a cocktail of price, space and equipment.

The Dacia Duster is the cheapest SUV with seven seats on the market and will be sold under a range of brands including Renault, Logan and Sandero depending on the country of sale, and goes on sale in Europe following the Geneva Motor Show. Like all Dacias, value for money is key, with the Duster offering plenty of space and equipment for the money - at over 4300mm long and with a boot capacity ranging from 474 to 1636 litres, it's a similar size to a Toyota RAV4.

According to World Records Academy, the mid-sized Dacia Duster 4×4 (measuring in at 4.31m long x 1.82m wide) has been unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show and will be available in 4×2 (for or 10,500 Euros, tax included) and 4×4 specification (for 13,900 Euros) - setting the new world record for the Most affordable SUV.

Dacia Duster is available with a choice of engines that include one petrol (1.6-litre / 82kW) and two diesel units (1.6-litre / 63kW & 1.6-litre / 82kW). The diesel versions emit from 135g of CO2/km (for the 4×2 version) and from 145g of CO2/km in the case of the 4×4 version. Available in 4×2 and 4×4 specification, the light-weight Duster weighs in at 1,160kg and 1,250kg respectively; the Duster is based on a platform sourced from the Logan family and uses a wishbone (front) / multi-arm (rear) suspension arrangement.

Inside, the five-seat cabin is modern, uncluttered and functional, and offers several areas that can be modified with different colors and surface finishes. Particular attention has been paid to cabin ergonomics to ensure that the controls are conveniently positioned and that driving data is easy to read.

Active safety features include ABS, EBA, EBA, ESC (an option on some versions), CSV understeer control and Traction Control, while on the passive front, dual front airbags and three-point inertia reel seatbelts are standard. Depending on the variant, and country sold, side and curtain airbags are also available.

There will be four versions of Duster: Standard, Ambiance, Laureate, Prestige, and several optional packs. The first customer to receive the new Dacia Duster 4×4 is the Romanian President, a very active promoter of another Dacia brand - the Logan model which he use frequently and drive by himself. Alan Prost, the French champion in Formula 1, who piloted a competitive vehicle Dacia Duster in 'Andros Trophy 2010', was the one who launched officially the new SUV in Romania, on March 18, 2010.

Costeşti-Cetăţuia Fortress

The development and the prosperity era of the Dacian settlement on the Cetăţuia Hill - also that of whole complex of settlements in Orăştie Mountains - covers the period from Burebista to Decebal (1st century BC - 1st century AD). Destroyed after the second Roman-Dacian war and the conquest of Dacia by the Romans (105-106 AD), the fortress was never rebuilt.

Costeşti Fortress was the oldest and largest "dava" (fortress in Dacian) and is situated on the left side of Apa Grădiştei River, on the Cetăţuia Hill. Cetăţuia Hill with the fortress on its top form a great guard point, with large visibility, placed at the entrance of mountain range, where the valley suddenly narrows.

The defense system of the fortress was based on a sequence of three types of fortifications: a wave of earth, a stone wall 3 m thick, flanked by three towers and a double palisade surrounding the top of the height. The Dacian wall, built 2000-2500 years ago is perfectly straight and does not let any knife blade between its perfectly polished stones.

The highest plateau was occupied by two towers-house, built of stone blocks and bricks, barracks for soldiers and an observation tower. One can reach here climbing on the 'royal stairs', 3 m wide, made of andesite. The tens of andesite were artfully fashioned and endowed with incredible sewage channels.

The tower behind the stairs has cyclopic walls pointing to the solstice and is filled with big ilmenit bricks. On terraces were identified a tumulus on the southern part of the edifice, four sanctuaries, two water tanks and three isolated watchtowers guarding the antique access road.

Costeşti-Blidaru Fortress

The Dacian fortresses of the Sureanu Mountains (also known as the Orăştie Mountains) are famous in Romania (and an UNESCO World Heritage Site). Here was the capital of the ancient Dacian civilization. Many of the stone structures are still well preserved and open for the public to see. The area is also popular with local hikers as the view from the hill tops is breathtaking. While you are in the area, it's worth visiting some of the other Dacian fortresses. The defensive system of the Dacian fortresses of the Orašţie Mountains was built in the 1st centuries B.C. and A.D. under Dacian rule. These six fortresses (Capâlna, Baniţa, Luncani-Piatra Roşie, Costeşti–Blidaru, Costeşti-Cetăţuie, Sarmizegetusa) show an unusual fusion of military and religious architectural techniques and concepts from the classical world and the late European Iron Age. The six defensive works were conquered by the Romans at the beginning of the 2nd century AD; their extensive and well-preserved remains stand in spectacular natural surroundings and give a dramatic picture of a vigorous and innovative civilization. These Dacian fortresses are outstanding examples of this type of defended site.

The Blidaru Fortress [N 45.667765, E 23.162882] is located at 4 km from Costeşti, uphill the Apa Grădiştei Valley, at an altitude of 705 m - and is considered the most powerful fortress of the Dacian defensive fortification system in Orăştie Mountains. It was conquered by the Romans in 102 AD, later it has been rebuilt by Dacian King Decebal and finally completely destroyed by Roman Emperor Trajan in 106 AD.

On an area of 6000 square meters, can be seen the traces of two twin fortresses, built at different times. The first fortress, which covers the higher plateau of the hill, has the form of a trapezoidal with four outer towers, located in the corners. The entrance was through the first tower. The residence tower, of which the outline is preserved, is placed in such a way so as to prevent enemies from spreading their forces on the inside. The fifth tower, isolated, served as guard tower in front of the entrance (Poiana Perţii tower). West of the first fortress, the second one was built in a pentagon shape, with a single tower, others are common to both fortresses. What draws ones attention here are the war platforms on the northern and southern sides. Here were found also traces of small rooms, used to shelter the defenders of the fortress and warehouses for grain and water, walls constructed of stone and connected with earth, stone, etc. On the lower terraces are four sanctuaries, consisting of alignments of tambours. The two fortresses are remarkable by the originality of the building, strategic position and the technique of building.

Here is also another building, unique in the Dacian world and built, most likely, by a Roman craftsman or under its direction. It's a water tank, building erected outside the fortification on one of the western terraces, below the second fortress, as the water source is at a lower level. It has a height of 4 meters and 6.2 m on 8 m inside, with 2 m thick walls. The walls were covered with an impermeable layer consisting of lime, sand and brick crushing, a typical Roman construction. The mortar does not contain Calcium, still has bactericide properties.

 

General layout:
A. Fortress-1;
B. Fortress-2;
1. Access gate;
2. Observation towers;
3. Residence tower;
4. Water tank.

Systematic archaeological researches started in 1953 after a few random explorations in 1925 on the Muchia Chistoarelor and in 1944 on one of the Făeragului terraces. The upper plateau with the fortification was studied from 1953 until 1959. The 2003 campaign was focused on the research of a tower identified along the road leading from Valea Făeragului towards Luncani, at "La Vămi". The length of the tower is 11.90 m at the exterior and 6.80 m in the interior, the width of the wall is 2.60 m, being built in the technique called "murus dacicus". This tower is one of the many towers placed on the terraces of the Blidaru hill, in the Făeragu-Târşa Luncani area, with a view towards Orăştie and Grădiştea valley. The archaeological material consists of fragmentary gutter and roof tiles.

Ideea and photos from Jurnal Românesc.