Dacia is launching a new factory-fitted dual-fuel solution across its range of Duster, Sander, Sandero Stepway, Logan MCV and Logan MCV Stepway models, the only manufacturer in the UK to do so. The all-new 1.0-litre turbo Bi-Fuel 100 engine combines petrol and LPG fuel to deliver reduced fuel costs, lower emissions and improved performance.

The company says that on average, customers could save around £594 per year by opting for the new Sandero Stepway Bi-Fuel model. In the Sandero, the new powertrain is capable of up to 39.8mpg with CO₂ emissions as low as 116g/km when in LPG mode, a drop of nine per cent compared to its petrol setting. Meanwhile, the Duster returns up to 35.3mpg and CO₂ emissions of 129g/km when using LPG, a reduction of 11 per cent when driven solely on petrol.

Service intervals mirror those of the standard petrol and diesel engines with an oil change every 18,000 miles or two years and light annual service. At the same time, the cost of LPG is half the price of petrol and diesel at 0.63p per litre and is available in more than 1,400 filling stations in the UK, with numbers continuing to grow.

The main change to vehicles is the additional, high-strength steel LPG tank in place of the spare wheel, which is 32 litres in the Sandero, Sandero Stepway, Logan MCV and Logan MCV Stepway models and 34 litres in the Duster. Despite the additional fuel tank, boot space remains the same.

The LPG technology has been tried and tested across Dacia models in Europe for several years, including in Italy where one in three Dacia vehicles are fitted with the system. The dual-fuel technology allows owners to choose between running the vehicle on petrol or LPG at the flick of a switch for a combined range of up to 620 miles (1,000 km).

The adaptation is carried out within Dacia’s factories on the same production line, making sure there are no delays on delivery times and a straightforward single point of contact for any warranty or maintenance requirements.

At the centre of the latest powertrain offering is the development of an all-new 1.0-litre turbo Bi-Fuel 100 engine, which engineers have worked on extensively and been able to achieve enhanced torque in LPG mode compared to petrol at 125 and 118 ft lb respectively.

Luke Broad, Head of Brand for Dacia UK, said: “The Dacia range is all about delivering value for money without compromising on quality and running costs, and the introduction of LPG models to the UK reinforces this ethos. The technology is proven in Dacia products and the new 1.0-litre Bi-Fuel engine is an impressive piece of engineering which has been developed to fulfil all of the criteria expected of models like the Duster, Sandero and Logan MCV. With this new LPG engine, plus our petrol and diesel powertrains, we have the perfect Dacia model for any customer, no matter what they are looking for.”

All Bi-Fuel models come with a three-year or 60,000-mile warranty as standard, the same as all other Dacia vehicles. The new Dacia Bi-Fuel range goes on sale from February.