Dacia Duster may be sold as a Nissan

The Dacia Duster might become a Nissan as well as a Renault - as long as the market conditions don't put the rebadged cars up against each other.

The Duster, a compact 4x4 may retail from £11,000 when it goes on sale in the UK in 2012 - has already been lined up to become a Renault in several markets. But a Renault-Nissan insider has confirmed that if the conditions were right, the Romanian-built SUV could also be badged as a Nissan.

"In a market where Nissan had a presence and Renault didn't, it would be a possibility," he said. "That's assuming we had the spare production capacity."

The most obvious region where Nissan is present and Renault is not is in the U.S - although the Duster could also be sold in some 'crossover' regions in Africa if individual Renault importers choose not to sell it.