The Renault Duster was launched globally in 2010 and made its way to South Africa in 2013. What always drew me to the Duster was the fact that they had a 4WD variant that was actually quite capable off-road. Since then, there have been a few nips and tucks and one major update. More than 26,000 Dusters have been sold in South Africa, and now Renault has its work cut out to keep the momentum going. The third generation of the Duster has just been launched in South Africa and we got to sample it in Cape Town.
We were greeted at Cape Town International Airport and headed straight to Stellenbosch for our business briefing. What struck me first about the new Duster was its angular design. It looks muscular and modern. Up front, the bold new grill wears the Renault name proudly, flanked by Y-shaped daytime running lights. This theme extends to the rear, as well as the interior where the air vents have a similar shape. To aid the modern look, the rear door handle is integrated into the C-pillar, but the car is still undeniably a Duster! Roof rails are standard, and on the 4WD model, they are modular. The design is such that you can unscrew one end, turn it 90 degrees, and attach it to the other end of the car. This arrangement can carry up to 70 kg of weight. There are also two different designs of the front bumper. The 4WD model has a more sloping design to improve the approach and departure angles of the car.
Of course, the elephant in the room is the new drivetrains. There have been many comments about the fact that Renault is ditching the diesel variant in favour of a new, mild-hybrid system. Unfortunately, South Africa has to tow the European party line, which is moving towards NEV (New Energy Vehicles). The new system (only available in the 4×4 variant) uses a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine, paired with a 48 V electrical system. The final drive is through a 6-speed manual gearbox. This combination is said to be 12.3% more fuel efficient than a non-hybrid system. The 4×2 variant relies on a 1.3-litre turbocharged engine, paired with a 7-speed EDC automatic gearbox. Gearshifts are done with paddles on the steering wheel.
The Duster comes in two specification levels – Zen and Intens. Intens adds features like blind spot detection and a multi-view camera. This gives you the ability to have a bird’s eye view of the car to the surroundings. Strangely, Renault opted for the Zen specification on the 4WD model. I would argue that the 360-degree view would be more useful out in the bush than in the Woolworths parking lot. But Renault also understands that not all their cars will ever go bundu-bashing, so they made the new Duster more driver-focused.
The interior is a pleasant place to be, with a 10.1” touchscreen in the centre that is angled towards the driver. The instrumentation cluster is also a 7” digital unit. There is an abundance of storage compartments throughout the cabin and there is a wireless charging pad in the Intens model. In typical French style, Renault introduced the YouClip system for the new Duster. Depending on the variant, there are up to 12 small mounting points scattered throughout the cabin. To this, you can mount any number of YouClip accessories that include things like lights, hooks and cup holders. You can even get a phone holder with built-in wireless charging. The YouClip system allows you to customise the interior of your Duster to your heart’s content.
After some lunch, we headed back towards Cape Town and hit a gravel section. The car was surprisingly quiet; Renault did quite a lot of work to reduce the noise levels within the car. Following other cars, I could not help but notice the substantial ground clearance on the Duster. The 4WD model is equipped with a metal skid plate underneath for added protection. For a 1.2-litre engine, it has a raspy growl to it, and you can feel the hybrid assistance when overtaking another car. I would not describe the performance as earth-shattering, but it gets the job done, and you have to work the gearbox to get the best out of this car.
The next day, we headed to the Atlantis dunes where we got to experience the ability of the 4WD system. Sure, most people will never venture so far off-road, but the Dusters had the time of their lives, kicking up sand and conquering most dunes. I say most, as some of the cars did bury themselves, but that was most likely down to driver error. But, when the dust finally settled, we all left pleased with the new Duster. It is a very good-looking car with good off-road ability. It remains to be seen if the South African market will accept the new drivetrain over the tried-and-tested diesel engine.
I look forward to spending more time in the new Duster as I have a few ideas already brewing!
All models come standard with a 3-year/45,000 km service plan and a 5-year/150,000 km warranty.
Pricing is as follows:
- Duster Zen EDC 4×2 – R489,999
- Duster Intens EDC 4×2 – R519,999
- Duster Zen 6MT 4WD MHEV – R549,999
For more information, visit: www.renault.co.za
