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Renault’s updated Duster is now equipped with new driving aids and new equipment.

The original Renault Duster was designed and engineered to adeptly master tough road conditions, but in a more modest form. The Duster has proved to be extremely popular in the SA market with a remarkable 23,000+ units sold to date since its initial launch into the country back in 2013.

The new Renault Duster’s robust and assertive styling highlights its SUV pedigree. Visually muscular with a masculine slant, the design tone is set by its aggressive lines, expressive front and wider rear, and new prominent rear spoiler, heightening the impression of stability. Its tough stance is emphasised by its bold, more horizontal lines and newly designed 17” Diamond Cut wheels ensuring a more assertive profile, striking silver roof rails, and front and rear skid plates that support its adventurer credentials. The chrome trim of the grille alongside a raised waistline and the newly updated C-shaped front and LED rear light signature with Daytime Running Lights complete the powerful stance of the new Duster.

An array of body colours has been introduced to complement the enhanced exterior styling, namely Comet Grey, Highland Grey, Iron Blue, Brown Vision, Fusion Red, a fabulous Arizona Orange and Ice White.

The Duster’s class-leading ground clearance of 210mm – coupled with its noteworthy approach and departure angles of 30° high approach and 34° departure angles respectively – deem it suitable for all terrain driving. The new enhanced 4x4 monitor now also features an altimeter to effectively measure the level of the altitude attained, allowing one to explore without limits. 

The interior has improved with each incarnation, with a marked, spacious interior and a passenger-friendly cabin both being a highlight. The fabric upholstery features a high-quality finish with striking accents within the cabin. Emphasis has been placed on the dashboard as well, presenting strong ergonomic design with a more modern appeal. Optimised travelling comfort is ensured by the intuitively designed enveloping seats, boasting newly designed front headrests with careful attention to the materials, fit and finish.

It is important to note that the Duster, although improved in many aspects, it is still a budget car. This means that some of the fit, finish and material quality is in line with its price-conscious positioning.

Numerous clever stowage spaces are easily accessible with improved accessibility to controls and new backlit steering wheel controls for added convenience. The Duster features a modular interior layout to easily adapt to needs, with the rear bench seat featuring a 1/3 – 2/3 split-fold function What’s more, the boot boasts best-in-class loading capacity of up to 478L.

I enjoyed the standard on-board GPS navigation and importantly wireless smartphone replication mirror compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. This provides functionality off your phone’s system that runs on your car’s computer interface, allowing drivers and passengers to control music, navigate and communicate by way of voice commands and the car’s manual controls.

Plus, the convenience of features such as Automatic Climate Control, Speed Limiter and Cruise Control functions provide excellent driving support on the open road. And then there’s the superb new semi-flush 8’’ Multimedia touch screen, which doesn’t only look modern but also ensures an enhanced connectivity experience.

Additional features like the Rear Park Distance Control enables easier parking manoeuvres, while Hill Start Assist – triggered by taking one’s foot off the brake – takes over the vehicle by holding it steady for 2 seconds, allowing the driver to accelerate normally without stalling or rolling back.

The new Duster comes in Diesel, with two versions of the 1.5 dCi turbo engine –  manual or EDC – across the various derivatives.

With the Duster 1.5dCi, driver confidence and comfort are brought to the fore. The Diesel 1.5 dCi 4x2’s engine has outputs of 66kW and 210Nm and consumes from only 5.1L/100km.  The 4x2 EDC and 4x4 manual versions have outputs of 80kW and 250Nm and 260Nm respectively, with impressive consumption from only 4.8L/100km – a major plus in these times.

For greater comfort and pleasure, the 6-speed Dual-Clutch EDC Automatic gearbox is now available with the 1.5 dCi Diesel engine. Upshifting is fast and smooth, with no jerking or loss in acceleration and fuel consumption comparable to that of the manual from only 4.8L/100km.

Pricing

The New Renault Duster range assumes the latest nomenclature to denote the range walk with LIFE representing the entry spec, ZEN the mid spec and INTENS the highest model spec.

New Duster 1.5 dCi Zen 4x2                 R342 900

New Duster 1.5 dCi   Zen EDC 4x2        R381 900

New Duster 1.5 dCi Zen 4x4                 R381 900

New Duster 1.5 dCi Intens EDC 4x2      R389 900

Options include:         

Metallic paint                                       R2 522

Leather seats (model dependent)          R10 088

Service and warranty

The New Renault Duster Model range comes standard with a 5-year/150 000km mechanical warranty and a 6-year anti-corrosion warranty. Services take place at 15 000km intervals, and a standard 3-year/45000km service plan applies.

www.renault.co.za