By Otsile Kadiege

Renault’s Duster has been on the market since 2013 and proven to be quite popular both locally and abroad after selling over two million units. The French automaker has  updated the Duster with modern exterior styling, contemporary interior and new smart technologies. 

Exterior

Visually, the robust and assertive SUV gets a chrome trim on the grille, alongside a raised waistline and the newly updated C-shaped front and LED rear light signature with Daytime Running Lights (DRLs). It also gets newly designed 17-inch Diamond Cut wheels and an array of body colours to complement the enhanced exterior styling, namely Comet Grey, Highland Grey, Iron Blue, Brown Vision, Fusion Red, a fabulous Arizona Orange and Ice White. 

Interior

Inside, the new Duster features high-quality fabric seats with newly designed front headrests and striking accents within the cabin. Depending on the chosen model, customers can opt for leather seats which cost around R10,088. Particular emphasis has been placed on the dashboard as well, presenting strong ergonomic design, with a more modern appeal. The new Duster also features numerous clever stowage spaces which are easily accessible with improved accessibility to controls, and new backlit steering wheel controls for added convenience.

On the tech front the new Duster features an 8-inch Multimedia touch screen with on-board GPS navigation and wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto. 

Safety and driver assistance systems

The new Duster offers a multitude of advanced active and passive safety Technology as standard across the range, such as ABS with EBD in conjunction with EBA, PDC and HSA (Hill Start Assist). 

Powertrain

The new Renault Duster comes in Diesel, with two versions of the 1.5 dCi turbo engine – Manual or EDC – across the various derivatives. The Diesel 1.5 dCi 4×2’s engine has outputs of 66kW and 210Nm and consumes from only 5.1L/100km. The 4×2 EDC and 4×4 Manual versions have outputs of 80kW and 250Nm and 260Nm respectively, with a claimed consumption of only 4.8L/100km. 

Pricing and warranty

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. Its pricing is as follows:

– Duster 1.5 dCi Zen 4×2 R337,900;
– Duster 1.5 dCi Zen EDC 4×2 R376,900;
– Duster 1.5 dCi Zen 4×4 R376,900; and
– Duster 1.5 dCi Intens EDC 4×2 R384,900 

As is standard across Renault’s entire product range, the New Renault Duster Model range comes standard with a 5-year/150,000km mechanical warranty, a 6-year anti-corrosion warranty and a standard 3-year/45,000km service plan.