HANDSOME — WITH PERSONALITY, TOO
Let’s be honest: the Renault Duster isn’t the prettiest-looking car on the road: there are many other vehicles better deserving of that description. But what the Duster lacks in aesthetics, it makes up for in other areas.
The first-generation Renault Duster, which we’re all familiar with, launched locally five years ago and 15,000 units have found homes. Fresh from the drawing board with a new refined design, Renault plans to up those figures with the new Duster.
Renault has put in the time in carving out the new Duster, but has also managed to retain its robust box shape in the process.
What we’re looking at now is a car that’s smoother around the edges and has muscular design, rather than the plain old square shape it used to be. It really is a whole new car all round; it now makes use of Renault’s signature C-shaped daytime running lights in those headlight clusters, and a new grille surrounding the diamond logo. The new Duster is handsome and has a dose of personality!
The Duster’s rear end has also been reworked to carry a more refined look in line with its face. New taillights will be the first thing you take note of back there — which are now looking modern and built into the boot lid, unlike those worn by the previous shape, which looked like one taillight was cut in half and used on both sides of the vehicle.
The Duster stands taller now too, with an increase in ground clearance, now at 210mm, and with an approach and departure angle of 30 and 34 degrees – the latter Renault claiming as the best in its class.
With this information one is almost tempted to consider off-roading as a hobby. Well I’m happy to tell you that this is a very feasible desire.
A 4x4 variant of the Duster is on its way to us, and will be equipped with features such as hill-descent control and a 4x4 monitor on the infotainment screen which will display your pitch and roll angles when taking on steep sections off-road.
The 4x4 will be available as of January 2019 — that’s a mere 90 days if you think about it!
Many changes have taken place in the interior too. The Duster now carries the Media Nav Evolution seven-inch infotainment screen found in its newer siblings from the mid-range Dynamic, putting it in line with the rest of the pack. Nav, audio streaming and USB connectivity are all standard here. The high-spec Prestige now benefits from a multiview camera, which gives you external visuals of every side of the vehicle.
A nice touch to the new interior is the new air-conditioner dials — they now offer a digital display of your temperature settings. Cruise control and a speed limiter are standard across the range, but features such as keyless entry and keyless go are available only in the Prestige.
Two petrol derivatives are available to choose from, both 1.6, but with different power outputs, and two 1.5dCi oil-burners are also tuned for different outputs.
Having had previous experience with this diesel motor, I can attest to its great fuel economy, and the story remains unchanged in this latest shell, with a claimed combined cycle of 4.8l/100km on the EDC gearbox. The EDC box feels worlds apart from the one carried by the previous shape. It now shifts decisively and without the delay that felt like an eternity when you planted your foot for a kickdown.
On the road, the Duster feels light in steering, and offers very noticeable comfort in the way it moves along, making it an ideal daily runabout in the city.
The new Renault Duster makes a strong case for a vehicle that’s good value for money, in my opinion, with four derivatives to choose from, starting at R249,900 for the 1.6 Expression and peaking at R334,900 for the 1.5dCI 4x2 Prestige with EDC.