The all-new Renault Duster 4X4: Tough, versatile and unpretentious

Renault SA has been bucking passenger car sales trends and the team are happy with what they are achieving within a somewhat depressed SA economy and market. Whilst sales of passenger cars have decreased by 1.2% year on year, Renault has seen an increase in sales across all models by 12.7% for the same period.

Renault now has 7% of the SA market, says Jesus Boveda, Marketing VP for Renault SA.“We are happy with our achievements thus far. We treat our customers well and this shows in the numbers” says Boveda.

In 2014, Renault had 52 dealers nationwide. This figure has now increased to 80 dealerships. That speaks volumes.In 2016, Renault was ranked 7th best car manufacturer in South Africa. In 2017, they climbed up to 5th position and in 2018, they came in at 3rd place. Impressive!

All these figures relate to the number of Renaults I've seen on the roads, which is increasing.

In addition, Renault was recently awarded Car Magazine's Top 12 Best Buys for small SUV Cross-overs. Impressive indeed. The Duster has proven to be extremely popular in the SA market with in excess of 16,500 units sold to date since its initial launch.But back to the all-new 4X4 Duster.

First launched in October 2018, there have been several notable enhancements and improvements to the SUV, to enrich the 4X4 off-road experience.

Lets’ take a quick glance at these:

• Enhanced safety levels

• Modern exterior styling, exuding a robust off-roader look
  
• Completely redesigned interior with superior quality finishes and a range of new equipment to ensure heightened driving comfort
• Improved 4WD driving experience bolstered by the same off-road capability that positions the All-New Duster among the market’s very best
  
• New smart features demonstrating next level technological advancement, such as a multi-view camera, 4x4 Monitor, Hill Descent Control and Blind Spot Detection
  
• A ground clearance of 210mm, with best-in-class approach (30°) and departure (34°) angles suited for all-terrain driving
  
• Impressive fuel consumption from only 5.2L/100km

The diverse all-new Renault Duster range is available at an extremely competitive price point ranging from only R255,900, enabling accessibility to an adventurous lifestyle.

Tough, muscular and versatile

Visually more muscular, the design tone is set by the more aggressive lines, and a more expressive front and wider rear, heightening the impression of stability.

The Duster’s tough stance is emphasised by its bold, more horizontal lines, new 16" wheels ensuring a more assertive profile, new more prominent aluminium roof bars, and front and rear skid plates that support its adventurer credentials. The chrome trim of the grille, alongside a raised waistline and the powerful C-shaped light signature complete the powerful stance of the New Duster.

The Renault Duster is suited for all terrain driving. It now has even greater off-road capabilities evident by the class-leading ground clearance of 210mm, with noteworthy approach and departure angles of 30° high approach and 34° departure angles respectively. The front and rear skid plates re-enforce that off-road SUV capability.

All round improvement

It was really a pleasure jumping into the cabin and you are greeted with ample space, comfort and high-quality upholstery. Once seated, you are in an excellent driving position and within easy reach of all controls, especially when you are bundu-bashing like I did recently. I have to say, the SUV passed the 4x4 all-terrain drive with distinction. Whether is was on a very steep incline or decline, over rugged rocky ground, loose gravel, tilted and sloping untarred road surfaces, the all-new Renault Duster held its ground - quite literally. Thanks to the 60/40 rear seat split, you get an impressive 478 litres of boot space. So, more loading capacity for those adventurous trips. Oh! there is now an armrest for the driver and the seats have better side supports, again enhancing the 4x4 experience.

State of the art

Stress-free everyday driving is what Renault had in mind when they thought out the all-new Duster 4x4. Onboard GPS Navigation and Smartphone mirror compatibility, today’s top contenders are Apple’s CarPlay and Android Auto.

Each provides the functionality of 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.

Blind Spot warning detects any obscured vehicles and convenient automatic headlights activate automatically without the driver needing to press a manual switch. While the Automatic Climate Control, Speed Limiter and Cruise Control functions provide superb driving support on the open road.

The Renault Duster 4X4 is distinguished through its range of high-class equipment to enhance the vehicle’s off-road prowess, such as Hill Descent Control, enabling smooth descent of hills without the use of the brake. A multi-view camera allows for easy visibility of the front, rear or side terrain, triggered by the reverse gear or by a simple touch of the dedicated button, while the innovative 4x4 monitor allows one to even check the pitch and roll angles of the Duster at any given time.

Under the bonnet

The new Renault Duster 4X4 is powered by a 1.5 dCi engine mated with a 6-speed manual gearbox, for greater driving comfort and pleasure. Upshifting is fast and smooth, with no jerking or loss in acceleration. The Duster 4X4 Model boasts phenomenal fuel consumption from only 5.2L/100km, and yields outputs of 80kW with 260Nm of torque and contained CO2 emissions of 138g/km.

What will it cost you?

• New Renault Duster 1.6 Expression 4X2: R255,900
  
• New Renault Duster 1.5 dCi Dynamique 4x2: R288,900
  
• New Renault Duster 1.5 dCi Dynamique EDC 4x2: R322,900
  
• New Renault Duster 1.5 dCi Dynamique 4x4: R327,900
  
• New Renault Duster 1.5dCi Prestige EDC 4x2: R340,900

Optionals include:

• Metallic paint: R2,522

• Leather seats: R10,088

As is standard across Renault’s entire product range, the all-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/45,000km service plan applies.