The Renault Duster, which recently enjoyed plenty of attention as a finalist in this year’s AutoTrader SA Guild of Motoring Journalists Car of the Year Competition, now has the final piece in place in the form of the new 4×4 version.
The original Renault Duster was designed and engineered to adeptly master tough road conditions, but in an unpretentious form. The Duster has proved to be extremely popular in the SA market with in excess of 16 500 units sold to date since its initial launch.
The new Renault Duster builds on, and reinforces, the Duster’s existing strengthsand the 4×4’s robust and particularly assertive styling highlights its SUV pedigree. 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 stance is emphasised by its bold, more horizontal lines, new 16-inch wheels, new more prominent aluminium roof bars and front and rear skid plates that support its adventurer credentials.
It now has even greater off-road capabilitieswith a ground clearance of 210 mm, departure angle of 34° and high approach of 30°.
The interior of the new Renault Duster has been completely re-designedand the upholstery features a high-quality finish, as does the dashboard, where particular emphasis has been placed on ergonomic design.
The New Duster also offers a modular interior layout to easily adapt to needs, with the rear bench seat featuring a 1/3 – 2/3 split-fold function, while the boot boasts loading capacity of up to 478 litres.
Standard features include on-board GPS Navigation with Smartphone mirror compatibility to operate Apple’s CarPlay and Android Auto.
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.
Off-road assistance comes via Hill Descent Control, enabling smooth descent of hills without use of the brake. A MultiView 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 4×4 monitor allows one to even check the pitch and roll angles of the Duster at any given time.
With the Transmission Mode Selector available on the 4×4 Model, the driver is able to switch between three driving modes: 2WD Mode where the engine torque is distributed to the front wheels, Automatic Mode allowing distribution of engine torque over the four wheels or Lock Mode for engine torque distribution to all four wheels.
The new Duster offers a multitude of advanced active and passive safety technology as standard across the range, such as anti-lock braking with EBD [Electronic Brake Force Distribution] in conjunction with EBA [Emergency Brake Assist], making it possible to maintain control over the trajectory in the event of heavy braking.
Rear Park Distance Control enables easier parking manoeuvres by warning the driver of obstacles situated behind the vehicle by a sequence of beeps which speed up the closer you are to them. In the 4×4 model, Hill Descent Control facilitates a controlled hill descent in rough terrain, without brake input from the driver.
It is powered by a 1.5 dCi engine mated with a 6-speed Dual-Clutch Manual Automatic gearbox, for greater driving comfort and pleasure. Upshifting is fast and smooth, with no jerking or loss in acceleration. The Duster 4×4 Model boasts fuel consumption from only 5,2 l/100km, and yields outputs of 80 kW with 260 Nm of torque and contained CO2 emissions of 138 g/km.
As is standard across Renault’s entire product range, the new Renault Duster Model range comes standard with a 5-year/150 000 km mechanical warranty and a 6-year anti-corrosion warranty. Services take place at 15 000km intervals, and a standard 3-year/45 000 km service plan applies.
RECOMMENDED RETAIL PRICING
– Renault Duster 1.6 Expression 4X2 R255 900
– Renault Duster 1.5 dCi Dynamique 4×2 R288 900
– Renault Duster 1.5 dCi Dynamique EDC 4×2 R322 900
– Renault Duster 1.5 dCi Dynamique 4×4 R327 900
– Renault Duster 1.5dCi Prestige EDC 4×2 R340 900
