SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8
This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Many of the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.
My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active list down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and search through the drop-down menu that appears.
Editor's note: SA Roadtests accepts multi-day vehicle loans from manufacturers in order to provide editorial reviews. All vehicle reviews are conducted on our turf and on our terms.
For out-of-province vehicle launch features however, travel costs are covered by the manufacturer concerned. This is common in the motor industry, as it's more economical to ship journalists to cars than to ship cars to journalists.
Judgments and opinions expressed on this site are our own. We do not accept paid editorial content or ads of any kind.
Pics by Author
Posted: February 9, 2021
“Zit, Dollink. I zee zat physically you are healthy but zere is an amptiness in your life…
“Chack or zavings? Tap card on zapper, please, Dollink. Zank you.
“I see a dashing new Duster in your life; rugged but not classically handsome. He is from my old country, Romania. He is smart and strong and knows how to please a woman. But he is good friend for men too.”
Moving on from the Gypsy fortune teller: The range consists of a 1600cc petrol version in basic Expression trim with five-speed manual gearbox; a 1500cc, 66-kW/210-Nm diesel Techroad with the same ‘box; an Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) automatic Techroad with the diesel uprated to 80 kilowatts and 250 Newton-metres; a 4x4 Dynamique version with an additional 10 Nm and six-speed manual and finally a Prestige model with more kit, EDC and the 80-kW/ 250 Nm engine.
Both Techroad models are 4x2 and sport 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/60 rubber. The others run on 215/65R16 tyres.
Expression offers steel wheels; manual air conditioning; two airbags; ABS brakes with EBA, EBD, ESC and traction control; cruise control with speed limiter; electric windows in front; a one-piece rear seatback; height and reach adjustments for the steering wheel and a fairly plain radio/CD player with USB and jack ports, Bluetooth phone connection and remote buttons.
Our test car, a Techroad 4x2 with EDC, added the bigger wheels mentioned above; two more airbags; rear parking sensors and camera; split and folding rear seatback; electric wing mirrors in glossy black; electric rear window controls; fog lamps at both ends; automatic air conditioner; height adjustment for the driver’s chair; a seven-inch multimedia centre with phone mirroring, and satnav. Its signature identifiers are blue detailing (red on earlier models) on seats, mat- and door pad stitching, wheel cap markers and “B” pillar decals.
Dynamique 4x4 and Prestige add a MultiView camera and blind spot warning, while the Prestige gets its final shots in with hands-free key card, a drawer under the passenger seat and lumbar support with armrest for the driving seat.
Although zero to 100 km/h in 11.9 seconds is considered mild by today’s jaded standards, it’s enough to keep this diesel city SUV up with most challenges of modern traffic. More to the point, that 250 Nm, kicking in at only 1750 rpm, ensures that the car sails up most hills as if they weren’t even there.
Most of our test was conducted with the car three-quarters loaded, hence the slightly poorer fuel consumption recorded this time – 5.4 l/100 km vs. 5.3 when we drove an almost identical model in November 2019 – still not shabby and surely enough to please most buyers.
Bearing in mind that this is not a full-on off-road vehicle despite its high ground clearance and tough looking exterior, it has the stuff to deal with most road hazards. Out on the moderately rough dirt road past the veggie farms it dealt with corrugations, small potholes and embedded stones disdainfully. They have nasty roads in Romania too.
But can my family all fit in, you ask? There’s plenty of space for five, including a trio of leggy teenagers in the back, although whoever sits behind a tall driver might find kneeroom only just sufficient. Compensating somewhat, six-footers enjoy a full fist-width of headroom. That’s unusual. Other comfort items include plenty of incidental storage space and cup holders, speed defrosters front and rear, front and central courtesy lights and a recharging point in front. A small negative is that the glove box is tiny and mostly filled by the car’s “books.”
The cargo hold is of a decent size; about 95 cm long, 98 cm wide between wheel arches and 53 cm deep. It’s equipped with a light and four tie-down rings while a removable luggage cover keeps valuables hidden. The rear seatback splits 40:60 to extend volume from 445 litres (VDA) to 1478. Another slight negative is that the 215/65R16 spare tyre on steel rim is slung, pickup style, beneath the vehicle.
One way to overcome this inconvenience might be to buy the 4x4 version instead. To protect it from incidental damage, its spare wheel is moved inboard to the luggage compartment where it expropriates 64 litres. The 4x4 is priced the same as our test car but its transmission is manual. Choices, Dollink.
Finally, about ‘Romany Dasher’ in the subtitle: These cars are branded as Dacia, pronounced Dah-sha, in Romania, the UK and various other markets. Simple, really.
Test unit from Renault SA press fleet
The numbers
Price: R361 900
Engine: 1461 cc, four-cylinder, SOHC 8-valve, commonrail diesel with multi-injection and turbocharger
Power: 80 kW at 4000 rpm
Torque: 250 Nm at 1750 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 11.9 seconds
Top speed: 169 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 5.4 l/100 km
Tank: 50 litres
Luggage: 445 – 1478 litres (VDA)
Ground clearance: 210 mm
Turning circle: 10.14 metres
Maximum towing mass, braked: 1500 kg
Standard tyre: 215/60R17 Bridgestone Dueller
Spare: 215/65R16 on steel rim
Service plan: 3 years / 45 000 km, at 15 000 km intervals
Warranty: 5 years / 100 000 km
We drove an earlier version in 2019
And the update in 2022
What We Do
This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads or goat tracks as well. As a result, my test cars do occasionally get dirty. It's all part of the reviewing process.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.
If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles. And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.
Comments or questions?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.
This site is operated by Scarlet Pumpkin Communications in Pietermaritzburg.
Unless otherwise stated, all photographs are courtesy of www.quickpic.co.za
Copyright this business. All rights reserved.
SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8