SA Road Tests

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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. Most, but not all, 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 menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.


Review: Renault Duster 1.5 dCi Dynamique 4x2 updated for 2016

Everything that’s needed.

Posted: 10 December 2015

The numbers

Price: R255 900
Engine: 1461 cc, SOHC, 8-valve, four-cylinder, commonrail turbodiesel
Power: 80 kW at 3900 rpm
Torque: 240 Nm between 1750 and 2250 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 12.2 seconds
Maximum speed: 169 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 7.0 l/100 km
Tank: 50 litres
Luggage: 475 – 1636 litres
Ground clearance: 205 mm
Warranty: 5 years / 150 000 km
Service plan; 3 years / 45 000 km; at 15 000 km intervals

To recap: There are four Renault Dusters available here; two 1600 cc, 75-kilowatt petrol models in basic Expression and classier Dynamique trims and a pair of 1500 cc, 80-kW diesel-fired Dynamiques. All use manual gearboxes – five speeds for Expression and six for Dynamique. There is only one 4x4; one of the diesels. After a brief flirtation on the 2013 launch, the 4x4 is the only model we have had on a one-week trial. Until now that is.

Fittingly, our second diesel for review benefitted from a recent facelift and equipment upgrade. It coincided with a change of production base from Chennai in India to Mioveni in Romania. The move makes sense in that the latter factory, which also supplies the UK market, enjoys a reputation for solid build quality and efficiency.

It’s home to the Sanderos we get here and a fair percentage of its parts are made in Romania too. And, being a smaller operation, model updates can be implemented quickly. Enough justification; you’re just glad you don’t have reason to fret over possible quality issues, aren’t you?

About specifics: On the outside, the chrome-plated horizontal strip on the grille was re-designed with Renault’s diamond centrepiece now set into two strips instead of three and visually more prominent; less chrome, together with changed headlights, makes Duster’s front-end appear simpler, sleeker and tougher; there are chunky new roof bars with “Duster” etched into aluminium insets; the powered wing mirrors are body-coloured; it has trendy new alloy wheels and rear parking distance control sensors are standard across the range.

Inside, fabric seat panel insets are now patterned, leather is optional on Dynamique variants, cruise control is standard across the range, the 4x4 now boasts three transmission modes and the final drive has been lengthened slightly from 4.438 : 1 to 4.215 : 1. That gives you more relaxed freeway cruising and better fuel economy. Renault claims an improvement from 5.5 l/100 km to 4.8 litres per hundred on the 4x2 diesel.

Practical outcomes of this change include its zero to 100 km/h sprint time stretching from 11.8- to 12.2 seconds and top speed reducing from 171 km/h to 169 – not that the seat of your pants would feel any difference, mind you. And Duster isn’t “that kind of car” anyway.

What it does provide is everything you actually need in the form of four airbags, a full suite of seat belts and head restraints, ABS brakes with EBA and EBD, sufficient ground clearance for most kerbs and driveways, decent levels of comfort over iffy roads, powered windows all around, air conditioning, satnav and a competent music system, an onboard computer, practical tyres that won’t cost a president’s ransom to replace, a full-size spare wheel, rear parking beepers, cruise control and a nice long warranty with a workable service plan. Parts are competitively priced, have much improved availability and servicing costs beyond the contract period are set to a published menu.

In everyday use the 4x2 diesel Duster offered more than sufficient performance for its daily duties, pulled strongly, had plenty of people space and its boot was big and usable. It cruised comfortably, turning over at about 2500 rpm for 120 km/h in sixth. The view outward was clear thanks to big side windows and it parked easily with its 10.4-metre turning circle. Even the subdued clatter of its diesel engine was scarcely heard once doors and windows were closed.

There are bigger and fancier SUVs but few offer this one’s practicality and comfort levels at this kind of money. And it’s French with a touch of Gypsy. What more could you want?

Test car from Renault SA press fleet.

Our review of the 2014 4x4 diesel is here

We drove the 2017 EDC automatic here



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 as well.

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 I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once 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. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.

Comments?
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