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.


Update: 2018 Renault (Dacia) Duster 1.5 dCi Dynamique 4x4

Geared for trying conditions

Posted: 16 March 2018

The numbers
Price: R309 900
Engine: 1461 cc, Renault K9K four-cylinder, eight-valve turbodiesel
Power: 80 kW at 3900 rpm
Maximum torque: 240 Nm at 1750 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 12,8 seconds
Maximum speed: 168 km/h
Brakes: ABS with EBD, EBA and ESP
Airbags: Four
Ground clearance: 210 mm
Approach/departure/breakover angles: 30/36/23 degrees
Turning circle: 10.76 metres
Maximum trailer mass: 1500 kg braked, 695 kg unbraked
Real life fuel consumption: About 6,8 l/100 km
Tank: 50 litres
Luggage: 408/1570 litres
Warranty: 5 years/150 000 km; with roadside assistance
Service plan: 3 years/45 000 km; at 15 000 km intervals

Some people say that the more things stay the same, the more they change …

The little Duster awd diesel we drove almost four years ago, in May 2014, is a good example. Its engine, gearbox and body haven’t changed although an October 2016 facelift and equipment upgrade made many things nicer. The front end is significantly different with new grille, air intake and headlights. The tail lamps also changed and were joined by rear parking alarm sensors and a reversing camera.

On the inside its centre console was streamlined, new fabric inserts were added to the seats (leather is still an option) and a 7” MediaNav touchscreen control panel became standard on Dynamique models. All versions gained automatic locking and cruise control.  The height adjuster for the driver’s seat still offers only two positions, all the way up or all the way down, but we’ll overlook that. For now. Another thing that remained unchanged was the controller for the outside mirrors. It’s still down on the console and half-hidden beneath the parking brake, where only a Gaul would know to look.

On the other hand, said parking brake is placed centrally so it doesn’t matter whether the car is destined for RHD or LHD. Its action is smooth and positive, so that’s good too. With the pilot’s chair down, taller drivers have about a fist-width of headroom without depriving the person seated directly behind them of foot space. The fairly long gear lever has a slightly notchy action but shifts positively. Earlier comments about pedal spacing and room to put one’s clutch foot, when not actively using it, remain unchanged.

As mentioned before, this Duster uses the rear suspension and 4x4 driveline off Nissan’s X-Trail. A three-way selector lets you choose front-wheel drive only, ‘automatic’ when power is transferred rearwards as needed whenever slippage is detected by an electromagnetic torque converter, and a lock position. In this mode, power goes evenly to both axles while throttle control and braking are adapted for 4x4 use. Use it when grip is low (snow, mud, dirt or sand) and at low speed.

Its TL8 gearbox differs from the TL4 used in 4x2 Dusters in that first gear is for pulling your buddy’s Jimny out of mud holes (kidding – or are we?), crawling up steep hills and lumbering through obstacles. It’s geared at 5.79 km/h per thousand rpm, rather like a pickup truck, so you might find yourself ignoring it much of the time in city use.

But it’s not only first gear that’s lower overall than those on 4x2 variants. All ratios within each box, as well as the final drives, are different. Sixth, for example, is good for 41.82 km/h per thousand rpm rather than 46.6 km/h per thousand on its 4x2 diesel sister. You notice this while sailing effortlessly up Key Ridge in top gear. At times like this you wonder whether a seventh cog might perhaps be a good idea, but the factory’s reasoning is that the 4x4 will generally be used in more trying conditions, so it’s geared for those.

Apart from that, Duster is still a spacious small-to-medium SUV for five with a decent boot, very acceptable performance and solid build. Its new features are nice too. The spare wheel is a fully sized steel unit with 215/65 R16 Continental Cross Contact rubberware. It’s stored under the folding floorboard in the boot, rather than under the chassis as on 4x2s. You lose 67 litres of boot space as a result of storing it inside but retain the full departure angle the design provides.

Test unit from Renault SA press fleet

Our review of the 2014 model is 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 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.