SA Road Tests

Welcome

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 menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.

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.


Looks like, but isn’t: 2019 Renault Duster TechRoad 1.5 dCi EDC

Known as Dacia Duster in other markets

Decidedly butch

Posted: November 28, 2019

The numbers
Price: R332 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 5.3 l/100 km
Tank: 50 litres
Luggage: 445 – 1478 litres (VDA)
Turning circle: 10.14 metres
Maximum towing mass, braked: 1500 kg (within GCM limit)
Standard tyre: 215/60R17 Bridgestone Dueller
Spare: 215/65R16 on steel rim
Warranty: 5 years / 100 000 km
Service plan: 3 years / 45 000 km, at 15 000 km intervals

“Jeep,” say most people on first seeing Renault Duster’s September 2018 butt-lift. It’s the taillights. They appear remarkably like those on Jeep Renegade although there are differences if you look closer. So, despite your initial misgivings, Renault had nothing to do with the recent take-over of, or marriage to, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. That was the other French motor company.

Before we abandon reflections on said butt-lift, there were changes to  the tailgate and lower valance too. And the side panels. And the grille, headlamps and plastic “skid plate” as well. That gained an imitation bull-bar. Together with blackened side rails and a new vertical black panel on the trailing edge of each front fender, it makes even the tamest New Duster look decidedly butch and “off-roadworthy.”

Because of that, not many observers believed that our TechRoad test car with 4x2 and six-speed EDC automatic wasn’t actually a pukka off-roader. Certain characteristics seemed to persuade them; like 210 mm of ground clearance with approach and departure angles of 30- and 34 degrees.

As usual, more happened on the inside. Most noticeable is the wide and unobstructed new dash with revised vents and touchscreen. Then there are revised HVAC controls, improved connectivity with screen mirroring for CarPlay and Android Auto, a proper elevation adjuster for the pilot’s chair, lift- and reach-adjustable steering wheel and the wing mirror controller that finally got up off the central console and onto the main dashboard where it belongs.

These changes and various other improvements resulted in a more comfortable and “quality” ambience. It’s hard to explain; the car just feels stronger, smoother and more solid than previous Dusters did. TechRoad’s raison d’être is to replace the Dynamique trim level.

The six-slot, dual-clutch gearbox improved too, performing noticeably better than when we drove the equivalent vehicle in 2017. That’s despite the fact that engine outputs are precisely the same as they were back then. Somebody finally set the switches right.

Then there were goings-on under the bonnet. The 1600 cc petrol motor was given a small power boost - from 77 kW and 148 Nm to 80 kilowatts with 156 Newton-metres - and a slightly detuned version of the Alliance’s 1.5-litre diesel was brought in as a further choice.

This offers 66 kW and 210 Nm and is available only on TechRoad with 4x2 and five-speed manual transmission. An uprated 80-kilowatt, 260 Nm option is fitted to the sole remaining Dynamique model, the 4x4 manual. Automatics, TechRoad 4x2 (our test car) and top-of-range Prestige 4x2, boast 80 kilowatts and 250 Nm of torque. Confused yet? We gave up a couple of paragraphs ago.

Although almost everything else changed, the facelift left the vehicles’ length, width, height and wheelbase unaltered. Luggage space and people room remain as before. So do brakes, suspension and safety kit. Best not to fiddle with what works, hey?

In the meantime, catch a little reflected cachet with TechRoad’s Jeep-like tail lights and the powerful Adventure look that comes free with even the humblest versions. We did.

Test unit from Renault SA press fleet


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.