The Renault Duster has been a local sales success with more than 17 000 units finding their way to new owners since its inception. It landed in South Africa in 2015 and was treated to a facelift and update in 2018 for the 2019 model year.
Many owners have reported that the Duster has far exceeded their expectations and that they would happily replace their Duster with another one when the time comes.
It offers a generous amount of space both for passengers and luggage, is affordable to run and has proven to be reliable and hard-wearing - all wrapped up in a stylish SUV look that offers a raised seating position, great view of the road and is easy to live with. It's high praise indeed for the friendly crossover SUV.
Related: How much are car repayments on a new Renault Duster?
The only real choice that is left to be made is whether to look at the 4x2 model or the 4x4 model and what engine you would like to have in your Duster. You can choose between a 1.6-litre 4x2 offering or spring for the more popular 1.5-litre diesel model, which is available in either 4x2 or 4x4 format.
1. Engines
Both the 1.6-litre and 1.5 dCi diesel engine have been around for some time now, only receiving minor updates along the way to improve durability, fuel economy and modifications to ensure quieter running.
The diesel model is available in two different power outputs, a low-power unit and a high-power unit in the Dynamique, Techroad Auto and Prestige models.
The petrol engine is from the Renault K4M family and is a naturally aspirated 4-cylinder. The diesel engine is the revered K9K dCi engine that has sold over 15-million units and has been used in several Renault, Nissan and even Mercedes-Benz vehicles. As of 2021, the Duster only comes equipped with the 1.5 dCi diesel engines in Low-power and High-Power but you can pick up a used 1.6 model when you search AutoTrader.
| 1.6 K4M | 1.5 dCi Low-power | 1.5 dCi High-power | |
| Fuel | Petrol | Diesel | Diesel |
| Aspiration | Natural | Turbocharger | Turbocharger |
| Power (kW) | 84 | 66 | 80 |
| Torque (Nm) | 156 | 210 | 250 |
| Acceleration (0 - 100 km/h) | 11-sec | 14.8-sec | 11.9-sec (4x2) |
| Top Speed | 167 | 155 | 169 (4x2) |
2. Fuel consumption
There's a marked difference in the fuel consumption between the petrol and diesel engines, no matter which diesel you opt for. In the 2019 WesBank SA Fuel Economy Tour, it was a Renault Captur with a similar 1.5 dCi engine that took top honours in the competition with an average fuel consumption of 4.7319 l/100km at the end of the tour.
Below are the manufacturer claims for fuel consumption and having had several Dusters contest, we can confirm that these figures are very accurate with figures lower than the claims being attainable. Figures below quoted in litres/100 km unless otherwise stated.
| 1.6 K4M petrol | 1.5 dCi low-power diesel | 1.5 dCi high-power diesel | |
| Urban | 8.8 | 5.7 | 5.2 |
| Highway | 5.9 | 4.9 | 4.5 |
| Combined | 7.0 | 5.1 | 4.8 |
| CO2 emissions | 162 g/km | 135 g/km | 126 g/km |
3. Features
The petrol engine, as stated, was only available in the entry-level 4x2 model, the Duster 1.6 Expression. It was also only available with a manual 5-speed gearbox. For all other variants, you will end up with a diesel engine, three of which featured the high-power 1.5 dCi engine and one with the low-power version. Now with the current model line-up, you'll only find the high and low power diesel engines.
The petrol Expression model benefitted from items such as 2 airbags, ABS with EBD but did without some of the additional creature comforts that you would possibly want in a new car.
All of the diesel models come with the following as a minimum; 4 airbags, including two curtain airbags, Climate Control, alloy wheels, a leather-bound steering wheel, touchscreen infotainment system and park distance control with a rear-view camera.
The diesel models also offer the choice of 4x4 or an automatic gearbox whereas these options were not offered in conjunction with a petrol engine.
4. Prices
In total, there are 5 different models to choose from, one with a petrol engine and four with the diesel option. The prices below were correct at the time of publishing and include VAT.
| Renault Duster 1.6 Expression 4X2 | R 268 900 (From new 2020) |
| Renault Duster 1.5 dCi Zen 4x2 | R 397 999 |
| Renault Duster 1.5 dCi Zen Auto 4x2 | R 451 999 |
| Renault Duster 1.5 dCi Zen 4x4 | R 465 999 |
| Renault Duster 1.5 dCi Intens | R 465 999 |
You check out new and used Renault Duster listings on our website.
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