Renault Duster Zen 4WD: Mildly in a league of its own

There’s a funny history I have with the Renault Duster. When I was in my first year at Wits University, my parents were considering buying me a car. 

It was around the time that the first-generation Renault Duster entered the country. I kept nagging my parents about getting a car but I was not sure what I wanted. 

One day, my mom pointed out the Duster while we were driving on the highway and said in jest that it should be my first car. I took one look and was infuriated that she would even joke about it — it was boxy and it had chunky headlights and tailights that made the vehicle look as if it was crying. It was certainly not the car I would want girls to see me in when I arrived on campus. 

But the second generation was an improvement and the new third-generation Duster has gone through an extreme glow-up. 

If you offered me the new Duster purely based on looks, I would take it with my eyes closed. 

This one looks robust, aggressive, stylish and bold. 

The signature Y-shaped LED headlights, coupled with the larger grille and the Renault lettering across it, make me wonder why this design was absent in the first generation. 

I mean, it could have saved me from being the victim of a bad joke. 

But, in terms of how far the brand has come with the product, credit has to be given to Renault for turning the Duster into a very attractive vehicle from the outside. 

The chunky cladding and skid plate, along with the modular roof bar, add to the muscular build of the vehicle. It flows effortlessly from front to back. 

The interior

The new Duster also does a good job of keeping with the rugged, but comfortable, appeal on the inside. 

The cloth seats didn’t feel uncomfortable at any point and the 10.1-inch infotainment system along the dash contributed to the stylish nature of the car. The system is extremely responsive and supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

I do understand the use of heavy-duty plastics around the cabin, but the hard plastics used on the door panels was slightly uncomfortable, especially for someone who has particularly bony elbows. 

Other than that, the interior was pleasant. 

Drivetrain and drive

The Duster is available in three derivatives: the Zen EDC 4×2, the Intens 4×2 and the Zen 6MT 4WD Mild Hybrid, which we tested. 

The first two use a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine, while the 4WD mild hybrid has a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine paired with a 48V hybrid setup that delivers 96kW of power and 230Nm of torque, with electric assist via the starter-generator.

It’s a bit odd that the hybrid is only available with a manual gearbox but, in a way, it’s different and cool. 

The ride quality of the hybrid is extremely comfortable both on the road and off. Usually, with these slightly more compact vehicles, they give you a lot of one and not much of the other. 

Take the Suzuki Jimny, for example, which I had on test earlier this year. It’s built to be an adventure vehicle but struggles on the open road. However, the Duster just cruises, without any struggles. 

I found gear changes to be extremely smooth as well.

The version I was in, the 4×4, also offers 4WD terrain control with five driving modes: Auto, Snow, Mud/Sand, Off-road and Eco. 

The generous ground clearance of 217mm (between axles) in the 4WD version, along with class-leading optimised approach and departure angles, ensures exceptional off-road performance.

The only problem with the hybrid version of the Duster is that it is not diesel — Renault has scrapped this version in this line-up. It provided fuel figures of 7.1 litres/100km but it will not be as economical as the diesel model. 

Safety

The new Duster gets improved chassis rigidity for better safety. 

It also comes with six airbags (driver, passenger, side and curtain), blind spot detection, tyre pressure detector, electric parking brake (epb) and paddle shift levers on the steering wheel. 

The 4WD monitor in the Duster 4WD model is a real-time off-road assistance system that helps drivers navigate challenging terrain more effectively, providing key off-road data on the infotainment system, making it easier to handle rough and unpredictable surfaces.

Pricing and verdict

The Duster was once an insulting joke to me but this one is serious business. 

It’s hard to argue against the New Renault Duster Zen 6MT 4WD Mild Hybrid variant because it provides such a comfortable experience both on and off the road. 

It is the most expensive variant at R549 999 but it is an affordable adventure vehicle that holds its ground anywhere it goes. Therefore, it is in a league where there are no real competitors. 

However, the 4×2 variants, which are priced at R489 999 and R519 999, don’t have those added off-road capabilities, and are in a very crowded segment, which makes it hard to argue why you should buy one of them