NEW, SA-BOUND RENAULT DUSTER FINALLY REVEALED
Back in August, the new-generation Dacia Duster was revealed ahead of its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show. And now the Renault-badged version of the popular SUV has finally been unveiled.
We can expect the new Renault Duster to arrive in South Africa in the third quarter of 2018.
While the two vehicles are of course very closely related, the most obvious difference comes at the front, where the Renault adopts a fresh grille design (falling in line with much of the rest of the French brand’s range) featuring more curves than that used on the Dacia.
The wide, chrome-finished grille, which the Boulogne-Billancourt-based brand says was “inspired by the Alaskan’s design”, runs between the headlamps, with the latter featuring Renault’s latest C-shaped lighting signature.
Renault also promises a “step-up in perceived quality” along with a “totally redesigned interior” for the new model. The central display, for instance, is positioned higher in the facia, while the handbrake has been moved to free up space. The steering wheel can now be adjusted for both rake (40 mm) and reach (50 mm), while the front seats have been completed redesigned.
The new Duster’s boot capacity under the luggage cover is a claimed 478 litres for the front-wheel-drive model and 467 litres for the all-paw version. In addition, the automaker says the four-wheel-drive experience has been “improved”, with the ground clearance coming in at 210 mm (ever-so-slightly higher than the current model).
From what we can tell, the engine options will carry over largely unchanged.
