Renault Duster TechRoad is worth a look
We are living it a time where cars are becoming very expensive and customers are now turning away from those mid-sized sedans or somewhat restricted hatchbacks and instead, aim towards the budget crossovers.
There are plenty of contenders in this segment and one of my favourites, not only within the segment but within the entire South African car market, is the Renault Duster. Renault recently added the TechRoad derivative to its line-up and I spent some time with it to see what it is all about.
The tech
From a styling perspective, the Renault Duster is not going to dazzle you, taking into account its somewhat box-like proportions and conservative design. The Duster does, however, look rugged and ready for the unknown, exactly what it was designed for as it will handle a bumpy gravel road in the countryside just as well as a suburban road. The TechRoad does get some niceties not found on its siblings including new diamond-cut 17-inch alloy wheels with red centre caps as well as red strips on the black mirrors and TechRoad badging.
The new and vastly improved interior of the latest Duster iteration sees a new facia design with three rounded air-vents atop the dashboard with a large infotainment screen which comes as standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, satellite navigation and a reverse camera. Below the screen, you will find piano-key like toggles for adjusting various features and below that, a neatly designed climate control system that functions with rotary dials. Continuing the red theme found on the exterior, the TechRoad gets new seat upholstery with red highlights as well as red detailing on the dashboard, console and inner door panels.
The road
The test unit came with a frugal 1.5-litre turbo diesel motor mated to an EDC dual-clutch gearbox and provided an adequate 80 kW of power and 250 N.m of torque. The car returned a surprisingly good driving experience while it’s not thrilling, it will do. The TechRoad is a spacious and practical option and offers decent ground clearance (210mm)
Verdict
During the week of testing, I travelled just over 1000 km on a single tank of fuel which is why I can safely say, if you want a no-fuss, honest car that is not trying to be some city slicker run-around then you should consider a Renault Duster. Yes, it is not perfect, it has some cheap plastics inside and it comes across as predominantly budget-focused but it is rough and tough and at a price of R332 900 is makes for an appealing purchase considering its versatility.
