VIDEO: Renault Duster lives up to reputation as solid off-roader

A lot has been said about the all-new Renault Duster that is not offered with a diesel powertrain anymore.

Because the reputable 1.5-litre turbodiesel mill has been discontinued, the third generation Duster is sold in a choice of 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine or 1.2-litre blown mill with mild hybrid assistance.

The good news for off-road enthusiasts is that the other selling points that made the SUV so popular, it’s four-wheel drive capabilities, is as solid as ever in the third generation.

Renault Duster put to the test

The Citizen Motoring recently attended the media launch in the Cape Province where we sampled the all-new Renault Duster in a variety of conditions. More than half of the drive was done on tarmac, with a good selection of gravel roads and sand driving thrown into the mix.

The four-wheel drive Duster is only offered in mild hybrid guise. And the good news for old-school off-road enthusiasts is this mill is only paired with six-speed manual gearbox.

While we really liked the short and stubby gear lever, we must admit that the clutch pedal is a tad long. It took us a while to get used to this during the launch drive. But we figure buyers should get used what if required of them to make smooth gear changes in no time. And not stall it so much as we did in daily traffic.

The Renault Duster does not have a low transfer case, but it does feature an advanced 4WD terrain control system. The five driving modes on offer are Eco, Auto, Snow, Mud and Off-road.

Solid suspension

On tarred and gravel roads, we left the system in Auto mode. This allows the terrain control system to automatically detect the surface and adjust the torque sent to each wheel accordingly.

While it was hard to tell exactly how hard the system was working on smooth tarmac, it did wonders over the gravel. The Renault Duster felt rock solid on the long winding farm roads through the Cape Winelands. Even at higher speeds, there was no indication that the suspension will misbehave at any point.

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The highlight of the drive was an outing in the white sand dunes of Atlantis. There we opted for the Off-Road driving mode. This locks the system in four-wheel drive up and to a maximum speed of 60km/h.

Mastering the dunes

With its tyres deflated to just below one bar, the Renault Duster performed brilliantly up the sand dunes. Some got stuck purely because of starting the climb to slow, not maintaining enough momentum through it or making the cardinal mistake of stopping on an incline.

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On our video some of the car’s high revs are audible. But that is purely because some kept it in first gear up the dune because of the mentioned lack of confidence on the clutch pedal. Fluffing a gear change would have resulted in losing momentum and getting stuck half-way up the slope.

Despite the loss of diesel, the Renault Duster’s four-wheel drive capabilities still give it a unique edge in the segment. It might not be an all-out bush whacker, but offers more fun than the garden variety compact crossover SUV.