2025 Renault Duster in South Africa

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Great news, you can finally say ‘hello’ to the 2025 Renault Duster in South Africa. And we’ve been among the first to drive it in local conditions. Hard to imagine that the Renault Duster has been with us for 12 years already. And, over that time, it’s undergone a rags-to-riches evolution. The one you see here is the third-generation vehicle and it’s European-built in Slovakia. Back in 2013, the first batch of Dusters hailed from India and the difference in the 2025 Renault Duster, frankly, is night and day …

Let’s get all the tech stuff out the way first. The long-serving 1.5-litre dCi turbodiesel is no longer in the 2025 Renault Duster due to stricter European emissions regulations. Instead, you’ve got a revolutionary downsized three-cylinder turbo-petrol drivetrain with mild-hybrid assistance. 96 kW and 230 Nm are excellent outputs, and the 2025 Renault Duster loses nothing in drivability. In fact, we would argue it’s even more versatile as a mild hybrid. Renault South Africa didn’t confirm any official zero to 100 km/h sprint times, but conservatively we reckon it’s in the 10-second range. As far as economy goes, on your launch route we saw average fuel consumption of 6.2 l/100 km. Once again, seriously impressive in this application.

2025 RENAULT DUSTER IN SOUTH AFRICA

To launch the 2025 Renault Duster in South Africa, we got to drive the family SUV all around the wilds of the Western Cape. With the piece de resistance being a spot of sand driving in the Atlantis dunes. We drove the 4WD manual exclusively, but the other Duster drivetrain available is a 1.3T four-cylinder 4×2 with dual-clutch EDC. We suspect this easy-going two-pedal offering – in either Zen or Intens specification – will make up the bulk of 2025 Renault Duster sales, versus the manual 4WD. We’ll be sure to review that variant as soon as possible for you.

Nevertheless, a two-day drive gave us plenty of time to get acquainted with the 2025 Renault Duster in South Africa. Essentially, it has not lost the previous model’s practical, bundu-basher attitude. While more expensive than its predecessor, it is still keenly priced in a competitive market, with vehicles ranging from R489 999 (Zen EDC 4×2) to R549 999 (6MT 4WD). And now it has style and tech to appeal to a broader spectrum of aspirational buyer.

RAGS TO RICHES

What we mean by ‘aspirational buyer’ is, on aesthetics alone, the 2025 Renault Duster is truly desirable. We were positively mobbed by people everywhere we went wanting to know more about the new Duster. Which also proves that over 12 years and more than 2.2-million sales globally (26 000 in South Africa), the plucky SUV has earned itself a keen following.

What we told everyone who asked was that the 2025 Renault Duster has evolved brilliantly to keep pace with the competition. The bold Renault lettering across the front grille, flanked by the Y-shaped LED DLRs, speaks to its new design focus. Attractive folded metal on the bonnet and tailgate are enhanced by rugged bumpers front and rear. And, as we found out in the dunes, the good-looking bumpers did not hinder all-important approach and departure angles for off-roading either.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?

Moreover, the 2025 Renault Duster makes use of 30% recycled plastics. Given the global dilemma of micro-plastics, every car company should follow suit, if it hasn’t already. This recycled material includes bumpers, body work and, crucially, interior trim. As a result, the cabin would be virtually unrecognisable to a previous Duster owner. The cloth seats are shapely and comfortable. The Duster facia is controlled by the central 10.1-inch touchscreen with all the Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity you’d expect.

And because it shares the CMF-B platform with the excellent Renault Captur, interior dimensions have improved all around. We’re talking 7-mm headroom, 13-mm shoulder room and 33-mm rear leg room. Plus, utility space in the boot is now up from 414 to 444 litres. Just these improvements in practicality alone are worth the incremental price increase.

THE VERDICT

It’s still early days for the 2025 Renault Duster in South Africa, but we believe it to be a slam-dunk in the compact-SUV market. Yes, the dCi is gone, but that’s got to do with regulations, so best to move on from that. More importantly, the transformation of this once-humble SUV is nothing short of spectacular. We love the bold-yet-refined looks and perky new drivetrain. Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH) suppression is much improved and it still has the cheeky underdog character of the original. Best of all, it’s the type of car you won’t be too precious about. You can load and accessorise it to the hilt with all your leisure lifestyle gear and simply get on with living an extraordinary life. Have at it!