“About the vlakte there is no spirit of a wanton invitingness. But there is a clinging bitterness and a straight-browed austerity, a stony, sterile bosom that holds out no beguilement. And when the message of these harsh places of the earth has got into your blood, and the mystery of things comes to you unrefined and not wrought into a pattern, then it is only with an effort, and at first but reluctantly, that you can bring your soul to an acceptance of beauty that has got resilience in it.”
The words of Herman Charles Bosman often flash through my mind when I make my way through South Africa’s spectacular but often harsh landscapes. He writes about how the harshness of some things is at first hard to accept, but how you love it later. Because it gets into your blood.
So when a three-person family sets off on an annual festive season road trip in a new but unfamiliar Renault Duster 1.3T Intens EDC 4x2, I anticipate it will be an experience ranging from going to old but familiar places to discovering and accepting new things. After all, holidays should always be about mixing a bit of adventure and excitement with serious relaxation.
Setting off on the familiar 2,200km round trip from Johannesburg to Gqeberha and back, and doing it in a stylish Cedar Green Duster, feels like you’re doing it with just the right amount of familiarity, but with a dusted layer of new energy and expectation.
Into the first 200km of the trip, you notice the fuel gauge hasn’t moved much. That’s what the economical fuel consumption of the 1.3l petrol turbo engine and seven-speed EDC automatic in the 4x2 model gets you. You might even feel a bit disappointed that you don’t have to refuel at Kroonstad for the mandatory “stop every two hours to freshen up” break, as recommended by the road trip experts. The fuel economy is something to celebrate in this SUV.
The hybrid model of the new Renault Duster will give you 877km to a tank, while the petrol turbo model we had came in a bit closer to 740km per 50l tank. That’s provided you stick to the speed limit. Renault states the fuel economy in the mild hybrid model at about 5.7l/100km, while on the road our petrol model achieved something closer to 6.5l, even when calling on some of that instant torque needed from the 113kW/250Nm engine. Handy to pass those pesky mineral trucks hogging narrow roads.
As far as space and comfort are concerned, two children could easily be strapped in safely and take advantage of Renault’s innovative use of the YouClip system — a flexible accessory attachment system with built-in mounting and clip-on points for various practical items such as digital tablets behind the front-seat headrests, smartphone holders, storage pouches, cup holders and hooks.
But a word of caution. If your fully grown student daughter is used to stretching out across two time zones in the back seats of your large old SUV, recovering from university studies and the exhaustion of student parties all year long, the comments coming at you from the back of the Renault may be somewhat impatient from time to time.
The things inside the Renault Duster that make you forget about long, endless roads and beautifully harsh places along the way are the user-friendly tech applications integrated into the vehicle. Such as the 10″ touchscreen monitor, with wireless smartphone replication that fully integrates your cellphone — if you want it to.
Or the 7″ digital display, which is minimalist and easy to interpret, with hand controls all over and behind the steering wheel. The three-setting automatic drive “stick” — with only reverse, park or drive options — takes a bit of getting used to. But when you experience how the built-in wireless charging, the multi-angle rear parking assistance, the multi-view camera and the blind spot detection technology give you options, you realise the old making way for the new becomes easier to accept.
On the coastal and country roads less travelled in the Eastern Cape, I found a few specifications of the Duster quite handy. Such as the 209mm ground clearance and the tyre pressure detection technology that monitors the health of your tyres. Not to mention the adequate 494l packing space for the luggage of two women and a man on holiday. Renault’s people tell me an added advantage of the 4x4 model is that it comes with a five-mode rotating button — settings including auto, eco, mud and sand, snow and off-road.
Overall the new Renault Duster is a solid vehicle and should be a serious contender in its market segment. Good power, quick reaction, good handling, easy navigation, innovative technology and loads of attitude. With so many options from other parts of the world these days, it reminds one of that thing of beauty the French are so good at. It may feel a bit stubborn at first and hide a few surprises, but it gets into your blood, and it has a resilience in it.
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