TESTLONG-TERM
90 SEPTEMBER 2019 leisurewheels.co.za
This page:
Euro NCAP
crash-tested
the current-
generation
Duster and it
scored three
stars overall
A safe bet
decided to take a glance at the UK
model to see how much it differs from
our local version.
The answer might surprise you.
The only difference between our
Duster and the fancy UK Dacia is
curtain airbags. Other than that, they
match spec for spec. Our Duster is
even equipped with blind spot
monitoring, which is a scarce offering
in its segment.
More importantly, all Duster
models are already equipped with
safety technology which Global
NCAP hopes will one day become
standard on all cars offered in South
Africa. This includes two airbags,
traction and stability control and,
arguably the most important of all,
ABS brakes.
Thankfully, we haven’t had
first-hand experience in crash testing
this particular model and we hope it
remains that way for the remainder of
its time with us.WE were in attendance this year,
once again shocked at how bad
a Nissan NP300 looks after its
forward momentum is rudely
interrupted by a concrete block.
Having no idea what cars were
involved, we hoped the Duster
would be on the 2019 list. It
competes in a highly lucrative
segment in which more than
2 000 vehicles are sold each month.
Alas, it was not to be, but the crash
test did inspire some in-depth
research into the safety levels of the
South African spec Duster versus
models available internationally.
Before we get to that, however, we
do have some first-hand experience in
crashing a Duster. A few years ago,
during a compact crossover shoot-out,
our long-term Duster was sideswiped
by a Jeep Grand Cherokee. That
Duster took the knock like a champ, as
it was still able to crawl the 600m or so
back to our office. The only damage,
apart from the expected dents and
scrapes, was a bent damper. On that
particular day, there also happened to
be a one-year-old in the back, safely
nestled within a baby seat. Thanks to
the Duster’s ability to walk away from
a serious punch, that baby is now fiveyears old and quite a big fan of the
current Duster’s touchscreen interface.
Global NCAP tested the previous-
generation Duster in India, where it
performed relatively well. It garnered
three stars for adult safety and two
stars for child safety, which doesn’t
sound all that great but is above
average when most competitors tend
to score zero.
Unfortunately, Global NCAP
hasn’t tested the new Duster in India
either, so the only unbiased assess-
ment is Euro NCAP. The current
generation scored three stars overall,
with a 71% score for adult occupants
and 66% for child occupants. Some
may snub it for not scoring the full
five stars, but achieving that goal is
pretty tough these days. If a car
doesn’t have certain advanced
electronic nannies, for example, Euro
NCAP immediately subtracts a star.
In order to score five stars, the Duster
would need a number of features that
would eventually escalate the price to
over R400 000, which kind of defeats
the purpose of having an affordable
family SUV.
To make cars even more affordable
here, manufacturers often delete a
few features. So, as stated earlier, weGlobal NCAP recently unveiled the results of their latest crash test results.
Since South Africa doesn’t have the facilities to crash-test local models, only
a select few can be purchased per year, sent overseas and crashed into an
immovable object.
RENAULT DUSTER
Mileage at start: 563km
Mileage: 8 328km
Average consumption: 6.1 litres/100km
Tank size: 50 litres
Distance per tank: 790kmThe Good:
Frugal, spacious and safe
The Bad:
Nothing bad to report this
month