2025 Renault Duster Review

It’s always refreshing when something truly unique arrives in the affordable end of the car market to disprove the cynical idea that new cars are boring. The 2025 Renault Duster seems poised as a potent reminder that uniqueness and affordability can still go hand-in-hand. 

A staple of the European car market in its Dacia Duster guise – The Renault Duster has arrived in Australia for the first time, presenting itself as an affordable, stylish yet rugged small SUV, capable both around town and on trips to the great outdoors. 

But can the quirky compact Duster prove its worth on local soil? And can it live up to its obvious charm in equal part on merit? 

How Much Does the Renault Duster cost?

Prices for the Renault Duster start at $31,990 before on-road costs for the entry-level 4X2 Evolution trim level. The Duster is not the cheapest small SUV on sale in Australia but it still undercuts the entry price of other offerings in the segment such as the Hyundai Kona and the Mazda CX-30. 

When it comes to rivals with all four wheels driven, the 4X4 Duster Evolution – priced at $36,490 before on-road costs – isn’t quite able to undercut the 5-door Suzuki Jimny or the Subaru Crosstrek, each costing some $1,500 less. 

By no means is the Duster expensive however. Even the top spec Techno 4X4 model is priced at $37,990, an acceptable figure considering that variants of some models in the segment can exceed $40,000. 

If a low price is the primary factor in your purchasing choice, the likes of the Chery Tiggo 4, Haval Jolion and MG ZS may be better options. But overall, the Renault Duster range presents itself as an affordable option in the small SUV segment.

2025 Renault Duster Pricing

Evolution 4X2: $31,990

Evolution 4X4: $36,490

Techno 4X2: $39,990 

Techno 4X4: $37,990

Options

Premium and metallic paint (Cedar Green, Shadow Grey, Terracotta, Sandstone, Shadow Grey, Pearlescent Black, Khaki Green): $750

Rugged, Chic and Well-Balanced

The Renault Duster has absolutely nailed it in the styling department. The design is exceptionally well-balanced between tough and stylish, matching the character of the car perfectly. 

The boxed lines, its short and chunky proportions, and the way the black recycled “starkle” material is integrated into its design are all effective in enforcing an aesthetic toughness. 

These elements are balanced out with such styling cues as the curved apexes, the fork-shaped motif in the headlight and taillight design, and the c-pillar mounted doorhandles, contributing to something that also looks contemporary and fashionable.

Few small SUVs combine these qualities as effectively from a styling perspective as the Renault Duster. It’s a harmonious package that is as robust and rugged as it is chic, and it won’t seem out of place in town or in the great outdoors. 

It’s a combination of attributes that are undeniably desirable. It’s not just aesthetically pleasing, it sells a lifestyle in a way that few cars can, and I suspect it will entice many customers on looks alone. As a styling exercise, that is surely a measure of comprehensive success. 

Functional But Made of Plastic

The front row of the Renault Duster is reasonably well-laid out and intuitive. 

The 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen – compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – is clear, crisp and easy to navigate. The same can also be said for the seven-inch digital instrument cluster. 

The physical buttons for the air conditioning controls are a welcome touch. The fan speed controls being an up and down switch as opposed to a dial is arguably an odd choice as it can take a while to arrive at your desired speed, but it’s still functional.  

Front row users also benefit from two USB-C ports, a 12V socket and wireless smartphone charging as well as ample storage options, most notably in the deep centre console armrest. 

The Techno trim level adds a YouClip accessory point – the Duster’s attachment system for additional accessories – next to the infotainment system, useful for a phone holder should you feel the need to add an additional screen. 

It’s certainly a well-styled interior, with angular surfaces and the fork-shaped motif from the headlights and taillights making a return for the air-vent design. But touch any of those surfaces and you’ll be met with scratchy hard plastics throughout.

All specs of the Renault Duster feature manually adjustable seats, with one of two varieties of cloth upholstery available. No synthetic leather or electric adjustability here.

To be fair, durability has clearly been the priority, and arguably fancy materials and luxurious features wouldn’t quite match the Duster’s outdoorsy intended use cases. However, it does feel noticeably cheap. 

In any case, while not exactly a Rolls Royce, the front row of the Renault Duster is functional and a perfectly fine place to spend time. 

Spacious But Slightly Spartan

The rear seats of the Renault Duster enjoy strong head room and shoulder room as well as adequate knee room.

Rear seat passengers also have access to two USB-C ports and rear air vents. However, there’s no folding centre armrest or an accompanying cupholder, or at least not as standard in the case of the latter. Instead, a cupholder accessory can be attached to a YouClip point mounted just beneath the rear air vents.

Overall, the second row of the Renault Duster will seat its passengers reasonably comfortably for an SUV of this size. 

4X2 Sports Strong Space but 4X4 Falls Slightly Short

The bootspace of the Renault Duster varies between the 4X2 and the 4X4 variants. 

The 4X2 offers 472 litres of boot space, growing to 1,564 litres with the rear seats folded. This is very competitive for a small SUV, putting the Duster 4X2 towards the top of the segment. 

Packaging requirements mean that the 4X4 sees its boot space shrink to 358 litres and 1,424 litres with the rear seats folded. While this still isn’t the worst in the segment, it’s far from the highly competitive showing of its two-wheel drive counterpart. 

The 4X2 Techno variant is equipped with a split boot floor, however, this is lost in the 4X4 model. 

Three YouClip mounting points – two in the boot and one in the tailgate – can be found in the rear of all Renault Duster variants, along with a 12V socket and a spare tyre.

Neither Underpowered, Neither Set the World on Fire

Two powertrain options are available for the Renault Duster. 

The 4X2 variants are powered by a 1.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine – producing 113kW and 270Nm – paired with a seven-speed dual clutch automatic with paddle shifters. 

The Duster 4X4 variants feature a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine with a 48V mild hybrid system – with a total output of 96kW and 230Nm – paired with the increasing rarity that is a six-speed manual transmission. 

Renault claims a combined fuel economy of 6.5L/100km for the 4X2 four-cylinder automatic and 5.7L/100km for the 4X4 three-cylinder manual. As tested, both variants achieved fuel economy between six and seven liters per 100km. 

CarSauce’s 0-100km/h tests saw the 4X2 achieve a time of 9.08 seconds while the 4X4 manual clocked times of 13.28 seconds. Evidently, neither powertrain sets the world on fire in terms of performance, but neither feel underpowered. 

Choosing between the powertrains really comes down to the affordability and the superior performance of the 4X2 against the addition of four-wheel drive, the arguably better sound of the three cylinder and the allure – for some customers at least – of the manual transmission featured in the 4X4 variant. 

Lacking In Engagement

The majority of my time with the Renault Duster was spent at the Lang Lang Proving Ground on a handling course designed to be as rough and bumpy as possible. It’s on these surfaces that the strengths of the Renault Duster’s ride really shine through, soaking up the bumps even when coming across them at considerable speeds. While it was a windy day when I tested the Renault Duster, the wind and tyre noise was definitely noticeable. However, ultimately, the Duster is acceptably comfortable. 

It’s in engagement where the Duster falls short. The steering, while direct, is light and incredibly vague, something that becomes all the more obvious in low grip conditions when the steering is at its lightest. It does have a tendency to understeer as well – not to a horrific degree it must be said – but I wouldn’t go pushing it on a backroad. 

In the manual 4X4 variant, the clutch pedal is also very light, making finer clutch control feel awkward at times, although I believe this would be fine eventually after taking some time to get used to it. 

Even with the Duster's full ADAS safety suite active I found that the level of intervention was appropriate, with the lane keep assist making itself known only a handful of times, although these systems can helpfully be customised via the infotainment system if they are not to your liking.

While not necessarily the most engaging of on-road driving experiences or the most refined, the Duster will be suitable for most daily use cases. The light steering tune and soft ride will likely make pottering around town quite pleasant, and it’s no doubt capable enough to be incorporated into the adventurous lifestyle of its customer base, transporting them comfortably to their chosen outdoor activity. 

Both Variants Capable

Driving along a dirt or gravel track the Renault Duster is composed, even at considerable speeds, and feels perfectly at home. The soft ride that benefits it on bumpy tarmac does wonders for soaking up the inconsistencies of loose-surface tracks. 

I also got the chance to test the 4X2 and the 4X4 Duster variants on Lang Lang’s off-road courses. The 4X4 variant benefits from four-wheel drive, terrain modes and hill descent control and tackled the course easily, but even the 4X2 impressed, with its 212mm of ground clearance enough to keep itself out of trouble. 

It should be noted that the 4X4 example tested off-road was not equipped with its factory tyres, instead riding on a set of BFGoodrich KO3 All-Terrains tyres. However, considering that anyone planning to do serious off-roading would likely use off-road tyres, I think we can still recognise the Duster 4X4’s off-road merits despite not wearing its factory boots. 

While it’s unlikely that many Renault Dusters will actually see a lot of off-road action, both guises proved themselves to be relatively competent. 

Expect 3 Stars

The Renault Duster is yet to be tested by ANCAP, although its Dacia Duster sister car scored a three-star Euro NCAP score. Given that scores from the two testing bodies align closely with one another, it seems likely that the Renault Duster will receive a similar score when rated for Australia. 

Standard safety features on the Renault Duster Evolution trim level include: 

• Airbags (driver & front passenger, driver & front passenger chest, front & rear curtain) 
• Seatbelt Pretensioners and Load Limiter (front)
• Seatbelt Warning Light and Tone
• ISOFIX Anchorage Points (Outboard Rear Seats)
• Rear child seat anchorage points (x3)
• Electronic Stability Control
• Anti-Lock Braking System 
• Emergency Brake Assist
• Active Emergency Braking System w/ Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection
• Lane Keep Assist
• Forward Collision Warning
• Traffic Sign Recognition
• Drive Attention Alert
• Cruise Control and Speed Limiter
• Safe Following Distance Warning
• Rear View Camera w/ Moving Guidelines
• Rear Parking Sensors
• Tyre Pressure Warning
• ADAS Safety Personalisation Button

The Techno trim level adds:

• Blind Spot Warning
• Multi-view Camera
• Front and Side Parking Sensors

Mild Hybrid Might Not Save You As Much As You Think

The Renault Duster comes with a five year, unlimited kilometre warranty as well as five years, unlimited kilometre roadside assist. 

Service intervals fall on whatever comes first between one year or 30,000 kilometers, with customers able to choose between one of two five-year servicing plans for each variant. 

The pre-paid service plan comes to a total of $2,100 for the 4X4 variant and $2,150 for the 4X2, while the pay-as-you-go service plan comes to $2,475 and $2,685 for the 4X4 and 4X2 models respectively. The pre-paid plans are relatively affordable and reasonably competitive for the small SUV segment.

While the mild hybrid 4X4 should theoretically save you money at the pump, unlike the 4X2 variant which can take 91 Octane, the 4X4 requires 95. With relatively comparable fuel efficiency figures and a lower asking price, the 4X2 variant may be the more affordable option long-term.

What do you get with the Renault Duster?

The Renault Duster Evolution 4X2 and 4X4 variants come as standard with: 

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Spare tyre
• Cloth seats
• Adjustable leather steering wheel
• Centre armrest storage
• 7-inch digital instrument cluster
• 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen w/ custom display options
• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (wired and wireless)
• Bluetooth
• Wireless charging
• Six-speaker sound system
• One-touch up and down windows (all four doors)
• USB-C ports (x2 front, x2 rear)
• 12V socket (front and boot)
• YouClip accessory points (x1 rear centre console, x2 boot, x1 tailgate)
• Remote central locking
• Auto door lock when driving
• Electric parking brake
• Roof rails
• Foldable ‘flick’ key
• Rain-sensing windscreen wipers
• Dusk sensing headlights
• Daytime running lights
• Rear fog light
• LED lamps (low beam) 
• Halogen lamps (high beam) 
• Mirror indicator light

The Techno 4X2 and 4X4 variants add or replace: 

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Modular roof rails
• Premium cloth seats
• Smart key card
• Automatic ‘walk away’ door locking and ‘approach’ unlocking
• Blind spot warning
• Multi-view camera
• Front parking sensors
• Engine start button
• Dashboard YouClip accessory point 
• Automatic high/low beam
• Split level-level boot floor (4X2 only)

Final Thoughts

The 2025 Renault Duster is not without its faults. The quality of the cabin’s materials, the lack of engagement in its on-road driving experience and the practicality lost by the 4X4 variant leave a lot to be desired.

While not class leading in many respects, the Duster performs well enough to capitalise on its strengths. Its styling is a substantial victory, likely to win the hearts of many prospective buyers, and even if it's rarely fully utilised, its off-road capability adds additional appeal. 

While difficult to quantify, perhaps the Duster’s greatest strength is its rugged yet stylish image, allowing it to break the mould of the small SUV segment, while still remaining a relatively affordable prospect. As a means of outward expression, few offerings can match the Duster’s x factor. 

While objectively falling short in some areas, the Renault Duster remains irresistibly appealing, and if you’re looking for something truly unique, this could be the compact SUV for you.