2013 Renault Duster 4WD Review

The 2013 Renault Duster, a strong and reliable 4x4 with genuine off-road ability, will be on display at the Cairo Motor Show, Egypt, in June. Renault Duster is a particularly versatile vehicle which combines a spacious interior with saloon-car comfort, while its compact footprint and high ground clearance ensure that it is as at home in and about town as it is on country roads or off the beaten track.

Today’s all-terrain vehicles are often synonymous with bulk, but 2013 Renault Duster is an antidote to that idea. With a length of 4.31 metres and a width of 1.82 metres, Renault Duster is very compact. Its Megane-size proportions ensure that it is as at home in built-up areas as it is off the beaten track. While it clearly belongs to the world of all-terrain vehicles, Renault Duster’s lines are not ostentatious. Renault Duster is unmistakably a 4x4. From the front, it exudes an impression of toughness: the wide wheelarches, the imposing lines of the chrome grille and the sump guard clearly emphasise the 4x4 DNA of Renault Duster. Seen from the side, the high ground clearance, clearly defined wheelarches and protective mouldings encourage the driver to tackle even the toughest roads and tracks.

With the Look Pack, owners of 2013 Duster can enhance the vehicle’s good looks. This pack
includes 16-inch aluminium alloy wheels, roof bars, extra-tinted rear glass, and satin-finish chrome exterior mirrors, front and rear skid plates, and sills. A comprehensive range of accessories (including wing extenders, broad side protectors for doors, lateral bars…) will complete this unique look. Inside, the dashboard is modern, uncluttered and functional. Its design varies according to version, and several areas can be modified with different colours or surface finishes. Renault Duster introduces a new Brown trim, while a Leather Pack (seats, steering wheel, gear lever knob) is also available. Particular attention has been paid to its ergonomics to ensure that the controls are conveniently positioned and that driving data is easy to read: the well-placed, intuitive 4x4 control button is a perfect example of this.


Renault Duster was designed to cope with all types of road and track, all over the world. In order to meet these wide-ranging needs, Renault Duster will be available in both 4x4 and 4x2 form. The 4x2 version has been designed for customers who want good ground clearance and a reassuring elevated driving position, as well as loose-surface ability, but who don't have a real need for allwheel drive. The strengthened underside of Renault Duster is suitable for loose-surfaces and all-terrain use thanks to:

- high ground clearance of 210mm,

- short overhangs (822mm at the front, 820mm at the rear),

- big clearance angles (30 degrees for approach angle; 23 degrees for ramp breakover angle 36 degrees for departure angle).

Renault Duster is a vehicle that is easy to use. It is lightweight for its size: 1,160kg for the 4x2
version and 1,250kg for the 4x4 version1. Combined with compact dimensions, this ensures Renault Duster is particularly agile.

Renault Duster is built on the B0/Logan platform which is widely acclaimed for its strength,
reliability and durability. At the front, the pseudo MacPherson-type suspension with wishbones is identical to the layout employed by Logan and Sandero, although strengthened for off-road use. At the rear, the 4x4 version's rear multi-arm arrangement was specifically developed for Renault Duster, while the programmed-deflection flexible H-beam favoured for the 4x2 versions is strong and permits a large boot, which is a key consideration for our customers. Both solutions deliver a comfortable ride and allow high ground clearance. To confirm Renault Duster's strength and reliability, Renault Duster covered the equivalent of four million kilometres in a wide range of climates and in particularly punishing conditions.

Renault Duster 4x4 is equipped with a new six-speed gearbox with a short first ratio
(5.79kph per 1,000 rpm) which allows the vehicle to travel at very slow speed on uneven terrain,
and improves performance as you pull away from standstill with heavy loads or on steep slopes.
This simple, efficient and economical solution was favoured in order to meet the needs of Renault Duster customers. The TL8 gearbox offers:

- optimized output thanks to a single gearbox and module architecture which limits the number of
gears engaged, and thanks to the use of a low-viscosity lubricant;

- compactness: gearbox and gearshift module are positioned alongside each other with a view to
freeing up cabin space and keeping interior roominess.

- controlled mass: on the TL8 gearbox, the short first gear, instead of a transfer box, optimizes the
number of gears engaged (and thus the mass) for a maximum level of performance;

- a solution to keep the cost down : the TL8 gearbox is derived from the TL4 gearbox which is a
high production volume organ within the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

The 4x4 control located on the lower part of the centre console allows drivers of Renault Duster
4x4 to easily adapt the vehicle’s configuration to their needs. This control permits three modes:

- In AUTO mode, the front/rear torque split is calculated automatically as a function of available
grip. This mode has been developed to provide the best compromise between road holding and
traction, no matter what the level of grip may be. In normal conditions, the torque is transmitted
through the front wheels only. If traction is lost, or when grip is at a premium, some of the torque is transferred to the rear wheels. This split is performed by an electromagnetic torque converter
supplied by Nissan.

- In LOCK mode, the driver electronically locks the transmission in 4x4 mode. In this mode, throttle control and braking are also adapted for 4x4 use. This mode is recommended when grip is low (snow, mud, dirt, sand) and at low speed.

- In 2WD mode, the transmission is locked into two-wheel drive. This mode is suited to driving on good roads and reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.


Technologie Romania (RTR) and Le Losange (new name of Renault’s Technocentre site near Versailles) in France. The design process began at Le Losange, but Renault Technologie Romania engineering resources were devoted to the Duster project from the beginning. Le Losange and Renault Technologie Romania collaborated closely to make the vehicle production-ready. From the stage of the second fleet of prototypes (roughly one year before the launch of Duster), the nerve centre of the project moved to Romania to be closer to the factory. Vehicle design was conducted at Le Losange, in cooperation with Renault Design Central Europe (RDCE, the satellite design facility in Bucharest).

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