Renault has introduced a new older model to New Zealand and this time le brand Francais may well have hit one right out of the park with its latest passenger vehicle – the Duster. 

Duster is yet another small SUV and – as mentioned earlier – it’s not exactly new as far as Renault’s go, however it does have the distinction of being an outrageous success in every market it has launched into. 

Now it’s here and going on from what we’ve seen so far, that reputation for popularity is likely to remain intact. 

Yes, the small SUV sector is the most hotly contested in the country and yes, nearly every brand has at least one offering in that segment so why should Renault not cast its single diamond into the mix? 

Renault is no stranger to the SUV segment either. The new Captur – which we will see in 2021 – is the number one selling SUV in Europe and Koleos will also see a refresh in quarter one of next year as well. 

Perhaps if Duster goes as well as predicted, Renault New Zealand might be in a better position to negotiate pricingKoleos, which sees some top end which really does sees some top end specification requests in this country already.  

In the meantime, Renault has dusted off the Romanian-built Duster for New Zealand, and the distributor here has had quite a bit to say about what should be on board. 

We are only going to see one model, but that one will be a doozy! In fact, at launch there was a low whistle of approval at the appointment level of the Duster.

There are apparently quite a number of specification levels around the world and no doubt this has contributed to Duster’s excellent sales results. The 1.6 petrol with CVT model we are getting is a loaded one, with a well thought out list of features which have been tailored to our market very carefully.

Obviously, the New Zealand distributors have impressed the French marque seriously enough with promises of what the new dealer network is capable of delivering in terms of sales. 

New dealer network? It might as well be, Renault now has a national footprint of 16 dealerships and four more service centres, many of which are large ex-Holden franchise operations, capable and used to, high vehicle turnover.

Will they be able to sell the Duster? Given the introductory pricing, the specification level and the motivation as well as Renault New Zealand finally having a vehicle that makes a strong business case in being able to eliminate FBT entanglements and carrying a strong residual value, the answer would have to be ‘yes’.

The specification list is exhaustive but highlights include blind spot monitoring, a multi-view camera system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, a media navigation system with a seven-inch touchscreen, 445 to 1478 litre cargo capacity and a 210mm ground clearance for ease of off-road travelling and an extensive list of accessories, 

But perhaps it is the promise of peace of mind ownership with a three year warranty with unlimited kms and Roadside assistance for a five seat, 1.6-litre small SUV for the introductory price of $27,990, which is going to really put Renault on the map for many Kiwi motorists. 

Only time will tell, but it seems that Renault New Zealand is coming to market with a confidence we have not seen from the brand before, despite some very good commercial vehicles bearing the badge and now, there’s a shiny new toy for the SUV hungry passenger market to whet the appetite with great pricing and national service backup. 

Should be an interesting quarter.