The Duster's in a league of its own

I have a funny history with the Renault Duster. When I was in first year at Wits University, my parents were considering buying me a car.

- Eyaaz Matwadia

It was around the time that the first-generation Renault Duster entered the country. I kept nagging my parents about getting a car but I was not sure what I wanted.

One day, my mom pointed out the Duster while we were driving on the highway and said in jest that it should be my first car.

I took one look at it and was infuriated that she would even joke about it — it was boxy and it had chunky headlights and tail lights that made the vehicle look as if it was crying.

It was certainly not the car I would want girls to see me in when I arrived on campus.

But the second generation was an improvement and the new third-generation Duster has gone through an extreme glow-up.

If you offered me the new Duster purely based on looks, I would take it with my eyes closed. This one looks robust, aggressive, stylish and bold.

The signature Y-shaped LED headlights, coupled with the larger grille and the Renault lettering across it, make me wonder why they didn’t use this design for the first generation. I mean, it could have saved me from being the victim of a bad joke.

But, in terms of how far the brand has come with the product, credit has to be given to Renault for turning the Duster into a very attractive vehicle from the outside.

The chunky cladding and skid plate, along with the modular roof bar, add to the muscular build of the vehicle and it flows effortlessly from front to back.

The interior

The new Duster also does a good job of keeping with the rugged, but comfortable, appeal on the inside.