Hot on the heels of the South African release of the Renault Duster, the facelifted model has been announced overseas. As expected, it closely mimics the recent upgrades given to its Dacia Duster twin.
At this point the facelift is not confirmed for South Africa as our model is sourced from India and that plant has not indicated that the facelift is planned. However, we are seeking further feedback from Renault SA.
So what are we missing out on?
Most of the external chiselling took place at the front end, where the Duster gains new double-optic headlights, complete with daytime running lights, as well as a redesigned grille that features two chrome-plated strips. A new outlining in the taillights and chrome-plated tailpipe round off the subtler changes made to the side.
Inside there's a brand new dashboard, which features a central console flanked by two vertical surrounds and darker colour schemes. Renault redesigned the seats too, with the rear bench being reinforced for improved comfort, and buyers will have three new upholstery materials to choose between.
On the engine front, the current 75kW/145Nm 1.6 petrol and 80kW/240Nm 1.5 dCi turbodiesel have been carried over from the current range.
As before, the Duster is available with a rather decent permanent four-wheel drive system from the Nissan X-Trail's parts bin.