2025 Renault Duster review: Fun, funky SUV arrives from $35k
You might have heard of the Dacia Duster. Or not.
But it's the Renault Duster that we get in Australia, and this small SUV – built in Romania, sold with a French badge – has been a long time coming.
The brand's importer, Ateco Automotive, has been discussing bringing the Duster to our market for years, and now, it's finally here – and it's come to play. Or, at least, be playful.
Because the Duster has a manual gearbox. And all-wheel drive. And that makes it more like a Suzuki Jimny than any other model in the segment.
RENAULT DUSTER PERFORMANCE
Renault Duster
PRICE: About $35,000 to $41,500 drive-away
ENGINES: 1.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cyl, seven-speed dual-clutch auto, FWD or 1.2-litre turbo-petrol 3- cyl, six-speed manual, AWD
OUTPUTS: 113kW/270Nm (auto); 96kW/230Nm (manual)
FUEL USE: 6.5 litres per 100km (auto), 5.7 litres per 100km (manual)
BOOT SPACE: 472 litres (auto), 358 litres (manual)
SPARE: Full-size steel
2025 Renault Duster. Picture: Supplied
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There are two engine options to pick from: the more popular one will be a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto gearbox and front-wheel drive. It packs a healthy 113kW/270Nm.
Then there's the other engine, a thrummy three-cylinder turbo engine with mild-hybrid tech that offers up 96kW/230Nm, and comes with a six-speed stick shift and all-wheel drive.
You can pick either of the powertrains in the two grades of Duster on offer.
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The Evolution version starts from about $35,000 drive-away for the FWD auto, while the AWD manual is about $39,000 drive-away. You get 17-inch wheels, LED daytime running lights, halogen headlights, a turnkey ignition, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen with wired/wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, and the AWD model gets some off-road modes.
The higher-spec Techno variant adds some goodies and asks about $40,000 for the auto, and $41,500 for the manual AWD. The extra spend gets you bigger wheels, push-button start, different interior finishing, a (poor quality) surround-view camera and blind-spot monitoring.
2025 Renault Duster. Picture: Supplied
2025 Renault Duster. Picture: Supplied
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The interior has a simple, hard-wearing aesthetic, with, er, easy-wipe surfaces on the doors, and even the elbow rests in the back (and even the front ones in the base grades).
You might think there's no physical volume controls, but there are buttons on top of the media screen, which is pretty easy to get your head around. And there's not an 'overwhelming' amount of tech here. It's liveable, and so are the safety systems on offer … because it doesn't have all the annoying ones, but still has speed-sign recognition and lane-keep assist.
It's a relatively small SUV at less than 4.4m long, and the rear seat space is tight, and isn't overly rich in terms of inclusions. But there are ISOFIX points and top-tethers for kid-seats, and air vents, too.
2025 Renault Duster. Picture: Supplied
2025 Renault Duster. Picture: Supplied
The high-spec model gets roof bars that can turn into roof racks, and there's a full-size steel spare wheel in all versions, too. But the FWD model gets a bigger boot, with an adjustable floor in the high-grade, that allows it up to 472L. The AWD model has a multi-link rear suspension (as opposed to a torsion beam) and a smaller boot capacity of 358L.
This is a fun little machine to drive, with a heap of torque in the auto version, and thankfully not too much lagginess from the gearbox. It might spin those front tyres, though. The manual is a hoot, with a different character entirely.
More involving, more fun, and the three-pot engine is a giggle-inducing little thing. It's easy to drive, with predictable steering and fun handling, and the ride comfort is impressive over rough surfaces, rail crossings and rumble strips.
MORE: China's RAM ute dupe to land in Aus
2025 Renault Duster. Picture: Supplied
Renault offers a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty plan, with five years of roadside assistance included for free.
The service intervals are staggering – 12 months and 30,000km.
I wouldn't be leaving my turbo engine that long between visits.
It won't suit everyone but for those willing to think outside or the standard list of options, they'll be getting a fun, funky and functional small SUV.
VERDICT
4 STARS
Originally published as 2025 Renault Duster review
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8 hours ago
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2025 Renault Duster review
You might have heard of the Dacia Duster. Or not. But it's the Renault Duster that we get in Australia, and this small SUV – built in Romania, sold with a French badge – has been a long time coming. The brand's importer, Ateco Automotive, has been discussing bringing the Duster to our market for years, and now, it's finally here – and it's come to play. Or, at least, be playful. Because the Duster has a manual gearbox. And all-wheel drive. And that makes it more like a Suzuki Jimny than any other model in the segment. There are two engine options to pick from: the more popular one will be a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto gearbox and front-wheel drive. It packs a healthy 113kW/270Nm. Then there's the other engine, a thrummy three-cylinder turbo engine with mild-hybrid tech that offers up 96kW/230Nm, and comes with a six-speed stick shift and all-wheel drive. You can pick either of the powertrains in the two grades of Duster on offer. The Evolution version starts from about $35,000 drive-away for the FWD auto, while the AWD manual is about $39,000 drive-away. You get 17-inch wheels, LED daytime running lights, halogen headlights, a turnkey ignition, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen with wired/wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, and the AWD model gets some off-road modes. The higher-spec Techno variant adds some goodies and asks about $40,000 for the auto, and $41,500 for the manual AWD. The extra spend gets you bigger wheels, push-button start, different interior finishing, a (poor quality) surround-view camera and blind-spot monitoring. The interior has a simple, hard-wearing aesthetic, with, er, easy-wipe surfaces on the doors, and even the elbow rests in the back (and even the front ones in the base grades). You might think there's no physical volume controls, but there are buttons on top of the media screen, which is pretty easy to get your head around. And there's not an 'overwhelming' amount of tech here. It's liveable, and so are the safety systems on offer … because it doesn't have all the annoying ones, but still has speed-sign recognition and lane-keep assist. It's a relatively small SUV at less than 4.4m long, and the rear seat space is tight, and isn't overly rich in terms of inclusions. But there are ISOFIX points and top-tethers for kid-seats, and air vents, too. The high-spec model gets roof bars that can turn into roof racks, and there's a full-size steel spare wheel in all versions, too. But the FWD model gets a bigger boot, with an adjustable floor in the high-grade, that allows it up to 472L. The AWD model has a multi-link rear suspension (as opposed to a torsion beam) and a smaller boot capacity of 358L. This is a fun little machine to drive, with a heap of torque in the auto version, and thankfully not too much lagginess from the gearbox. It might spin those front tyres, though. 

The manual is a hoot, with a different character entirely. More involving, more fun, and the three-pot engine is a giggle-inducing little thing. It's easy to drive, with predictable steering and fun handling, and the ride comfort is impressive over rough surfaces, rail crossings and rumble strips. Renault offers a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty plan, with five years of roadside assistance included for free. The service intervals are staggering – 12 months and 30,000km. I wouldn't be leaving my turbo engine that long between visits. It won't suit everyone but for those willing to think outside or the standard list of options, they'll be getting a fun, funky and functional small SUV. VERDICT 4 STARS
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The battery had been offline at the time of the fire, meaning its monitoring and prevention measures were off. Another Tesla battery near Rockhampton in Queensland also caught fire in September 2023, and one of the world's largest batteries caught fire in California in January 2025. It has spurred concerns in some regional communities about the bushfire risk big batteries could pose. An ABC report in May 2025 revealed CFA volunteers in Dederang in northern Victoria were opposed to a proposed big battery near the town. CFA member Doug Connors said volunteers weren't equipped to fight battery fires. "As a brigade, we're equipped and trained to fight grass and scrub fires," Mr Connors said. The coordinator of Hazelwood's big battery, Jonathan Vila, says he can understand the concerns, but the Hazelwood site was extremely safe. "The batteries here are made from lithium iron phosphate, which is less volatile than previous battery technologies," Mr Vila says. "Each battery cube is fan and liquid cooled and has a system that sends an alert if there's any problem. Mr Vila says each cube can isolate from the rest of the big battery system instantaneously, and there's a temperature trigger that fills the cube with chemical firefighting foam if it gets too hot. "The US manufacturer, Fluence, has done extensive testing, trying really hard to set them on fire. It was actually a huge effort. "When they did manage to start a fire, it was totally contained within the cube, so it never jumped from cube to cube." All of the previous high-profile big battery fires were using older, different technology than the Hazelwood battery. Mr Quinnell says a key part of the approval and construction process at the Hazelwood battery was engaging local firefighters in the planning process. "The local Fire Rescue Victoria and CFA crews have come to the site to review it and understand it," he says. "Once they saw the safety mechanisms and the reality of the battery, they were really comfortable with it. "I think whenever a developer does a decent job, it really has to bring the community along with it and make sure they're involved in the process." While the Hazelwood battery is only 150MW, there are already plans to expand it. The existing power lines coming into Hazelwood have the capacity to carry 1.6GW, more than 10 times the existing battery output. The next phase is likely to be much quicker and much cheaper to build. Just a decade ago big batteries were seven times more expensive than they are in 2025, with the latest forecasts predicting a further 14 per cent drop in the next year. The Hazelwood expansion will be mirrored Australia-wide, with more than 20GW of big battery projects in the planning pipeline. More than 60 batteries are being built across the country, with a further 83 passing the approval process and 57 awaiting approval. Australia is in the midst of a big battery boom, with hundreds of mega-batteries soon to be dotted across regional areas. But the boom has brought concerns from country residents, farmers, and even volunteer firefighters about the potential fire risks it could bring with it. To find out more, ACM went inside an operational big battery to learn how it worked and how risky it really was. Australia is in the grips of an energy revolution that is transforming many regional areas. Wind and solar farms have been the most obvious part of that change, but batteries are the next crucial piece: a power source when the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine. There are 30 big batteries operating across the country - seven in Victoria, six each in NSW, Queensland and SA, and eight in WA. These 30 batteries can store 3 gigawatts (GW) of power. But forecasts by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) show Australia will need at least 22GW by 2030 and 49GW by 2050. That's a lot more batteries, and most of them will be built in regional areas. Ballarat, Warrnambool, Albury-Wodonga and Newcastle will all have a handful of batteries around them in the next five years, but nearly every regional town will have at least one nearby. ACM travelled to Gippsland in south-east Victoria to visit a big battery built on the site of the former Hazelwood coal-fired power station. Hazelwood was Australia's dirtiest power plant when it was decommissioned in 2017. Its owners - the French energy company Engie - decided to replace the power station with a battery, to make use of the huge power lines that once plugged into the plant. Compared to the towering chimneys of the coal plant, Hazelwood's big battery is pretty modest. It resembles a large gravel car park, but instead of cars, it is dotted with dozens of white metal cubes arranged in rows of six. Each cube contains 14 batteries about the same size as you would find in a small electric vehicle. The battery is just 18 months old, coming online in December 2023 at a cost of somewhere near $150 million. At 150 megawatts (MW), it is equivalent to 30,000 rooftop solar systems generating for an hour. The whole site emits a low roar - the sound of hundreds of industrial fans cooling the battery units. Batteries have an unfortunate association with fire in the public imagination, driven largely by regular videos of electric scooters, e-bikes and electric cars catching on fire. Engie media manager Dylan Quinell says there is a wide spectrum of fire safety protection depending on the type of battery use. "At the bottom, in terms of regulation, you'd have things like electric scooters," Mr Quinell says. "EVs have much better fail-safes and protections, but then with a BESS it's much higher again." But big batteries have caught on fire in the past. The Victorian government's Tesla battery outside Geelong caught fire during testing in July 2021. The battery had been offline at the time of the fire, meaning its monitoring and prevention measures were off. Another Tesla battery near Rockhampton in Queensland also caught fire in September 2023, and one of the world's largest batteries caught fire in California in January 2025. It has spurred concerns in some regional communities about the bushfire risk big batteries could pose. An ABC report in May 2025 revealed CFA volunteers in Dederang in northern Victoria were opposed to a proposed big battery near the town. CFA member Doug Connors said volunteers weren't equipped to fight battery fires. "As a brigade, we're equipped and trained to fight grass and scrub fires," Mr Connors said. The coordinator of Hazelwood's big battery, Jonathan Vila, says he can understand the concerns, but the Hazelwood site was extremely safe. "The batteries here are made from lithium iron phosphate, which is less volatile than previous battery technologies," Mr Vila says. "Each battery cube is fan and liquid cooled and has a system that sends an alert if there's any problem. Mr Vila says each cube can isolate from the rest of the big battery system instantaneously, and there's a temperature trigger that fills the cube with chemical firefighting foam if it gets too hot. "The US manufacturer, Fluence, has done extensive testing, trying really hard to set them on fire. It was actually a huge effort. "When they did manage to start a fire, it was totally contained within the cube, so it never jumped from cube to cube." All of the previous high-profile big battery fires were using older, different technology than the Hazelwood battery. Mr Quinnell says a key part of the approval and construction process at the Hazelwood battery was engaging local firefighters in the planning process. "The local Fire Rescue Victoria and CFA crews have come to the site to review it and understand it," he says. "Once they saw the safety mechanisms and the reality of the battery, they were really comfortable with it. "I think whenever a developer does a decent job, it really has to bring the community along with it and make sure they're involved in the process." While the Hazelwood battery is only 150MW, there are already plans to expand it. The existing power lines coming into Hazelwood have the capacity to carry 1.6GW, more than 10 times the existing battery output. The next phase is likely to be much quicker and much cheaper to build. Just a decade ago big batteries were seven times more expensive than they are in 2025, with the latest forecasts predicting a further 14 per cent drop in the next year. The Hazelwood expansion will be mirrored Australia-wide, with more than 20GW of big battery projects in the planning pipeline. More than 60 batteries are being built across the country, with a further 83 passing the approval process and 57 awaiting approval. Australia is in the midst of a big battery boom, with hundreds of mega-batteries soon to be dotted across regional areas. But the boom has brought concerns from country residents, farmers, and even volunteer firefighters about the potential fire risks it could bring with it. To find out more, ACM went inside an operational big battery to learn how it worked and how risky it really was. Australia is in the grips of an energy revolution that is transforming many regional areas. Wind and solar farms have been the most obvious part of that change, but batteries are the next crucial piece: a power source when the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine. There are 30 big batteries operating across the country - seven in Victoria, six each in NSW, Queensland and SA, and eight in WA. These 30 batteries can store 3 gigawatts (GW) of power. But forecasts by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) show Australia will need at least 22GW by 2030 and 49GW by 2050. That's a lot more batteries, and most of them will be built in regional areas. Ballarat, Warrnambool, Albury-Wodonga and Newcastle will all have a handful of batteries around them in the next five years, but nearly every regional town will have at least one nearby. ACM travelled to Gippsland in south-east Victoria to visit a big battery built on the site of the former Hazelwood coal-fired power station. Hazelwood was Australia's dirtiest power plant when it was decommissioned in 2017. Its owners - the French energy company Engie - decided to replace the power station with a battery, to make use of the huge power lines that once plugged into the plant. Compared to the towering chimneys of the coal plant, Hazelwood's big battery is pretty modest. It resembles a large gravel car park, but instead of cars, it is dotted with dozens of white metal cubes arranged in rows of six. Each cube contains 14 batteries about the same size as you would find in a small electric vehicle. The battery is just 18 months old, coming online in December 2023 at a cost of somewhere near $150 million. At 150 megawatts (MW), it is equivalent to 30,000 rooftop solar systems generating for an hour. The whole site emits a low roar - the sound of hundreds of industrial fans cooling the battery units. Batteries have an unfortunate association with fire in the public imagination, driven largely by regular videos of electric scooters, e-bikes and electric cars catching on fire. Engie media manager Dylan Quinell says there is a wide spectrum of fire safety protection depending on the type of battery use. "At the bottom, in terms of regulation, you'd have things like electric scooters," Mr Quinell says. "EVs have much better fail-safes and protections, but then with a BESS it's much higher again." But big batteries have caught on fire in the past. The Victorian government's Tesla battery outside Geelong caught fire during testing in July 2021. The battery had been offline at the time of the fire, meaning its monitoring and prevention measures were off. Another Tesla battery near Rockhampton in Queensland also caught fire in September 2023, and one of the world's largest batteries caught fire in California in January 2025. It has spurred concerns in some regional communities about the bushfire risk big batteries could pose. An ABC report in May 2025 revealed CFA volunteers in Dederang in northern Victoria were opposed to a proposed big battery near the town. CFA member Doug Connors said volunteers weren't equipped to fight battery fires. "As a brigade, we're equipped and trained to fight grass and scrub fires," Mr Connors said. The coordinator of Hazelwood's big battery, Jonathan Vila, says he can understand the concerns, but the Hazelwood site was extremely safe. "The batteries here are made from lithium iron phosphate, which is less volatile than previous battery technologies," Mr Vila says. "Each battery cube is fan and liquid cooled and has a system that sends an alert if there's any problem. Mr Vila says each cube can isolate from the rest of the big battery system instantaneously, and there's a temperature trigger that fills the cube with chemical firefighting foam if it gets too hot. "The US manufacturer, Fluence, has done extensive testing, trying really hard to set them on fire. It was actually a huge effort. "When they did manage to start a fire, it was totally contained within the cube, so it never jumped from cube to cube." All of the previous high-profile big battery fires were using older, different technology than the Hazelwood battery. Mr Quinnell says a key part of the approval and construction process at the Hazelwood battery was engaging local firefighters in the planning process. "The local Fire Rescue Victoria and CFA crews have come to the site to review it and understand it," he says. "Once they saw the safety mechanisms and the reality of the battery, they were really comfortable with it. "I think whenever a developer does a decent job, it really has to bring the community along with it and make sure they're involved in the process." While the Hazelwood battery is only 150MW, there are already plans to expand it. The existing power lines coming into Hazelwood have the capacity to carry 1.6GW, more than 10 times the existing battery output. The next phase is likely to be much quicker and much cheaper to build. Just a decade ago big batteries were seven times more expensive than they are in 2025, with the latest forecasts predicting a further 14 per cent drop in the next year. The Hazelwood expansion will be mirrored Australia-wide, with more than 20GW of big battery projects in the planning pipeline. More than 60 batteries are being built across the country, with a further 83 passing the approval process and 57 awaiting approval.
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2025 Renault Duster review: Fun, funky SUV arrives from $35k
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. You might have heard of the Dacia Duster. Or not. But it's the Renault Duster that we get in Australia, and this small SUV – built in Romania, sold with a French badge – has been a long time coming. The brand's importer, Ateco Automotive, has been discussing bringing the Duster to our market for years, and now, it's finally here – and it's come to play. Or, at least, be playful. Because the Duster has a manual gearbox. And all-wheel drive. And that makes it more like a Suzuki Jimny than any other model in the segment. RENAULT DUSTER PERFORMANCE Renault Duster PRICE: About $35,000 to $41,500 drive-away ENGINES: 1.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cyl, seven-speed dual-clutch auto, FWD or 1.2-litre turbo-petrol 3- cyl, six-speed manual, AWD OUTPUTS: 113kW/270Nm (auto); 96kW/230Nm (manual) FUEL USE: 6.5 litres per 100km (auto), 5.7 litres per 100km (manual) BOOT SPACE: 472 litres (auto), 358 litres (manual) SPARE: Full-size steel 2025 Renault Duster. Picture: Supplied MORE: 'Hated': Push to get Boomers off Aus roads There are two engine options to pick from: the more popular one will be a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto gearbox and front-wheel drive. It packs a healthy 113kW/270Nm. Then there's the other engine, a thrummy three-cylinder turbo engine with mild-hybrid tech that offers up 96kW/230Nm, and comes with a six-speed stick shift and all-wheel drive. You can pick either of the powertrains in the two grades of Duster on offer. 00:31 X Learn More SUBSCRIBER ONLY Major car brand's unexpected move here,...... more more bringing a fun, funky, and functional vehicle to the Australian market, Matt Campbell reports. Renault's latest small SUV is finally ... more The Evolution version starts from about $35,000 drive-away for the FWD auto, while the AWD manual is about $39,000 drive-away. You get 17-inch wheels, LED daytime running lights, halogen headlights, a turnkey ignition, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen with wired/wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, and the AWD model gets some off-road modes. The higher-spec Techno variant adds some goodies and asks about $40,000 for the auto, and $41,500 for the manual AWD. The extra spend gets you bigger wheels, push-button start, different interior finishing, a (poor quality) surround-view camera and blind-spot monitoring. 2025 Renault Duster. Picture: Supplied 2025 Renault Duster. Picture: Supplied MORE: Auto giant's EV ute to shake up market The interior has a simple, hard-wearing aesthetic, with, er, easy-wipe surfaces on the doors, and even the elbow rests in the back (and even the front ones in the base grades). You might think there's no physical volume controls, but there are buttons on top of the media screen, which is pretty easy to get your head around. And there's not an 'overwhelming' amount of tech here. It's liveable, and so are the safety systems on offer … because it doesn't have all the annoying ones, but still has speed-sign recognition and lane-keep assist. It's a relatively small SUV at less than 4.4m long, and the rear seat space is tight, and isn't overly rich in terms of inclusions. But there are ISOFIX points and top-tethers for kid-seats, and air vents, too. 2025 Renault Duster. Picture: Supplied 2025 Renault Duster. Picture: Supplied The high-spec model gets roof bars that can turn into roof racks, and there's a full-size steel spare wheel in all versions, too. But the FWD model gets a bigger boot, with an adjustable floor in the high-grade, that allows it up to 472L. The AWD model has a multi-link rear suspension (as opposed to a torsion beam) and a smaller boot capacity of 358L. This is a fun little machine to drive, with a heap of torque in the auto version, and thankfully not too much lagginess from the gearbox. It might spin those front tyres, though. The manual is a hoot, with a different character entirely. More involving, more fun, and the three-pot engine is a giggle-inducing little thing. It's easy to drive, with predictable steering and fun handling, and the ride comfort is impressive over rough surfaces, rail crossings and rumble strips. MORE: China's RAM ute dupe to land in Aus 2025 Renault Duster. Picture: Supplied Renault offers a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty plan, with five years of roadside assistance included for free. The service intervals are staggering – 12 months and 30,000km. I wouldn't be leaving my turbo engine that long between visits. It won't suit everyone but for those willing to think outside or the standard list of options, they'll be getting a fun, funky and functional small SUV. VERDICT 4 STARS Originally published as 2025 Renault Duster review
