The cheapest diesel crossover you can buy in South Africa

The most affordable diesel crossover you can buy in South Africa is the Renault Duster, which asks a minimum of R397,999.

Diesel engines are a smart choice for anyone looking to drastically cut down on their fuel bill every month, but there are unfortunately not a lot of options left in the passenger car segment, especially if you’re shopping on a budget.

What a R400,000 diesel crossover looks like in 2024

The current-generation Duster is reaching the end of its lifespan, as the new version is expected to launch in South Africa in the near future.

However, the automaker has yet to reveal what powertrains the new crossover will be offer in our market, so it remains to be seen whether the new units will still have a diesel option.

With that in mind, this may be motorists’ last chance to get their hands on a sub-R500,000 diesel SUV in South Africa, as the second-cheapest model is the Kia Seltos that fetches R521,995.

All four versions of the Renault are fitted with a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine, though the output varies between models.

The base Zen derivative produces 66kW and 210Nm, which is sent down to the front wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox.

Of course, the major draw of a diesel powerplant is its fuel consumption, and the Duster delivers on this front with an average reading of just 5.1l/100km.

The other three units do come at a significant premium, as you’ll need to spend at least R54,000 to upgrade to the Zen Automatic.

This replaces the manual box with a six-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission, with the engine also being uprated in the process to generate 80kW and 250Nm.

Despite the added power, the higher-spec crossover actually achieves a lower fuel consumption of 4.8l/100km, likely due to the self-shifter that can swap cogs at more favourable intervals than a human driver.

The Duster also comes with a 50-litre fuel tank, which gives it an impressive range of between 980km and 1,042km, depending on the gearbox.

For reference, diesel is currently trading for at least R17.66 per litre as of October 2024, which means you’re only paying around R883 for a tank that will last 1,000km, depending on where you fill up.

As for its equipment, the base Renault comes with LED daytime running lights, 16-inch alloy wheels, electric door mirrors, a multifunction steering wheel, cloth seats, automatic aircon, and an 8-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

This is in addition to safety and assistance items like cruise control, a speed limiter, rear parking sensors, a reverse camera, ABS, electronic stability control, and four airbags.

Beyond this, you’ll need to upgrade to a higher-tier model that throws in 17-inch alloys, chrome accents, keyless entry and start, hill-descent control, a multi-view camera, blind-spot monitoring, and satellite navigation.