Jeep Renegade vs Renault Duster

What's the difference?

Rugged, dependable and good off-road are the most obvious qualities of the Trailhawk. It stands out from the rest of the mini-SUVs by being able to do the S and the U with plenty of vigour.

It's just a shame that its on-road manners can't match that of its big brother, the Cherokee. Unless you're planning on proper off-roading, the Trailhawk might not be quite what you're looking for.

The Renault Duster looks set to put the French carmaker back on the map here in Australia.

While there will likely be general appeal thanks to its cool looks, it holds special appeal for us off-road enthusiasts as a new, cost-affective option that’s filled to the brim with character and charisma.

While it may not be perfect, it also doesn’t matter. In fact, this makes me like the Duster even more.

The manual AWD feels like the purest and most correct way to experience the Duster as it’s so smile-inducing. However, this isn’t to discredit the automatic FWD version as it’s arguably more liveable day-to-day.

Pick your poison. You’re bound to love it no matter which way you go.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

In what is absolutely not a coincidence, the Renegade immediately conjures up the Wrangler. Upright grille from the Willys Jeep (references abound here), round headlights, squared off wheel arches to mimic the Wrangler's guards, short overhangs and big rear view mirrors.

The 17-inch wheels look completely lost in the wheelarches which are even more cavernous owing to the Trailhawk's 50mm of extra ride height. The wheels are also a bit cheap looking but will probably survive the belting the car is intended to take.

Less rugged is the interior, despite a fairly self-conscious effort to make it look and feel chunky. The front seats are flat and unsupportive with the rears just as lacklustre making sure everyone is sliding around together. Luckily, front passengers get a dash-mounted grab handle.

It seems quite well put together, however, but with carpets and easily-marked plastics, you'll hope your passengers don't bring the mud in with them too often. And the "Since 1941" stamped into the steering wheel can go.

The dashboard is reasonably clear and has plenty of information to share via the screen between the dials but whoever thought marking the redline with a water splash graphic in bright orange should probably rethink their design decisions.

Storage is limited to two cupholders up front, door pockets in each door and nets on the front seat backs.

When you see a Renault Duster parked up or on the road, you’ll instantly be able to tell what it is.

This small SUV is essentially a rebadged Dacia for international markets and the design changes are minimal.

The most noticeable departure is the front grille has ‘Renault’ badging written out instead of a Dacia badge. It’s a departure from any other current Renault model on offer locally and gives the car a tough, unique presence.

There are also Y-shaped LED daytime running lights that look cool and modern.

Depending on the Duster version you opt for, the lower section of the front bumper looks different. All-wheel drive (AWD) versions sit higher to improve the approach angle and ground clearance.

Around the side there’s plenty of plastic cladding to drive home that this is a tough all-terrain machine and not your everyday crossover. I prefer it to the glossy and chrome accents on rival SUVs as it's no-nonsense.

The black body cladding around the wheel arches and along the door sills is recycled and has a fleck throughout it. There’s also a recycled icon near the side mirrors which is a touch too on the nose for my liking.

Towards the rear there are angular haunches that make the Duster look tough, as well as hidden rear door handles on the C-pillar.

At the back there are even more angles that make the Duster stand out. The most obvious is the triangular tail-lights which look funky and cool.

There’s little else to note about the rear design besides a subtle Renault badge and Duster written out on the bottom of the tailgate. I appreciate how clean the rear is because some carmakers can go over the top with badging.

Inside, the Duster defies its budget roots with a high-tech and modern-presenting design. The Y-shaped air vents continue the motif from the headlights, while the 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system is mounted prominently on the dash and is smartly tilted towards the driver.

After spending some time behind the wheel, however, you start to notice a lot of the Duster’s finishes inside are hard, scratchy plastics. It’s most noticeable on the dashboard.

Depending on which version you opt for, the door armrests are also finished in hard plastic. The top-spec Techno gets a softer padding on top, however.

While there is a lot of hard plastics, it’s nowhere near as noticeable as a Suzuki Jimny.

In Australia the 2026 Renault Duster is being offered in two trim levels with two powertrain options.

Pricing starts at $31,990, before on-road costs, for the Duster Evolution 4x2 automatic and extends to $37,990, before on-roads, for the Duster Techno 4x4 manual.

This is competitive pricing for the small SUV segment, especially when you consider the rugged and considerably smaller Suzuki Jimny costs similar.

As standard the Duster Evolution comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charger, dual-zone climate control, an electric park brake, as well as black and grey cloth upholstery.

Stepping up to the Techno gets you larger 18-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, privacy glass, modular roof rails, keyless entry and walk-away locking, push-button start, a smartphone holder, as well as black and grey premium textile upholstery.

While the entire Duster line-up has LED low-beam headlights, the high-beams are only halogen, which is a disappointing cost-cutting move.

Despite this, there’s still plenty of standard equipment, even from the base Evolution trim.

If that’s not enough, however, you can further personalise your Duster with a wide range of optional accessories. There are clip-on cupholders, lights, hooks and tablet holders inside, as well as Rhino Rack and Thule accessories outside.

The Trailhawk is powered by Fiat's 2.4-litre four naturally-aspirated four-cylinder producing 129 kW and 230 Nm. Jeep reckons you'll get 7.5L/100km on the combined cycle. Our mostly city driving with a longish motorway run produced an 11.0L/100km average over a week.

The transmission is a nine-speed ZF automatic driving all four wheels.

The Trailhawk also has Jeep's five mode Selec-Terrain system which should cover pretty much every eventuality – Auto, Sport, Mud, Sand and, just for the Trailhawk, Rock. The Trailhawk is rated to tow 400kg unbraked and 907kg braked.

As noted earlier, the Renault Duster is offered with two different powertrains.

The most affordable option is a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine which produces 113kW of power and 270Nm of torque.

This is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with drive sent to the front wheels only. It’s worth noting this is the same powertrain that propels the Renault Arkana and Captur, as well as certain entry-level Mercedes-Benz models.

Renault claims this version of the Duster can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 9.2 seconds.

The second powertrain option is a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol with 48V mild-hybrid assistance which produces 96kW and 230Nm.

This is less powerful than the four-cylinder petrol but it’s mated to a six-speed manual gearbox with drive sent through an all-wheel drive system.

Renault claims the AWD Duster can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 11 seconds. That’s not very fast at all…

Claimed top speed for the entire Duster line-up in Australia is 200km/h.

Unfortunately there’s no automatic AWD Duster available globally yet so if you want to maximise your all-terrain capability, you’ll need to opt for this mild-hybrid manual powertrain option.

All versions of the Renault Duster have a braked towing capacity of 1500kg, though it’s worth noting the towball download limit is only 75kg. This could prove to be a hassle if you’ve got a towball-mounted bike rack and you put a hefty e-bike on it as this could easily send it over this threshold.

The Trailhawk name suggest that things are going to get muddy – compared to the rest of the range, the range-topper rides 50mm higher and has exposed, easy-to-reach tow hooks in the fairly unlikely event you get stuck. It also has a 20:1 low-range crawl ratio and Active Drive 4x4 which means it can switch between front and all-wheel drive. It'll also wade through almost half a metre of water. It's a genuine mud-plugging proposition and will take on some much bigger machinery out in the bush.

On the road, where we spent all our time in the Renegade, it's not what you'd call particularly inspiring. There's a number of sources of noise that contribute to a less than quiet cabin and having to constantly correct your course at freeway speeds adds to the tiring nature of the Renegade.

It's much better at lower speeds, pottering around but then again, its nine-speed transmission needs a lot more work on the shift mapping because it seems to forget which gear it needs to be in when you sink the right foot. If you don't need the Trailhawk's extra off-road goodies, consider the 1.4 litre Limited or Longitude.

Depending on which version of the Duster you opt for, they’re rather different beasts. The most ‘normal’ version is the FWD auto.

This powertrain combination with the 1.3-litre turbo four-cylinder and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic immediately feels familiar if you’ve driven a current Arkana or Captur.

There’s enough power underfoot to get moving along briskly, though you won’t be breaking the land speed record anytime soon. There’s also a wealth of torque allowing the engine to feel like it’s not working hard.

It’s fun to listen to the turbo spool up during moderate acceleration, though the four-cylinder engine note doesn’t necessarily inspire you.

For the most part the seven-speed dual-clutch operates smoothly, though it can get caught out during low-speed manoeuvres. It’s also clearly tuned for economy as it likes to shift up to the next gear quickly.

The AWD Duster, on the other hand, is where the fun and true character of this quirky SUV shines. With the three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and the manual transmission, it’s far from the quickest vehicle out there. It’s faster than a Suzuki Jimny, though.

While progress may be relatively docile, the gruff three-cylinder engine note is addictive. There’s also plenty of torque on tap, so you don’t need to downshift to get things moving.

The manual selector feels chunky in the hand and the clutch biting point is easy to get your head around. Unlike some petrol-powered manual cars, this one’s hard to stall. Even if you do, once you put your foot back on the clutch, the car restarts automatically.

Where the AWD Duster gains extra character points is by having a 48V mild-hybrid system. It doesn’t do anything to drastically alter the driving experience apart from adding a tiny boost to acceleration and extending and smoothing the engine idle stop-start system.

During our launch drive program we had the opportunity to drive the front- and AWD Duster off the beaten path, as well. While you’d expect the latter to be good, the former surprised me in terms of just how far it could go. It’s clear the platform is set up for all-terrain capability, no matter the powertrain configuration.

For added peace of mind off-road, however, the AWD has a higher ground clearance (212mm vs 174mm), as well as a range of terrain modes, including a ‘Lock’ setting that splits torque evenly between the front and rear axles.

The AWD Duster is pretty unstoppable off-road. It’s not quite a Jimny tamer in terms of outright off-road-ability, but I estimate the Duster could do 80 per cent of what a Jimny could do.

While the Duster mightn’t be an outright off-road beast, it well and truly makes it up with on-road finesse. The most noticeable element is the suspension. It feels supple, balanced and controlled no matter the surface. Sure there’s some body roll in the bends, but this isn’t trying to be a sports car.

There are some differences between the front- and AWD Duster when it comes to the rear suspension. The former has a torsion beam set-up, while the latter has a multi-link arrangement. In practice, however, it’s hard to tell any difference between the two.

The steering is direct and on the lighter side which helps with manoeuvrability, though there’s a general lack of feel. It’s considerably better than the Jimny’s vague steering, though.

In terms of parking the Duster has a tight turning circle. Rear parking sensors and a reversing camera are standard in the Evolution, though the Techno adds front and side parking sensors, as well as a surround-view camera.

The camera systems in this car are poor. They’re mushy-looking with poor resolution and horrible colour balance. It’d be great to see higher quality units installed, especially because the multimedia screen is so high-resolution.

Forward visibility from the driver’s seat is fantastic through the rather upright windscreen. You also get a good view of the muscular-looking bonnet.

Side visibility is great, which helps make checking blind spots easier, plus the rear envelope is sizable.

The safety systems in this car are largely easy to live with, though the lane-keep assist can grab at the steering wheel a bit too much on roads with tight lanes or poor lane markings.

Thankfully there’s a button on the dashboard that turns this, and any other safety system that annoys you off, so you can keep on motoring without safety nanny intrusion.

Lastly in terms of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), the Duster is impressively quiet at low speeds. You can even travel at 60-80km/h along gravel roads and in the cabin it sounds like you’re on a sealed surface.

Once you get out on the open road at highway speeds there’s noticeable road and wind noise, but I’ve experienced much worse in small SUV rivals at a similar price point.

The Renault Duster hasn’t been crash-tested by ANCAP just yet, though the Dacia Duster did receive a three- out of five-star Euro NCAP rating in 2024.

As standard there are six airbags, autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, driver attention alert, traffic sign recognition, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.

Stepping up to the Techno gets you blind-spot monitoring, front and side parking sensors as well as a surround-view camera.

Notably absent from the entire line-up is rear cross-traffic alert, as well as adaptive cruise control. There’s only standard cruise control on offer.

There are two ISOFIX points, as well as three top-tether child seat anchorage points on the rear seat bench.