Renault unveils Duster D'etour concept in Johannesburg

Thu, 17 Oct 2013

Of all the international auto shows we report from and keep our eye on, Johannesburg's is not among them. And of all the social media sites we monitor for car news, Pinterest isn't usually one of them, either. But those are the venues which Renault chose to unveil the concept you see here.

Called the Détour, it's based on the Dacia Duster – which is sold in some markets, like South Africa, as a Renault. The overhaul is the outcome of a collaboration between Renault's Central European design studio and an oddly unspecified Joburg-based design studio.

Said to combine the spirits of Mad Max, Terminator and the Dakar rally, the Duster Détour features a beefed-up front brush guard with integrated lights and a rear end with LED taillights, dual exhaust tips, integrated diffuser and rear spoiler, which seem a bit incongruous for a rough-and-tumble off-roader. It's also got a two-tone gloss yellow and matte black paint job, which carries through to the wheels, and an extra set of lights mounted to the front of the roof rails.

All in all, it's not a bad take on one of the most back-to-basics SUVs, and makes us wonder if there wouldn't be room in the Nissan lineup for a baby brother to the Xterra...

By Noah Joseph