Renault Duster vs Mahindra Scorpio-N

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Renault Duster

1.2 Turbo Zen 4WD Mild Hybrid Petrol / Mild Hybrid Manual

ZAR 549,999 ex-showroom

⚡ 96 kW 🔧 230 Nm ⛽ 17.5 km/l

Mahindra Scorpio-N

Z8L 4x4 AT Adventure Diesel Automatic

ZAR 699,999 ex-showroom

⚡ 129 kW 🔧 400 Nm ⛽ 14.5 km/l

＋ Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

⚡ Performance Scorpio-N

⛽ Fuel Economy Duster

🛡 Safety Duster

📦 Practicality Scorpio-N

🔑 Ownership Scorpio-N

Both models start at the same price: ZAR 489,999

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
Engine Power	96 kW	128.6 kW
Torque	230 Nm	400 Nm
Engine Size	1.2 cc	2184 cc
Claimed Mileage	17.5 km/l	14.5 km/l
Ground Clearance	217 mm	187 mm
Boot / Load Bay	594 l	460 l
Airbags	Front airbags	Front, side and curtain airbags
Kerb Weight	-	1825-2070 kg
Seating Capacity	5	7
Warranty	5 Year / 150 000 km	5 years / 150 000 km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

Both Duster and Scorpio-N are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Scorpio-N +19 pts

Efficiency Duster +12 pts

Safety Duster +28 pts

Practicality Scorpio-N +4 pts

Ownership Scorpio-N +2 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

🏆 Overall Winner

Duster

Strengths

Better fuel efficiency
Stronger safety package

Weak Spots

Less powerful engine setup
Less practical in daily usage
Shorter warranty coverage

Best suited to: Fuel Efficiency

Scorpio-N

Strengths

More powerful engine output
More practical for daily use
Better long-term ownership value

Weak Spots

Lower fuel efficiency
Less comprehensive safety features

Best suited to: Highway Driving Family Usage

Which One's Right for You?

Duster

Buyers looking for better fuel efficiency
Families prioritising stronger safety equipment

Scorpio-N

Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power
Large families needing more practicality and usability
Long-term owners valuing warranty and ownership peace of mind

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
Model Introduced Year	2026	-
Generation	Current South Africa Duster range	Current local listing
Facelift History	Current South Africa version listed by official source	Not listed by current South African source page.
Facelift Launched Since	2026	Original current-generation version
Facelift Version Ending	Current	Current
Body Style	SUV	SUV
Model Year	2026	Current
Production Status	active	Active
Segment	SUV	SUV
Vehicle Type	SUV	SUV

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
Ground Clearance	217 mm	187 mm
Wheelbase	2658 mm	2750 mm
Length	4343 mm	4662 mm
Width	2095 mm	1918 mm
Height	1661 mm	1905 mm
Kerb Weight	-	1825-2070 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight	-	-
Seating Capacity	5	7
Boot Space	594 l	460 l
Towing Capacity	1500 kg	-
Front Track Width	-	-
Rear Track Width	-	-
Turning Radius	-	-
Load Bed Length	594 l	460 l
Load Bed Width	-	-
Front Legroom	-	-
Rear Legroom	-	-
Front Headroom	-	-
Rear Headroom	-	-
Front Shoulder Room	-	-
Rear Shoulder Room	-	-
Boot Space Seats Folded	594 l	-
Number of Doors	5	-
Max Payload	-	-
Boot Volume	594 l	460 l
Doors	5	-
Seats	5	7
Fuel Tank Capacity	50 l	57 l
Gross Vehicle Mass Kg	-	-
Ground Clearance Max	217 mm	187 mm
Ground Clearance Min	217 mm	187 mm
Ground Clearance Mm	217 mm	187 mm
Height Mm	1661 mm	1905 mm
Length Mm	4343 mm	4662 mm
Loadbox Length Mm	594 l	460 l
Loadbox Width Mm	-	-
Payload Kg	-	-
Cargo Volume	594 l	460 l
Tare Mass Kg	-	1825-2070 kg
Turning Circle	-	-
Turning Circle M	-	-
Width Mm	2095 mm	1918 mm

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
Engine	1.2 Turbo mild hybrid petrol	2.2D mHawk CRDI
Engine Type	1.2 Turbo mild hybrid petrol	Diesel mHawk common-rail direct injection
Displacement	1.2 cc	2184 cc
Cylinders	4	-
Valves per Cylinder	16	-
Power	96 kW	128.6 kW
Power @ RPM	4500-5500	3500
Torque	230 Nm	400 Nm
Torque @ RPM	2000	1750-2750
Fuel System	Petrol injection	-
Turbocharger	Standard	-
Top Speed	-	-
0-100 km/h	-	-
Compression Ratio	-	-
Cylinder Bore	-	-
Piston Stroke	-	-
Engine Code	-	-
Power	-	172 bhp
Fuel Grade Required	Petrol	Diesel
Cylinder Layout	Inline	-
Engine Aspiration	Turbocharged	-
Engine Type Config	1.2 Turbo mild hybrid petrol	-
0–100 km/h	-	-
Engine Displacement	1.2 cc	2184 cc
Engine Displacement Litres	1.2 cc	2184 cc
Acceleration 0 100	-	-
Engine Config	1.2 Turbo mild hybrid petrol	-
Engine Cylinders	4	-
Engine Displacement Cc	1.2 cc	2184 cc
Engine Power kW	96 kW	128.6 kW
Engine Torque Nm	230 Nm	400 Nm
Engine Valves	16	-
Induction	Turbocharged	-
Max Power kW	96 kW	128.6 kW
Max Torque Nm	230 Nm	400 Nm
Maximum Power	96 kW	128.6 kW
Maximum Torque	230 Nm	400 Nm
Power kW Rpm	4500-5500	3500
Torque Nm Rpm	2000	1750-2750
Turbo Type	Single turbo	-

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
Transmission	Manual	Automatic
Drive Type	4WD	4x4
Drivetrain Layout	4WD	4x4
LSD Available	-	-
Transfer Case	-	-
Differential Lock	-	Mechanical locking differential and brake locking differential
Paddle Shifters	-	-
Final Drive Ratio	-	-
Number of Gears	-	6 km/h
Transmission Type	Manual	Automatic
Clutch Type	Manual clutch	-
Drivetrain	4WD	4x4
Transmission	Manual	Automatic
4WD Engagement	-	Selectable shift-on-fly 4WD
4WD Hi Range	-	-
4WD Lo Range	-	-
4WD Selector	-	Selectable shift-on-fly 4WD
Automatic Shift Paddles	-	-
Front Differential Lock	-	-
Gearbox Type	Manual	Automatic
Low Range	-	-
Axle Layout	4WD	4x4
Rear Differential Lock	-	Mechanical locking differential and brake locking differential
Transmission Speeds	-	6 km/h

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
Claimed Mileage	17.5 km/l	14.5 km/l
City Mileage	-	11.9 km/l
Highway Mileage	-	16.8 km/l
Fuel Tank Capacity	50 l	57 l
Emission Standard	Euro VIb	-
AdBlue Tank Capacity	-	-
Auto Start Stop	Standard	-
Average Fuel Consumption	5.7 l/100km	6.9 l/100km
Claimed Fuel Consumption	5.7 l/100km	6.9 l/100km
Fuel Efficiency	5.7 l/100km	6.9 l/100km
Real-world Mileage	17.5 km/l	14.5 km/l
AC Charging Power	-	-
Charging Port Type	-	-
Charging Time AC Full	-	-
Charging Time DC Fast 80pct	-	-
Charging Type	-	-
Combined Consumption	5.7 l/100km	6.9 l/100km
Combined Consumption L 100km	5.7 l/100km	6.9 l/100km
DC Charging Power	-	-
Fuel Economy Combined	5.7 l/100km	6.9 l/100km
Fuel Tank Litres	50 l	57 l
Fuel Type	Petrol / Mild Hybrid	Diesel
Low Range Ratio	-	-
Combined Driving Range	-	-
Electric Consumption	-	-
Range Real World Highway	-	-
Range Real World Mixed	-	-
Range Wltp	-	-

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
Airbags	Front airbags	Front, side and curtain airbags
ABS	Standard	Standard
Electronic Stability Control	Standard	Standard
Traction Control	Standard	-
Hill Descent Control	Standard	Hill descent control
Hill Start Assist	Standard	Hill hold control
Child Safety Lock	Standard	-
ISOFIX Mounts	Standard	Standard
Brake Assist	Standard	-
Tyre Pressure Monitor	Standard	-
Engine Immobiliser	Standard	-
Seatbelt Warning All Seats	Standard	-
Front Parking Sensors	-	Standard
AEB	-	-
BA	Standard	-
Brake Override System	Standard	-
Curtain Airbags	Standard	Standard
Driver Airbag	Standard	Standard
EBD	Standard	Standard
Engine Immobiliser	Standard	-
Hill Hold	Standard	Hill hold control
Passenger Airbag	Standard	Standard
Rear Cross Traffic Alert	-	-
Seatbelt Pretensioners	Standard	-
Side Airbags	Standard	Standard
TCS	Standard	-
Knee Airbag	-	-
ABS EBD	Standard	Standard

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
Cruise Control	Standard	-
Adaptive Cruise Control	-	-
Lane Keep Assist	-	-
Lane Departure Warning	-	-
Blind Spot Monitoring	-	-
Rear Cross Traffic Alert	-	-
Parking Sensors	Standard	Front and rear parking sensors
Rear View Camera	Standard	Front and rear camera
360 Degree Camera	-	-
Autonomous Emergency Braking	-	-
Driver Fatigue Alert	-	Driver drowsiness detection
Traffic Sign Recognition	-	-
Auto Highbeam	-	-
Auto Wipers	-	-
Drive Modes	Eco / Normal / Sport	Zip / Zap / Zoom
Rear Parking Sensors	Standard	Standard
Reverse Camera	Standard	Front and rear camera
Adaptive Cruise Control	-	-
Park Assist	-	-
Around View Monitor	-	-
Blind Spot Warning	-	-
Forward Collision Warning	-	-

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
Seat Material	Fabric or cloth trim	Leatherette
Heated Seats	-	-
Ventilated Seats	-	-
Ambient Lighting	-	-
Steering Wheel Material	Polyurethane / synthetic	Leatherette wrapped steering and gear shift lever
60 40 Split Seat	Standard	-
Driver Seat Adjustment	Manual	6-way driver power seat
Passenger Seat Adjustment	Manual	6-way driver power seat
Seat Trim	Fabric	Rich-coffee black leatherette
Rear AC Vents	-	Second row air conditioner

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
Climate Control	Manual / automatic by trim	Dual-zone fully automatic temperature control
Power Windows	Standard	Driver anti-pinch power windows
Keyless Entry	Standard	-
Push Button Start	Standard	Engine start stop button
Wireless Charging	-	Standard
Sunroof	-	-
Electric Tailgate	-	-
Rain Sensing Wipers	-	-
AC Type	Manual / automatic by trim	Dual-zone fully automatic temperature control
Gear Shift Type	Manual	-
Seatbelt Reminder	Standard	-
Service Plan	2 year / 30 000 km	5 years / 100 000 km
Stability Control	Standard	Standard
Valves Per Cylinder	4	-
Electric Mirror Folding	-	Power-fold ORVM

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
Infotainment Screen	Touchscreen infotainment	8-inch touchscreen infotainment display
Apple CarPlay	Standard	Wireless Apple CarPlay
Android Auto	Standard	Wireless Android Auto
Bluetooth Connectivity	Standard	-
Number of Speakers	4-6	Sony 3D immersive audio with 12 speakers and dual-channel subwoofer
Digital Instrument Cluster	Standard	-
USB Ports	Front and rear USB where listed	-
Infotainment Screen	10.25-inch or larger by trim	8-inch touchscreen infotainment display
Touchscreen	10.25-inch or larger by trim	8-inch touchscreen infotainment display
Wireless Apple CarPlay	Standard	Wireless Apple CarPlay
Steering Wheel Audio Controls	-	Audio and cruise controls
Audio Controls On Steering	-	Audio and cruise controls
Audio System	-	Sony 3D immersive audio

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
LED Headlamps	LED / halogen by trim	-
Daytime Running Lamps	Standard	Sting-like daytime running lamps
Fog Lamps	-	-
Roof Rails	Standard	Silver roof rail
Exterior Colour Options	Official Renault South Africa colours vary by model and dealer stock.	See OEM source page for colour availability.
Headlights	LED / halogen by trim	-
Panoramic Sunroof	-	-

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
Approach Angle	-	-
Departure Angle	-	-
Wading Depth	-	-
Terrain Modes	Standard	Normal / Snow / Mud & Rut / Sand
Locking Differential	-	Mechanical locking differential and brake locking differential
4WD System Type	4WD	4x4
Breakover Angle	-	-

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
Tyre Size	-	-
Front Brake Type	Ventilated Disc	-
Rear Brake Type	Disc	-
Spare Wheel Type	-	-
Wheel Rim Size	-	18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels
Handbrake Type	Electronic parking brake	-

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
Front Suspension	MacPherson strut	Double wishbone front suspension
Rear Suspension	-	Penta Link rear suspension

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
CO2 Emissions	129 g/km	-
Fuel Octane Requirement	Petrol	Diesel

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
Gear Shift Indicator	Standard	-

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
Ownership Role	range-specific	South Africa market model
Price Source	Official model page price card	https://mahindra.co.za/scorpio-n/
Price Zar	549999 ZAR	699999 ZAR
Pricing Role	range-specific	flagship
Starting Price	489999	489999
Starting Price Zar	489999	489999

Spec	Duster	Scorpio-N
Warranty	5 Year / 150 000 km	5 years / 150 000 km
Basic Warranty	5 Year / 150 000 km	5 years / 150 000 km

Overall Verdict Score

Decision-grade view of the winner, score gap and category strengths.

Weighted / 100

Verdict readout

Duster leads by 2 points

Both Duster and Scorpio-N are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Winner 63 /100

Lead 2 points

Data 78% confidence

#1 Winner

Duster

78% data confidence 3 strong categories

Best at Safety 75 Check Ownership 42

Performance 50

Efficiency 72

Safety 75

Practicality 74

Ownership 42

Leads by 2 points

Scorpio-N

76% data confidence 1 strong categories

Best at Practicality 78 Check Ownership 44

Performance 69

Efficiency 60

Safety 47

Practicality 78

Ownership 44

Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%

Category leaders What moves the verdict

Performance Scorpio-N +19 Efficiency Duster +12 Safety Duster +28 Practicality Scorpio-N +4 Ownership Scorpio-N +2

Very close match. Final decision depends on buyer preference.

Why this score View full breakdown

Overall Winner

Duster

Performance 50/100

Efficiency 72/100

Safety 75/100

Practicality 74/100

Ownership 42/100

Scorpio-N

Performance 69/100

Efficiency 60/100

Safety 47/100

Practicality 78/100

Ownership 44/100

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 Renault Duster wins with 63 pts vs 61 pts for Scorpio-N

In structured scoring, Duster emerges as the stronger overall package. However, Scorpio-N may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

On our scoring the Duster edges ahead overall. That said, the right choice depends on what you actually use the car for — the breakdown above shows exactly where each one wins and loses.

Efficiency scores: Duster 72 vs Scorpio-N 60. In the real world, diesel variants of either car will beat the claimed figure on long highways and fall short in Joburg traffic.

Safety scores: Duster 75, Scorpio-N 47. Check each model page for NCAP ratings and which trim levels include AEB and blind-spot monitoring — those features aren't always standard.

Long-term ownership scores: Duster 42, Scorpio-N 44. Service intervals, parts availability in SA, and whether a service plan is bundled all factor in — check the individual variant specs for that detail.

Practicality scores: Duster 74, Scorpio-N 78. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: Duster 50, Scorpio-N 69. This looks at real-world pace — 0–100 kph, highway flexibility, and how either car feels when you actually need to overtake on an N-road.

Resale varies with colour, spec, and market timing, but Japanese brands — and Toyota specifically — have a strong track record in SA. Check current used prices for both on AutoTrader to see the real gap right now.

Ground clearance and 4WD availability are what matter most here. Scroll to the spec table above to compare both side by side — if either model offers a 4WD variant, that's the version worth comparing.

Fuel, insurance, and service costs are the big three. Diesel variants of both models typically save R800–R1,500/month in fuel at current SA pump prices. The Duster edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The Duster scores better overall, but neither car is a bad buy here. It comes down to what features matter to you — check the full spec table above to see exactly what you gain and lose at each price point.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

The comparison between Duster and Scorpio-N in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: Duster scores 50 vs 69.

Efficiency: Duster scores 72 vs 60.

Safety: Duster scores 75 vs 47.

Practicality: Duster scores 74 vs 78.

Ownership: Duster scores 42 vs 44.

Final structured scoring gives Duster the advantage in this comparison.

Renault Duster vs Mahindra Scorpio-N

Renault Duster

Mahindra Scorpio-N

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Key Specs Side by Side

The Bottom Line

Where They Actually Differ

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Duster

Scorpio-N

Which One's Right for You?

Duster

Scorpio-N

Full Specs, Side by Side

Overall Verdict Score

Duster leads by 2 points

Duster

Scorpio-N

Duster

Scorpio-N

So, Which One Should You Buy?

Other Comparisons Worth Checking

Buyers Also Looked At These

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

In Depth — Breaking It All Down