The 2013 edition of the iconic Dakar Rally kicks off on January 5 in South America and this year, besides the significant interest in the "South African" team of Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz and a Toyota Hilux, local television viewers should also keep an eye out for an odd-looking contender with a Renault badge. The Duster crossover, which is an imminent introduction for this market, will also be kicking up dust...

The Duster will be campaigned by two Argentinean teams, and the Dakar Rally promises to be a good marketing platform as this Dacia-developed vehicle continues finding ready new markets - it is already a big success in Europe. The vehicles will complete 8 000 km across South America in countries such as Peru, Argentina and Chile.

Good news for Dakar fans is that Toyota has teamed up with Supersport to ensure coverage reaches local audiences. A half-hour race highlights package, which is compiled by the Dakar organisers, will be screened each day of the event between 22:00 and 22:30 on the SS2 channel with five repeats the following day.  Transmission times and channels are subject to change and viewers should check their TV programme guide.

Original article from Car