Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

[parrys]

Mod Note : The Renault Duster Official Review has been uploaded at this link (Renault Duster : Official Review). Please continue the discussion over on the new thread.










Prices: (ex-Mumbai)

Petrol: 1.6L engine producing 103 BHP of power & 145 Nm torque.

• RxE - 7,47,100/-
• Rxl - 8,52,093/-

Diesel 85: 1.5L engine producing 84 BHP of power & 200 Nm torque.

• RxE - 8,31,094/-
• RxL - 9,36,087/-
• RxL Diesel Pack - 10,41,079/-

Diesel 110: 1.5L engine producing 108 BHP of power & 248 Nm torque.

• RxL - 10,41,079/-
• RxZ - 11,46,072/-
• RxZ Diesel Pack - 11,77,569/-

High Points:

• This is the 4th car of Renault's 5-car promise for India. The 5th (sedan) will be here before Diwali.
• The Duster has been launched in 8 variants.
• ARAI fuel efficiency figures: Petrol - 13.24 kmpl; Diesel 85 - 20.45 kmpl & Diesel 110 - 19.01 kmpl.
• 60% of the car is localised and they are aiming for 80% soon.
• The Duster has a monocoque body.
• 5-speed gearbox on the petrol & diesel 85 engines; 6-speed gearbox on the diesel 110.
• It doesn't stand too tall, but it does have 205mm of ground clearance.
• The plant capacity at Renault's Chennai facility has been ramped up to 4 lakh units annually.
• The Duster will be exported only to RHD markets as of now.
• No mention of an Indian launch for the 4x4, despite it being present on the 108 BHP export version.
• Currently Renault India has 55 dealerships, aiming to reach 100 by end of 2012.
• 4000+ pre-bookings have been received already.
• Test drives start today.

[parrys]

Exterior:
Marc NASSIF MD, Renault India Pvt. Ltd. unveiling the Renault Duster.




You can own a high driving position at the price of a sedan.


Notice the big wheel arches.


Much required two-tone front bumper. Will take the beating on rough roads.


Double barrel headlamps.


Fog lamps are inset to avoid contact with the rocks/gravel etc.


Not as tall as the other SUV's in the market.


Big chrome grille upfront.


Silver roof rails.


Silver finished side step-up plate.


ORVM's would have looked better if they were chrome instead of the silver paint. Looks cheap. You get body coloured ORVMs in the lower spec Duster which will actually look more in-sync.


Even the door handles are the traditional lift-up, and silver finished. Chrome is sorely missed or even body coloured would have suited it much better.


The Duster badging on the rear chrome garnish above the number plate. It stands out, since its not chrome on black but black on chrome instead.


5-spoke spiral look 16" alloy wheels.


Chrome exhaust tip.


Even the reflectors on the rear bumper are deep-set.


The reverse parking sensors look very neat with this fibre surround, but I wonder how quickly dust & dirt will accumulate in here.


Car on display was the top of the line variant.


Tail lamp design is basic.


Roof mounted antenna.


Silver finish on the lower side of the bumper.

[parrys]

Interiors:
Dual tone dashboard.


Leather wrapped steering wheel. Perforated in the grip area.


The audio controls are not exactly steering mounted, yet easy to reach without taking your eyes off the road.


Instrument cluster is fairly basic. Lots of check-lights though.


Center console has a piano black finish around it. All A/C vents have chrome surrounds. Notice the silver accent on the gear knob.


Head unit with USB, Aux-in & bluetooth connectivity.


No automatic climate control.


Illuminated glove box.


Door panels have wooden accents & chrome door levers.




Rear Air-con.


No driver arm-rest. The air-con housing could have been extended to fulfill this need.


8-way adjustable driver's seat.


Leather seats are perforated. Feel soft but could have been better. Notice the inconsistent stitching lines.


Rear doors open wide for ease of access.


2nd row reading lamps.


Rear parcel tray with storage cubicles.


Huge boot space.


Gets even better with the fold down 2nd row seats. (No 60:40 split)


Illuminated boot space.


Engine bay.


Bonnet has a gas-strut to hold it open. Convenient feature.


Driver foot-well has rubber padding to protect the carpet from wear and tear.


For additional info, refer to this Spec sheet:
Duster spec sheet.pdf

[Rehaan]

Thread moved to the Indian Car Scene section from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[shankar.balan]

At 60% localization if this is the pricing, then would it be reasonable to expect that prices may come down further with 80% localization?

Is the current pricing so much higher here in India on account of duties, taxes and levies, or because they want to position the Duster differently in this developing market?

Any thoughts, informed guesses, actual information and/ or ideas?

Based on the boot space pic, it is not seeming very wide. Hence it leads me to believe, that like in the case of the Yeti and the Fusion, the lateral golf bag + trolley placement test, is likely to fail.

The absence of 60:40 split foldable seats in the second row is a serious irritant because it detracts significantly from the utility perspective of what is after all, an utility vehicle.

[V-16]

I believe its only sold in the 2WD avatar as yet. Is that true?

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by V-16

I believe its only sold in the 2WD avatar as yet. Is that true?

Yes this is correct.

[selfdrive]

It seems to be a decent package for what has been expected/ discussed here so far. So when do we get an official test drive/ review report Rehaan?

I have not looked into the features/ spec sheets for the different versions, but at first look it seems a tad overpriced for whats on offer other than the space. not too much off the mark though, and definitely worth a TD. Oh wait, I will have to go halfway across town for one. Maybe that is the downside before one thinks of plonking some money on a Renault. Of course it also means some exclusiveness on the roads.

The only hope I have with this pricing is that the Ecosport could be launched at more competitive prices.

[princey]

One query.
The Autocar review mentions the kerb wt as 1158 - 1308 kg, whereas the site brochure mentions gross veh wt as 1740 - 1781 kg.
Whats the difference ?

[tanwaramit]

Looks good. They should have launched an AT version too.

Third row seats? may be an option to add them to accomodate kids on long journeys.

[ghodlur]

Thanks parrys for the wonderful pics.

Seems to be a good package for an SUV at the price of a sedan. What about the safety features like ABS and Airbags - are they available on all variants.

Although the boot space does not look that deep, seems to be enough for the weekend stuff I guess. How about the plastic quality? Does it look cheap or the finish is better?

[VeluM]

Well priced, in my opinion, and a desirable vehicle from the looks perspective. The only problem is the huge premium one has to pay for safety. ABS at least (IMHO) should have been offered across the range as an option, but most manufacturers of A, B and even some C segment vehicles seem to disagree.

Originally Posted by princey

One query.
The Autocar review mentions the kerb wt as 1158 - 1308 kg, whereas the site brochure mentions gross veh wt as 1740 - 1781 kg.
Whats the difference ?

The difference is the kerb weight and gross weight. Kerb is without people and gross is including the total weight of a full capacity of people of an average weight (65kgs, isn't it?).

Not sure if kerb includes the weight of vehicle fluids.

[volkman10]

Originally Posted by VeluM

Not sure if kerb includes the weight of vehicle fluids.

Kerb Weight: Vehicle weight when its not loaded with passengers and luggage. It includes full tank fuel and other fluids!

Cheers!

[troublemaker]

Looks decent. Let's see whether this can give some life to Renault India!

[DieselDon]

Originally Posted by princey

One query.
The Autocar review mentions the kerb wt as 1158 - 1308 kg, whereas the site brochure mentions gross veh wt as 1740 - 1781 kg.
Whats the difference ?

Originally Posted by VeluM

The difference is the kerb weight and gross weight. Kerb is without people and gross is including the total weight of a full capacity of people of an average weight (65kgs, isn't it?).
Not sure if kerb includes the weight of vehicle fluids.

Originally Posted by volkman10

Kerb Weight: Vehicle weight when its not loaded with passengers and luggage. It includes full tank fuel and other fluids!

From the Indian Motor Vehicles Act :

“gross vehicle weight” means in respect of any vehicle the total weight of the vehicle and load certified and registered by the registering authority as permissible for that vehicle

“unladen weight” means the weight of a vehicle or trailer including all equipment ordinarily used with the vehicle or trailer when working, but excluding the weight of a driver or attendant; and where alternative parts or bodies are used the unladen weight of the vehicle means the weight of the vehicle with the heaviest such alternative part or body (I guess it is also referred to as Kerb/Curb Weight)

Significance : (as per my layman understanding)
- Gross Vehicle Weight needs to be adhered to for Warranty purposes (should be somewhere in the fineprint). It makes sense as a Safety measure too.
- Unladen Weight needs to be adhered to for Fitness Certificates(albeit after a few years whenever the vehicle is checked,etc).