Renault Duster : Official Review

[docmech]

Originally Posted by Behemoth

I can shed some light on this aspect. Basically new cars have a technology called as EDC (Engine Deceleration control)/ EBC (Engine braking control) Regards,
Behemoth

that was really informative.

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

Did you notice whether it was a downhill gradient as behemoth mentions above? Or are you saying that the vehicle did not stop smoothly under panic braking but when the clutch was used the vehicle came to a stop without any fuss?

well we were test driving on a level surface. believe me i am no expert but learnt a proper emergency stop in uk. ihave driven a few makes in my life time and i must confess that the brake shoes on both the sunny and duster surprise me.

gto did you try an emergency stop while test driving duster? how would you rate its brakes as compared to your sunny?

[skandyhere]

Originally Posted by h.s.r

Duster Vs Scorpio comparison. Source: BS Motoring.
Duster vs Scorpio - Newcomer or old faithful?

Does anyone else get the feeling that this comparo is not being as sincere as it should? Sample the third page where driveability & power are being compared; I think the writer seems to be trying too hard to stay neutral...

"There’s no arguing with additional cubes and power of the mHawk, which gives the Scorpio grunt and long-leggedness when it comes to the highway..."
What exactly does 'long-leggedness' mean in this context? Certainly not reliability and endurance, as those have little to do with the 'additional cubes'. So what is he trying to say?

"Well, the Scorpio is not going to enjoy this – despite its power advantage, the Scorpio is slower than the Duster. Compare the figures: 0 to 60 kph – 5.0 seconds for Duster and 6.4 seconds for Scorpio. 0 to 100 kph: 12.2 seconds for D and 17.3 for S"
So he states the stop-watch numbers where the Duster outdoes the Scorpio and then the FE figures in which case also the Duster does better. He proceeds to talk about the tranny and says he likes the Duster over the Scorpio there too.

"Verdict, round three: When you look at the powertrains solo, the Scorpio wins. But it is what the powertrains do that makes the difference. In this case, the Duster's motor delivers almost all that you ask from it. That can only be good, right?"
A wishy-washy description that isn't really compatible with the writer's own observations he puts forth in the paragraphs above. The weak consolation that the Duster gets by "that can only be good, right" leaves you wondering what aspect of the driveability and power swayed his verdict. One can only guess it could possibly be the turbo-lag or the in-gear acceleration, but these important bits are entirely omitted from the comparison.

The turbo-lag of the Duster is irrelevantly compared with the first-lot of Fluence, rather than the Scorpio itself. And a critical real-world parameter, the in-gear performance, goes entirely unaddressed.

I'm not siding the Duster at all - I have yet to even see it in metal. But this review left a taste reminiscent of those funny TV car shows! I was hoping for something useful to really lay out how the newcomer measures up against the old faithful.

Originally Posted by docmech

on my test drive of the duster tried to do an emergency stop by depressing the brake pedal alone........pathetic the car doesn't stop, however when both the clutch and the brake pedals are depressed it works like a charm!

Docmech, could it be that you tried braking hard, and though it was unsatisfactory it must have slowed the vehicle down, and now you happen to depress the clutch pedal too? If that's the case, could it be that the satisfactory end-result was due to the lower speed from which you had to decelerate when you began stepping on the clutch?

[narayan]

skandyhere -
i went through the article and as i with BSMOTORING articles i have seen before, it came across as a very fair comparison with a clear verdict favouring the Duster. i think you are reading too much in between the lines

[DRIVEN-TWEEL]

Originally Posted by aniketi

Good review always, but i am disappointed that it don't have mention of the Petrol engine (Am i missing something??). I was waiting for review of the Petrol engine also. People like me who travel around 500 Kms per month and want to own SUV, its better to go for good Petrol engine option if available. I guess 1.6 Petrol engine will also be good to buy. Also if you are saving 2-3 Lacs in the initial cost, you don't feel that much about the daily Petrol costs when your running is limited.

well.

Since u run only 500kms petrol sounds as a good option. Since there are two good diesel engines and that petrol varient does not have any sort of safety, diesel can be considered.
another major factor is resale value. You can get a good resale value for diesel cars if you are selling it inside 80,000kms. Petrol cars resale value would be very poor. Take in consideration innova diesel and petrol. Only honda crv has good resale in petrol suvs. That too in recent months its come crashing down. So if u pick a diesel, then u can save on running cost, resale and better torque etc. Maintainance for diesel and petrol cars will not differ much till 80,000kms. These are just my thoughts, may differ among people

[aditya101]

Originally Posted by sumeshmani

Like so many others, I am going to complain about the ex-showroom price in Bangalore (10,03,369 for the 85PS-O). If only it was priced 4K less, the road tax would have reduced by ~34K.

If there is anything called stupid pricing then this is it. However, there is a remedy.

Visited VW showroom to check out the Vento TDI. The highline variant is app. 10.23 ex showroom. Thanks to "corporate discount", they are offering it at 9.97 => with the clear intention of saving the tax.

If discounts are in the hands of the dealer, then perhaps you can negotiate for a small discount of 4,000/- (perhaps in exchange for some accessories).

For sake of comparison based on price point: The Vento-H TDI is around 50K cheaper than the Duster 85BHP-O. The additional features in the Vento are:

1. Leatherette seats (very nice)
2. Parking sensors
3. Front arm rest
4. Better interior quality.
5. ACC

Now if Renault really wanted to eat into C2 sedans market share, then they should have priced it cheaper by at least 50K. My assessment is that the manufacturer is bound to reduce the prices or offer more features in due course.

[m_upreti]

Originally Posted by skandyhere

Does anyone else get the feeling that this comparo is not being as sincere as it should? Sample the third page where driveability & power are being compared; I think the writer seems to be trying too hard to stay neutral...

I would tend to agree with you on this, the author seems to be confused with what he wants to convey.

As a Scorpio owner for nearly 4 years now I have felt the power and presence that the vehicle holds but still it leaves a lot to be desired. I hope that the duster with its lean design and less weight would be definately more zippy and fuel efficient. Only if they could take care of those horrible silver painted handles and ORVM's and less than desirable interior plastics.

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by h.s.r

Duster Vs Scorpio comparison. Source: BS Motoring.
Duster vs Scorpio - Newcomer or old faithful?

Attachment 961822

Thanks for posting that. Gives a perspective of Duster's size. It is smaller than it appears when one looks at the standalone pictures, especially front profile.

[h.s.r]

IMO comparing Duster Interiors with Vento or Fluidic Verna is like comparing Fortuner with Superb.
One should asses his/her requirements before taking final call(read buying Car),rather then repenting later.Decisions taken in haste often results to wrong decisions.
I would prefer Suv/Crossover to sedan anyday.I can live with inferior looking interiors but what i have is go almost anywhere vehicle.

[Drlmtukkar]

1] The duster is definitely overpriced for the quality they are providing, especially so for the 110 versions.
2] the price difference between each and every variant is a bit too much to digest. 3]Also what surprised me was how could renault be so foolish to launch an engine variant in 110 guise which is worst than the version they scrapped from the fluence. I mean peak torque at 2250 try going up the ooty ghat that has only hairpin bends and you will realise what i amtrying to say here.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Going by the figures, the 0-100 figure of 12.59 seconds(ACI) it is in the league of the fastest SUV's around, fractions of a second faster than Fortuner but fractions of a sec slower than XUV. Yeti is faster.

The figures are even better in their proper tests: 0-100 in 11.88secs making it faster than even XUV and Fortuner and in the same league as Yeti 110. Yeti 140 is a sec faster.

[mkpiyengar]

Originally Posted by skandyhere

Does anyone else get the feeling that this comparo is not being as sincere as it should? Sample the third page where driveability & power are being compared; I think the writer seems to be trying too hard to stay neutral...

So what is he trying to say?

I'm not siding the Duster at all - I have yet to even see it in metal. But this review left a taste reminiscent of those funny TV car shows! I was hoping for something useful to really lay out how the newcomer measures up against the old faithful.

So, in this battle, it is the Duster that wins. Round two with the new Scorpio will not be so easy however. But that's some time away. Till then, the Duster can poop the Scorpio's party.

The above line in the final page sums up the verdict in favor of Duster in the Review without doubt.

If you are referring to the individual components in the review lacking clarity, then the less said the better.

Cheers
MKP

[DRIVEN-TWEEL]

Im just back after testing the 85rxl. As expected it has good low end torque. Good to drive in the city. Its better when compared 110 in city drive, but 110 is not bad either. 110 has got the lag in 2nd gear which is quite evident when you are in low rpm in 2nd gear. 85 surely is not under powered. Pulls well even without much effort. Its got engine sound more than 110,more noise in the cabin too. Hard to belive its the same engine in different tune. 110 pulls massively after 2500rpm. Those who like the rush will enjoy. Gear change was not at all good when compared to 110. 110 is really smooth,but 85 feels nochy. Some sort of plastic rubbing inside. 85 produces engine sound which sounds strained when compared to 110 which sounds quite and can take more revving. For sure im happpy with 110. 85 value for money.

[himadrimondal]

Writing this with a very bad taste in my mouth, got a call form my dealer this evening.
The colour(woodland brown) I had booked for the RxZ version is not there in the first lot.
What amazes me is the lack of coordination between the dealer and Renault. Files were made of each customer with model and colours specified a month back.
I have blasted them saying either I get the colour I had requested in the first lot or I take back the full amount( on-road payment was done).
Request other members who have booked the car to check with their respective dealers about their choice.

[skandyhere]

Originally Posted by mkpiyengar

So, in this battle, it is the Duster that wins. Round two with the new Scorpio will not be so easy however. But that's some time away. Till then, the Duster can poop the Scorpio's party.

The above line in the final page sums up the verdict in favor of Duster in the Review without doubt.

If you are referring to the individual components in the review lacking clarity, then the less said the better.

Cheers
MKP

Yes MKP, that's the whole point - I'm referring to the contrived effort on the writer's part to stay as neutral as possible and the effort shows through what appears to be confused writing. I wasn't passing a judgment about the Duster or the Scorpio; rather, it was about how a potentially interesting comparo was perhaps wasted.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by DRIVEN-TWEEL

85 surely is not under powered. Pulls well even without much effort. Its got engine sound more than 110,more noise in the cabin too. Hard to belive its the same engine in different tune. 110 pulls massively after 2500rpm.

Is the cabin noise really that bad or irritating that it can be a deal breaker?
Also when you meant the engine "felt" strained, what speed were you at?


What I am trying to ascertain is, does the engine feel strained at speeds nearing three digits?