[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by skandyhere

Important question: Do we know when the prices will be revised upwards? I'm assuming that will happen soon, but the question is when.

I dont think prices going up anytime unless due to factors out of Renault's control (additional cess on diesel vehicles, higher input cost due to steel price going up etc). I feel they sticking to the usual tactics of price will go up so book soon to get maximum cars moving out in initial days. That will market the vehicle for itself and also will keep assembly line running in full swing till export to UK starts (in Dec?).

Originally Posted by AWD

Two of my friends who had booked the Duster prior to launch, ~ 25th last month, cancelled their bookings after test driving the vehicle. Both said that its priced by ~1.25L on the higher side & features were a mess up. They also did not like the interior space & some ergonomic nuances.

Think of a scenario where price is increased up by around 50k and that will be death of higher varients since difference between Duster and XUV W6 narrows dangerously. Also, for a customer who may decide to look past the SUV image of Duster a sedan (Vento, Verna) will be VFM considering engine, support and safety advantages.

[Crazy4Power]

Did any one get the chance to drive 85 Bhp model. It sounds really fishy that the 85 Bhp is not available across India for TD.
We all are hoping that there will less turbo lag in 85 bhp, it may be opposite or the vehicle feels highly underpowered. These may be the reasons for which Renault is not putting any 85 Bhps for TD .

[rshiv]

Originally Posted by Crazy4Power

Did any one get the chance to drive 85 Bhp model. It sounds really fishy that the 85 Bhp is not available across India for TD.
We all are hoping that there will less turbo lag in 85 bhp, it may be opposite or the vehicle feels highly underpowered. These may be the reasons for which Renault is not putting any 85 Bhps for TD .

I don't think 'underpowered' is the reason. It could be a simple launch strategy where Renault wants to skim their potential customers who are ready to offer 12 lac with their 110 variants before showing off their 85 BHPs !

[himadrimondal]

Originally Posted by DieselDon

Any comments on the below ?

Dacia Duster Might Have Handling Issues - autoevolution
& the response ANWB - Auto - Dacia Duster krijgt volgend jaar ESP - You might need to translate this page

The asphalt has to be at the right temp for brakes to work correctly. Good for southern India I guess.

In France(or is it Romania): ESP is seemingly available on the dCi 110 4x4 and 4x2 and was promised to be available on other engines from spring 2011.
In India: ?

Coming from a 2003 Indica - I would'nt mind. Rather would drive the same way as I am now ! Waiting for the weekend (TD)

I don't think we should have much of an worry here, Boss. Given the way its being tested ( as seen in the links), if the same were to be applied to a Safari or a Scorpio or a Xuv, not only would it have toppled, it would have rolled back on its wheels thereafter. Given out driving styles, average speeds and road conditions, we rarely should come across such a case in India.
Having sad that, presence of ESP(ESC) is always a big plus, along with everyone I too wish it came in the Indian versions.

[AWD]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

price is increased up by around 50k and that will be death of higher varients

The vehicle is already priced higher considerably, I don't foresee Renault further increasing the prices > 15k. Anything more could sound an instant death knell. There's a catch though, if the vehicle does exceptionally well on sales, Renault could well embark on the mis-adventure!

Wehn it comes lower variants, Ertiga is a superior buy. As far as higher variants are concerned, Innova & XUV take the cake.

[DoneAndDusted]

Originally Posted by AWD

The vehicle is already priced higher considerably, I don't foresee Renault further increasing the prices > 15k. Anything more could sound an instant death knell. There's a catch though, if the vehicle does exceptionally well on sales, Renault could well embark on the mis-adventure!

Wehn it comes lower variants, Ertiga is a superior buy. As far as higher variants are concerned, Innova & XUV take the cake.

Totally agree with you.. I feel that Renault would be shooting themselves in the foot if they plan any further hike in price.
On a different note, I cancelled my booking today and was informed that the refund would be credit in about 10 days.

[rshiv]

Originally Posted by himadrimondal

I don't think we should have much of an worry here, Boss. Given the way its being tested (as seen in the links), if the same were to be applied to a Safari or a Scorpio or a Xuv, not only would it have toppled, it would have rolled back on its wheels thereafter. Given out driving styles, average speeds and road conditions, we rarely should come across such a case in India.
Having sad that, presence of ESP(ESC) is always a big plus, along with everyone I too wish it came in the Indian versions.

Fully agree ! ESP sensors are advantageous and certainly will reduce the lateral slides but will it make sense for a country like India filled with narrow/potholed roads? I'd think Reno purposely ignored considering the fact that its just a nice to have & as a service nightmare when comes to maintenance.

[Nitinz]

Took a test drive in Delhi today and my impressions of the car

1. Excellent view from Drivers side
2. gear shift phenomenal
3. Hydraulic power steering , pretty decent and suitable
4. Despite the Turbo lag, drive in peak traffic comfortable and pick up more than adequate
5. Suspension very good as duster handled pot holes and bad road very nicely
6. Music system : mediocre sound
7. Rear view mirrors a bit tiny and view not so great from them and also orvm controls near hand brake , which is not a comfortable position
8. Air-conditioning Good , but in rains , all acs work so nicely
9. Renault /Dacia built duster for a price point and upto a price point so for that range it is value for money


Impressions of Renault dealers

1. They have gone bonkers over duster booking , not able to handle crowds ( yes crowds on a outing to Zoo and duster the new animal from France
2. The Eternal wait for already booked test drive
3. ill-equipped to handle more than Dozen customers, they are handling several hundreds today , perhaps Renault needs to give another training
4. Dealer sales guy boasted for 900+ bookings and delivery schedule for current booking to october end


Impressions of prospective customers at showroom


1. Lot of 'me too crowd' , curious ones had come to see the new monkey from France
2. Competitive crowd : saw many xuv and endeavor owners turning up to check on competition
3. Political crowd : some people cannot resist name dropping for a earlier test drive or delivery
4. Lots of Women : got to see lot women as prospective customers themselves , which was a pleasant surprise
5. And of course Genuine buyers interested to book duster


Though it very Early days yet Renault seems to have succeeded with Duster, there is lot of genuine interest and loads of bookings to justify this claim. Yet Renault needs to give a good after sales or game can change very quickly .


Cheers

[rshiv]

Originally Posted by Maanspeedo

I used to drive a Logan once and my petrol logan 1600 Cc took me Mumbai to Jaipur 1200 kilometers in One single day(16 hours ). Been driving a city and civic since then and have never been happy with the suspension and ride quality . engines of honda are superb and the interiors too but that European drive of logan , I could never get.
Drove XUV 500 too but did not like it much( though the best from Mahindra , still finesse ? )
And thus Duster matters a lot for people like me

It drives like a skoda, feels like a honda and beautiful like ( almsot ) an audi .

It gives you many options to choose from and space and everything else which everyone is cribbing about is almost perfect.
[/b]

Dude, I loved the way you passionately voiced your thoughts here. yes, many a times, I'd skipped the Tata cabs and wait for Logan cabs in the queue when coming from Airport. The functional feel/ and the ride quality of Logans are much better compared to the other cars.

XUV - A great looker. However, its going to be a long journey FROM their ambitious design, to be fine-tuned practices TO the refinement levels that companies like Toyota, Honda etc.. achieved globally. (like breaking 80 consistently in Golfing !)

Duster : Are we expecting all the gizmos/safety aspects per world class standards but at a chinese price? or how do you recalibrate the VFM value if the govt. hikes the diesel prices on par with petrol prices in India?? Little confused with the VFM part here. The product is positioned based on plenty of perceived factors and that needs understanding. We can always ignore and choose to move on but can't expect everything in a single product like a bollywood movie.

Personally I liked the way its positioned. 85 BHP to woo the Premium hatch crowd and 110 to take on the Sedans buyers. There is certainly a value proposition. but is that on the interior comfort and pricing? I doubt. Agree the interiors are no way compared to VW Polo or to Vento or also agree less powered engine compared to the massive 2.2 ltr of XUV/Safari engines. But look from this perspective.. Though its just 1.5/110 bhp it just weighs half of XUV/Safari. That's a great advantage for duster on the mileage, maintenance, stability areas. Its a great lean practice and complete new way to go forward.
The product is proven in many countries and not a beta version for us to test and provide feedback to the manufacturer consistently.

I never owned Renault brands and not sure in the future. however, I believe Renault is creating a new segment and duster is one one honest attempt.

I welcome your thoughts here !

[idofsuresh]

I have booked a Duster. This link Video: Dacia Duster stability test and many previous posts talk about lack of stability of Duster without ESP. I was already concerned with No ESP and my concern has only got stronger. Is it going to be a real issue ? Obviously, the base version of XUV (No ESP), Scorpios and Safaris are not subjected to equivalent stability tests. I can't see why these versions without ESP would pass a similar test. None of our diesel cars under 13L ex-showroom have ESP is another matter.

It's a shame that Duster manufactured in Chennai, is offered with ESP in western markets but they strip off that couple of 100 USD life saving feature in India. Our lives are valued dirt cheap and our intelligence is insulted by offering a leather seat instead of ESP. At the least they can stop treating us as snake charmers by not advertising their vehicle as safe. Few of the previous posts have got me thinking whether I should cancel the booking. Any input is appreciated.

EDIT: My concern is more because the stability tests are at 65 KMPH. A need to swerve safely at 80 KMPH is not uncommon in India. And this statement from the web site hurts me to the core "The French manufacturer has already taken action ad starting from March 2011 ESP will be offered as standard on the dCi 110 4x4 and 4x2 version Dacia Duster." So, if they know ESP is crucial in Duster and if they are offering it in Europe as a standard feature why this kolaveri against Indians ?

[raul]

The ESP thing is a huge sore, especially given its being manufactured in Chennai for UK versions and is a mere 350 pounds extra. I seriously doubt folks spending 10 lakhs plus on a car will hesitate to spend 350 pounds to get ESP and better safety. And the video evidence and commentary on how essential it is for all to see.

The RXL 110 without airbags is equally bad, and no option for it when the 85 gets it is completely muddleheaded on Renault's part. Folks will pay extra for it, I think this is what is putting a lot of informed consumers off. The pricing is probably off by just 50k according to the majority of feedback on prices on this thread. I don't see anyone expecting the Duster for a low price. To say that Indians are expecting too much for less when westerners are getting what we are getting at much less with more features does a disservice to informed consumers.

Ultimately manufactures make a huge show of cost cutting and deliver inferior products at inflated prices, and since not everyone can be informed they get away with it. The real reason Renault is not offering ESP is the Indian 110 and 84 are one generation older without DFP and probably not compatible to the ESP designed.

[condor]

Originally Posted by idofsuresh

I was already concerned with No ESP and my concern has only got stronger.

Few of the previous posts have got me thinking whether I should cancel the booking. Any input is appreciated.

I will definitely suggest you cancel the booking, and look at other options. Peace of mind is very important, and definitely about the vehicle one is driving.

[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by idofsuresh

It's a shame that Duster manufactured in Chennai, is offered with ESP in western markets but they strip off that couple of 100 USD life saving feature in India. Our lives are valued dirt cheap and our intelligence is insulted by offering a leather seat instead of ESP. At the least they can stop treating us as snake charmers by not advertising their vehicle as safe. Few of the previous posts have got me thinking whether I should cancel the booking. Any input is appreciated.?

Don't place all your bets on technology to save your life. My suggestion would be to understand the limits of your vehicle and drive within those limits. If you have managed without ESP so far, you'll manage going forward as well.
Don't cancel your booking for a silly reason.

P.S. ESP is definitely good to have but not a must have IMO.

[Cesc]

Originally Posted by Nitinz

They have gone bonkers over duster booking , not able to handle crowds ( yes crowds on a outing to Zoo and duster the new animal from France

Curious ones had come to see the new monkey from France

I want to go to the showroom to take a look but I guess I will go after the 'zoophoria' is over. We have booked one and my family has been egging me to go take a look but with these kind of reports coming in, I would rather bide my time.

[shankar.balan]

In the 1980's, 1990's and 2000's, we mostly managed with inherently dangerous vehicles like the old Fiat car, Amby, open Mahindra Jeeps, Maruti 800, Maruti Omni (By God that must be the most dicey vehicle in the world).

Traffic, speeds, crowds etc were much different then and the vehicles were inherently limited by their lower power etc.

Today, it is a really nice thing to see that safety is taking quite a high priority amongst the better informed communities.

I do hope the manufacturers start taking our market and our people also more seriously than they are doing currently.

I can't understand if it is only due to the duty structures that a cheap foreign car costs so much more here in India. What else could be the reason for this?