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Old 9th July 2012, 10:04   #286
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

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Originally Posted by METISWHG View Post
We checked out the fluence then and quite impressed by its interiors. Sad part, noone form renault bothered to attend anyone on fluence. They are missing a trick there, u have got a car that is getting people to the showroom finally. This is your chance to showcase your range and make it feel premium and desirable,but they are just not bothered on any other car right now. Duster might help you sell a bit more of fluence as well, Renault are you listening.
Absolutely, bang on!!! Well said. Couldn't agree with you more. I must have travelled on the very same road innumerable times but never knew a Renault showroom existed there Come Duster and we have a mela going everyday at the showroom. I am sure many people must have come to known about Fluence/Pulse/Koleos only after coming to the showroom to take a look at the Duster. As you rightly said, Renault must take full advantage of this situation.
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Old 9th July 2012, 10:18   #287
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

Visited Renault Palace Orchard yesterday and explored the vehicle and I feel the Road Presence is good. Fellow members pointed out that interiors are not good but I feel it is good.

Rear A/C vent is definitely a problem area for the person sitting in middle. Would have preferred if Renailt has provided Roof mount A/C out like Safari/XUV.

Paint Quality looks good. They have provided Vibration/Noise reducer inside Bonnet.

Will visit once again on Saturday to have a test drive.
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Old 9th July 2012, 10:45   #288
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

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In that sense, I feel even the Yeti is overpriced. So, if Renault is making a genuine attempt to get to us a 5-seater mini-SUV with good handling, quality, etc. (if not comparable to BMW or Skoda) at half or 3/4th the price, I don't think they are doing anything wrong here. And for people who say at 14L price tag they can instead grab a fully loaded C/D segment sedan, then for them I would say please go ahead and grab it. One should buy an SUV because you WANT an SUV and not simply as a substitute for sedan using price as the ice breaker.
Frankly in my opinion, the top-end Duster at 14L is overpriced. For about 2L more (@16L OTR with discounts of upto 1.5L), you can get a Yeti which is far better than the duster in terms of perfomance, build, quality etc. I would put my money on the Yeti than the duster.
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Old 9th July 2012, 10:46   #289
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

Yes absolutely. One may accept a No Airbag scenario but in todays world where we have maniacs all over the place and the overall speeds of travel have increased massively, the presence of ABS may actually help prevent an accident. Indeed on several threads where opinions on this have been sought, I have always suggested that the potential buyer of a new vehicle, should, if possible opt for the version which has ABS at least.
I appreciate your point of view that the Airbags and Pretensioners and all that are of relevance POST FACTO. ABS may actually prevent.
Prevention is better than cure, if I may make so bold.
And perhaps the time has come in 2012 to try and help educate as many people as possible, starting with our own Forum, that Safety should be of paramount importance.



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I'm happy that indian customers, at least on team-bhp are putting a high value on Safety more than cosmetic features. This is where Duster could have made the difference by making ABS mandatory. Why do I keep on harping about ABS on all my posts?
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Old 9th July 2012, 10:47   #290
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

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Interestingly, nobody is talking about the petrol variant. What if it has more pulling power and better refined than the diesel mill. If that is true and the petrol RxL had ABS, I would had surely gone for it. After all, I am a petrolhead and I would be getting an amazing SUV for under 10L. Will have to wait till next weekend before getting behind the wheel.

Hey Floyd, I too am waiting to do a Test Drive of the Petrol version which the sales guy told me would take minimum 10 days & I hope its going to surpass the Diesel. On your point about ABS, Unfortunately Renault is not offering ABS + Airbags even as an option in the petrol model which is wher i am confused now. Do keep us posted if you get a chance to drive the petrol vehicle before i do.

Last edited by urajkumar : 9th July 2012 at 10:48.
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Old 9th July 2012, 10:49   #291
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

Had a look at the Duster yesterday. Could not get a TD as there was a huge number of people waiting for it.

Exteriors:
The Duster has road presence. It may not have the size of a Safari or Scorpio, but it looks butch from the front. The rear too looks good, but for the tail lights which look Micraish. The side view of the rear is quirky and this is the weak area in the looks for me. The huge sheet metal area gives it a more pick uptruck look.The car looks realy good in the brown shade.

Renault Duster : Official Launch Report-img00043201207081759.jpg
The front view is good and gives a butch feel. This color is the best and will probably see most bookings.
Renault Duster : Official Launch Report-img00047201207081804.jpg
The rear looks good, but for the tail lights
Renault Duster : Official Launch Report-img00048201207081804.jpg
The rear side view is least pleasing

Interiors:
Step inside and I found the space to be good. The 2nd row is very wide and can easily seat 3 passengers. However as many have pointed, the rear AC is a hindrance. There is a huge amount of space in the boot. This is good thing for long drives. Probably they could have pushed the 2nd row a little back to provide a wee bit more leg room.

I guess the interiors quality and design will be a mixed bag for many. Obviously the reference for many would be the vehicles they own. If you come from Sedans like City, vento etc the interiors quality and design will be a big let down. The plastics felt very hard. The door handles have a poor look and finish. The door handles with the faux wood finish also is not my taste. Doors do not give the thud feel when you close. For me comparing the interiors with the Ertiga that I own, the Duster interior felt of really poor quality and grade and is definitely thumbs down.

However, if your frame of reference is not a Sedan, but a SUV like Safari or Scorpio, and you are seeking a rugged, no nonsense SUV, the Duster interiors will serve the purpose. Seeing the buzz and the crowd at the showroom, I am sure Duster is going to be a big success for Renault



Quote:
Originally Posted by METISWHG View Post
We checked out the fluence then and quite impressed by its interiors. Sad part, noone form renault bothered to attend anyone on fluence. They are missing a trick there, u have got a car that is getting people to the showroom finally. This is your chance to showcase your range and make it feel premium and desirable,but they are just not bothered on any other car right now. Duster might help you sell a bit more of fluence as well, Renault are you listening.
Yes, I too went to Visit the Renault Showroom yesterday and found a huge number of people checking out the Duster and no one to even attend to me when I was checking out the Fluence. The Duster surely has generated a great Level of interest.
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Old 9th July 2012, 10:49   #292
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

16L OTR BLR for a Yeti is a bit of a pipe dream really.
The higher the variant, the higher the discount and vice versa, thats why.
You may manage it at about 17.5 OTR BLR for the lowest variant of the Yeti which is still a 3.5 lac differential from the Top Spec Duster.
Of course the Yeti is much more plush and comes with loads of equipment too, so it really depends whether you have the budget and willingness to spend it.

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Originally Posted by shivasuma View Post
Frankly in my opinion, the top-end Duster at 14L is overpriced. For about 2L more (@16L OTR with discounts of upto 1.5L), you can get a Yeti which is far better than the duster in terms of perfomance, build, quality etc. I would put my money on the Yeti than the duster.
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Old 9th July 2012, 11:07   #293
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

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Originally Posted by shivasuma View Post
Frankly in my opinion, the top-end Duster at 14L is overpriced. For about 2L more (@16L OTR with discounts of upto 1.5L), you can get a Yeti which is far better than the duster in terms of perfomance, build, quality etc. I would put my money on the Yeti than the duster.
Skoda Yeti base variant is 14L ex-showroom. With road-tax and other charges in BLR, it will come around 17.5L OTR. Even with discount of 1.5L (which I don't think Skoda guys would be so generous) its still coming to 16L which is good 2L more than fully loaded Duster.
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Old 9th July 2012, 11:08   #294
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

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- 5th passenger more welcome than Sunny, Vento or Rapid. Come on, the seat is supportive and the compound is soft.
I am surprised (in a good way) that you found the seat to be more comfortable than Sunny. Unfortunately I could not do a back to back comparison last weekend. I plan to do it soon, since I was using Sunny as a bench mark for space.
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Old 9th July 2012, 11:20   #295
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

Went to look at the Duster yesterday. Had booked 85 ps RXL with Optional pack once the prices were out but wanted to verify myself before taking the final plunge.

Now the car is for my sis who was waiting for a long time for a mini-suv kinda vehicle. She is a total sticker for looks & finish etc so was a little worried as to how the experience will be. The sore point was silver painted OVRMs - which stuck out like sore thumbs - will need to chrome them.

We the car looks really butch in white but the brown is a different color & was our final choice. The wood trims look better than the piano black finish. The overall quality is not over the top but it has a rugged feel to it. In fact we have been (ab)using the innova for past 4 yrs (over 140K done) & duster felt at par with innova in terms of interiors. The engine is quite (the sound deadening material helps) & pulls strongly. The a/c works well as well. The blower for second row does get in the way for 3rd person.

The seats are supportive & the seat back recline for rear seats was very comfortable. The boot is huge & can swallow lots. The parcel tray is excellent design & is very useful. As it was day so could not chek the efficacy of the headlamps, but the double barrel design looks good. The GC is very good.

Overall makes it a comfortable weekend getaways mile muncher.

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Old 9th July 2012, 12:17   #296
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

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The sore point was silver painted OVRMs - which stuck out like sore thumbs - will need to chrome them.
I agree with you, I am not sure what was the intent when Renault decided to use paint instead of actual chrome. Did you check with them about changing to chrome, is it possible for the ORVMs, how much would it cost, etc?

If its a hassle, just get them painted to body color. Might be expensive though.

Last edited by sumeshmani : 9th July 2012 at 12:19.
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Old 9th July 2012, 12:35   #297
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

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I agree with you, I am not sure what was the intent when Renault decided to use paint instead of actual chrome. Did you check with them about changing to chrome, is it possible for the ORVMs, how much would it cost, etc?

If its a hassle, just get them painted to body color. Might be expensive though.
Why not paint it ourselves? Get the com-paint and make it DIY . It will be much much cheaper than getting it painted from them.
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Old 9th July 2012, 13:28   #298
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

Saw the Duster at the showroom yesterday couldnt get a TD. I compared the shape and size to Nissan X-Trail and I found lot of similarities.

Is it based on the same platform?
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Old 9th July 2012, 13:29   #299
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

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I am surprised (in a good way) that you found the seat to be more comfortable than Sunny. Unfortunately I could not do a back to back comparison last weekend. I plan to do it soon, since I was using Sunny as a bench mark for space.
The problem with Duster is 5th passenger getting in and getting out (with the AC vent). But once you are seated it felt more comfortable than Vento, Rapid or Sunny. Vento and Rapid have huge transmission tunnels and Sunny' middle seat is too hard for my taste. The head rest for the 5th passenger in Duster felt good and soft. Not sure whether it will meet its intended purpose of providing safety against a whiplash injury. Only a 8 hours travel in the seat can give us the true picture. But to us the 5th seat of Duster is not a deal breaker even with the A/C vent.

Sunny's space is some what over blown. Yup, it has great leg room. Can't say the seats are great. 5th passenger seat is an example. It also does not cover me shoulder to shoulder when I am in the driver seat. May be unbiased long term owners can comment more!

Last edited by idofsuresh : 9th July 2012 at 13:34.
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Old 9th July 2012, 13:32   #300
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

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But to us the 5th seat of Duster is not a deal breaker even with the A/C vent.
The solution to that is get the 85 RXL version with option. You get all the premium top end features without the AC vent.
That is I hope if you are OK with 85.

(Rear AC is available only for RXZ versions)
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