[sumeshmani]

I hope the mods get to test drive the 85PS Duster. From the looks of it, even they might not be able to get their hands on one any time soon.
I was told that the 85PS vehicles will be coming by 20th of next month by the Renault sales people.

[Oreen]

Okay, so this Bolero owner who wants to upgrade to a Scorpio, went to test drive the Duster at the Bangalore showroom this afternoon. I guess whatever I noticed has already been mentioned by various people here, but still trying to make a list of things I liked and didn't quite like:

I liked:

• Exteriors/looks. Would have preferred to have the spare wheel on the rear door, but even without that, it looks very neat and compact.
  
• Height adjustable driver's seat. I am 5'7" and initially couldn't see the bonnet. After adjusting though, there was ample visibility from the driver's seat. Although the view from the Bolero driver's seat is way more reassuring. You tower over other cars.
  
• Precise steering. Goes anywhere you turn it without thinking.
  
• Amazing suspension. Went over undulated parts of the road at good speed and couldn't feel body roll. In my Bolero, other passengers would suddenly feel the seat vanish from under their bums on such roads, which can be a disconcerting feeling indeed.
  
• Pickup is really good. The response is quick and I didn't feel a turbo lag. This maybe because am used to an IDI Bolero.
  
• Plastics are pretty good. Dunno what people are complaining about unless they are expecting something like the Cruze or Fluence inside.

Dislikes:

• Price of 85 RXL O is 12.39 on road!! That's the 1.55 l extra one has to pay for some basic safety features.
  
• Rear A/C vent is absolutely a deal breaker if you are trying to come down from the space of a Bolero to something with space like an entry-level sedan.
  
• The doors are sad. There's no reassuring thump that you expect in an SUV. Scorpio doors feel sturdier.
  
• The other things people mentioned about ergonomics don't really matter to someone who is not used to even basic features in a car, so am not complaining about anything else.

And although the refinement, feel, ride quality, fuel economy are WAY better than a Scorpio, a Scorpio has a distinct advantage over the Duster in these areas:

• space, space, space
• 5 + 2 seats
• proven for the last ten years
• inexpensive parts basket
• service network and spares availability
• price (more car for the same money)
• road presence

The Bolero owner is thinking if it makes sense to send the two extra passengers in another car and experience the finesse of a European (okay East European) SUV for once. Tempting, if not for the price . . .

[skandyhere]

Originally Posted by TheARUN

....the people who do not want to pay a higher price for petrol, need a vehicle to tackle the broken water-logged roads and want to get into the SUV Club

Know what, I'm less inclined to call vehicles SUVs just because they have bigger wheels and ride higher from the ground. There's no 'sports' utility in a 2WD; if you get into mud, you stay there until a benevolent 4WD lugs you out. The Duster is NOT an SUV. And neither is a 2WD Scorpio or Safari.

I'd just call these kinds of vehicles 'bigger cars'. Sadly for the automobile scene in India, it's become some sort of a privilege to be driving the kind of vehicles we NECESSARILY NEED (what with most roads being bad and many road shoulders dropping half a foot from the tarmac) in our conditions. So for the first time in the couple-of-decades-old industry, we get a handful of options of the right kind of vehicles, which we tend to call SUVs (a term that clearly suggests a vehicle offering more than plain necessity).

[maddy42]

Well some of the cost cutting on the interiors and the lack of 4wd and the point of treating the indian customer like a moron for safety made me feel used! The reviews by people all over this forum makes some points but i feel they could have done a better fit and finish or reduced the price.

If mahindra launches a upgraded bolero it would do better i believe. Just my opinion.

[h.s.r]

Anyone who has watched this video.How obstacle at 1.32 min was completed or they just backed off.

Originally Posted by rageshbhaskar

RENAULT DUSTER - YouTube

Test Drove 107 Bhp Duster yesterday.
It was mixed feeling after the test drive.

Now for good things and bad things.

Good Things
1.Great view of the road.
2.Turbo lag is acceptable.
3.Ride Comfort.
4.Runs like a sedan,feel like a crossover.
5.Higher seating stance.
6.Boot size.
7.Go anywhere attitude.

Bad things.
1.Speedometer console not completely visible while driving.I don't know if its only with me or others also experienced this.
2.No safety features in mid variants.
3.Top variant overpriced.
4.Renault A.S.S
5.Door are wafer thin like Renault service network.
6.Indicator lights not visible in daytime on speed console.
7.Rear AC vent, however not bad for me, because i am not considering top end variant.

Now for the most interesting part which is "Have i booked it or not?"

Yes i have booked 84 Bhp RXL variant as of now.
I am just playing a gamble here of 5K.
I will wait for the TBHP offical review and also waiting for the TD of the 84 Bhp model.
The waiting period given is 3 Months and i believe by that time lot of things will be cleared related to Duster.

[skandyhere]

Originally Posted by maddy42

If mahindra launches a upgraded bolero it would do better i believe. Just my opinion.

Perhaps! The Indian market tends to shy away from experimenting. If the Duster were Mahindra's instead of Renault's, I'm guessing they would've had to suspend bookings just like they had to do with the XUV.

Yet, I'm pretty sure Mahindra has not yet reached a stage where it can bring out a product with the same strengths as the Duster. If it could, it would probably already have done so with their existing platforms.

[lohithrao]

Any info on the maintenance part, esp supensions? its really cheap when it comes to Bolero for that matter even Safari!

btw i thought you were all set to buy XUV?

Originally Posted by Oreen

Okay, so this Bolero owner who wants to upgrade to a Scorpio, went to test drive the Duster at the Bangalore showroom this afternoon. I guess whatever I noticed has already been mentioned by . . .

[raycers_honda]

Finally went to see the Duster in flesh.My first impression was wow.It had really good road presence and definately had the big car feel.
The interior were average.But then if u compare the basic model which is in par with say a honda city in terms of pricing,
the honda has much better finish and quality.But then again where there increase somwhere something must decrease.Here space is increased.The liked the layout of the dashboard.Seats were comfy.The boot had some huge huge space.
The on road pricing in mumbai is as follows.
Petrol rxe 8,66,671
petrol rxl 9,86,319
diesel 85bhp rxe 9,79,106
" " rxl 11,00,865
" 110bhp rxl 12,33,092
" " rxz 13,55,907

I was seriously planning to lay my money hard earned money which comes very very slowly on the petrol rxe model.But then look at the features and its not worth a second look.The next model is 1lakh more.Then its better to go for the diesel which priced similar.But then budgets budgets.
so for now the duster is off my list.Im sure if they wanted they could have priced it better.
Id rather go in for a used bmw or mercedes which is a huge difference in comfort quality etc etc.

[SedatedDrive]

After seeing the Duster prices, I am strongly inclined at recommending the Skoda Rapid to a potential buyer as it makes more sense.

[floyd.bell]

Originally Posted by raycers_honda

But then budgets budgets.
so for now the duster is off my list.Im sure if they wanted they could have priced it better.
Id rather go in for a used bmw or mercedes which is a huge difference in comfort quality etc etc.

Hey buddy, but if budget is your constraint then how are you planning to maintain a used BMW or Merc

[Tommie]

Originally Posted by methilsunkara

Even the Autocar review mentions the illogical placement of steering audio controls. I have test driven the car and she is wrong on space.

I beg to differ here.. I realized that its one of the better places than mounted on the steering. I use a Honda City i-Vtec which has the control on the steering. I really had problems to adjust the controls when the car is on the turn. However, the duster control even though it feels at a wrong place, i started liking the controls which can let you to use the 3 fingers to control perfectly trying to lift, just like trying to pluck the guitar strings...I really find this a innovative location which does not get impacted when the steering is turning.

[Nitinz]

Originally Posted by SedatedDrive

After seeing the Duster prices, I am strongly inclined at recommending the Skoda Rapid to a potential buyer as it makes more sense.

I feel Duster Prices are not off the mark by a huge Margin, I agree they should have priced the different trim levels more rationally yet the number of Bookings justify Renault's Pricing.

Again at Price of Duster , you are getting a much more refined vehicle than a Scorpio or Safari , which are Duster's Real Competition. But if you want only a Sedan then you would go for Rapid/Vento/Verna/City but if you are looking for Compact SUV, you cannot go any further ...

[powertrain]

Check out the Duster review by Autocar India on YouTube -

Renault Duster review by Autocar India - YouTube

Regards

Varun

[condor]

Originally Posted by powertrain

Check out the Duster review by Autocar India on YouTube .. -

Varun, already posted by Ampere here, just 2 pages back.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post2840018

[raul]

The rear ac is a bugbear for many but on careful inspection it seems most cars with rear ac's units will interfere with legroom. See below for Yeti, Jetta and Fluence.

The autocar review has the RXL and we can see the black finish. I personally prefer the chrome finish to the black as it gives the Duster a slighter sportier look, black is a bit dull.

The difference between the RXL 85 and RXZ is about a lakh, for that you get 110bhp, a rear ac if it matters, lumbar support with height adjust, and a lot of superficial features like chrome finish on scruffs, roof bars etc

See this comparision review -

Cruze vs Fluence vs Jetta comparison by Autocar India - YouTube

by autocar on the Jetta, Fluence vs Cruze. Throws a lot of light on the 110 engine, its faster 40-100 than the Jetta! and overall drivability is excellent and beats the 163 bhp Cruze. For a humble 110 compared to the 140 2.0 TDI and the 163 bhp cruze this is quite a performance!

For those going for the RXL (O) Given you are spending 11 lakhs plus why not spend the lakh more and get a better engine?