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Old 17th July 2012, 14:04   #601
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

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Originally Posted by Maanspeedo View Post
I have been to the Renault showroom thrice in last one week , trying to get some information on TD of petrol and 85 Diesel, but in vain .

And then there is upto 3 months waiting period quoted by dealers here in Mumbai.

Something interesting happened today , someone known to me mentioned that delivery of the vehicle is possible within a week with a premium of around 1 lac !!

Lo!, I was hoping that does not happen . It happened with XUV 500 ( still on), with Fortuner,With vento,even with swift desire diesel.

Only proves that their is more demand than supply and dealers or agents are all set to make some moolah , specially since they have got very little on charts till now with other three models from Renault .

Now , Biggest dilemma , as my older post on this thread mentioned. My Honda city is just 11 months old and I am getting super tempted to stretch myself and change it and go for early delivery of Duster if possible and if there is any truth in talks about premium.

Just waiting for Much much awaited Team-BHP review
+1 , I have been wanting to get a 85 PS Version TD but no Renault Dealer in Delhi NCR has confirmed it . I have booked 85 PS Version and have been promised around a month , so hopefully by August end , I should get it.

But I would also get time for Team-BHP official Review and then that will settle the Dust , till then I am just crossing my Fingers !!

I would suggest not to pay any premium and wait out the period !! Paying a premium may not get you the variant you desired, in your required colour and maybe some Agent /Dealer might rake in moolah by selling you a TD vehicle ?? Perhaps ...

Last edited by Nitinz : 17th July 2012 at 14:08.
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Old 17th July 2012, 15:49   #602
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

Quote:
Originally Posted by Maanspeedo View Post
Something interesting happened today , someone known to me mentioned that delivery of the vehicle is possible within a week with a premium of around 1 lac !!

Lo!, I was hoping that does not happen . It happened with XUV 500 ( still on), with Fortuner,With vento,even with swift desire diesel.
I also heard same thing here in Delhi,Duster available with premium of 1 Lakh.
Didn't expected this for Duster.

Sharing a video of the Duster crash test by Euroncap.



Test Results by Euroncap.


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Old 17th July 2012, 18:09   #603
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

TD'ed the Duster today, it was the 110bhp penultimate model, retails for ~11.25L.

The sales exec. said that today was the last day for booking if someone wanted delivery within 3 months, from tomorrow onwards, the waiting shall be 5 months.

The feel good factor while driving the vehicle is surely there. Huge bonnet is visible from the drivers seat, a big bonus for negotiating the vehicle in the City. Most has been said about the vehicle already, so I would not repeat things but just some striking points:

- Clutch is real hard. I was driving a Swift before & afterwards the TD & the Dusters clutch felt almost 10 times hard.

- Call it engine refinement or over-use of sound deadning, the noise coming inside is very-very low.

- The exec. said that the rear A.C. vent has already reported to the company the company is said to be working on its design. All this on customer feedback so far.

- Huge rush for TD & many converting into bookings.

- Front look & stance of the vehicle are awesome.

- Took the vehicle to nearby fields for a suspension/GC test & it passed with flying colors. No underbelly scrapping or suspension noises.

- To any prospective Scorpio, Bolero, Safari buyers, please consider this vehicle seriously, its miles ahead of those homegrown jugads.

- Had I not bought the Swift, this would have found a place in my garage.

- From the outside looks, the vehicle has premium feel.

- Paid servicing cost to be ~6-7k according to sales exec.

In the end, Duster appealed to me & I could think of investing in the 85bhp lower variants.
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Old 17th July 2012, 19:12   #604
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

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The sales exec. said that today was the last day for booking if someone wanted delivery within 3 months, from tomorrow onwards, the waiting shall be 5 months.
And where was this? Which city?
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Old 17th July 2012, 19:56   #605
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

Talk about timing the TD. It rained for 3 days in Bangalore and the roads were at their best to hold on to as much water as possible. The pot holes and the unpaved road were competing in front of the Renault Showroom for the best off track as possible. I went in with a friend (TBhip-an for sure!) to see the new car in town.


The Duster will define mobility hence forth. There is no comparison to anything else that will come close to what the the Duster, or rather should I say what “you” can do with the Duster.


When the lady at the counter asked us to wait for the TD car, we waited to see a shinning new car waiting to be shown off, but when the TD car came it was fully covered in mud up to the brim! Whoa, that my first impression of the abuse the car was taking and how it still stood ground. I purposefully sat in the rear bench and was lost with the room and comfort in the rear seat. If you are looking for a 4 seater then the rear bench guys will enjoy the drive as much as the guy behind the wheels.


My friend started the car and I saw the car move backwards without any signs of the engine coming to life, I asked to break hard to prevent it from slipping further and he asked me surprised, “what is the matter, I am just reversing!”. I was just shocked, and asked the sales rep if I was in a the Diesel 110 bhp version and smiled back at me. The refinement of the engine in simply out of league in India. Mind it this is coming from a guy who drives the ANHC. Renault knows how to make diesel engines and how to mate it with a good car, no doubts. Then the car was taken out of parking and the sales rep asked us to keep on the service road as the outer ring road was chocked with traffic. I remembered a similar situation with my City, when I was deciding on it, the sales rep had asked to keep to the ring road to check on how the City can free rev on the open road, here I am sitting in the Duster, where the sales rep is asking me to keep to the non existent service road. Worlds apart!


If you want a car that can challenge a tractor then you can safely bet with the Duster. My friend started to drive and all I could see was a pool of muddy water and no road, we asked the sales rep where should be turn, he looked as us and said,”sir, please drive straight, that is the only road where TD is allowed on weekdays!”. TD on a mud road with water whose depth we were not sure? Well, for the first few ditches my friend was very slow, as if he is doing the car a favor by slowing slipping into the counters, but then in less than 1 minute, I could see the devil desire in his eyes. He looked at me and all I could say was “lets kill the road”, and the road we killed! That road was a land mine for my Honda City. In the next 200 years I would not even dream of taking my City there, but the Duster seem to enjoy the drive. Mud and water splashed around, but my drive in the rear seat was so stable I felt I am looking out my window into a TV where the car is doing a off roading.


The rear seat comfort is miles ahead of the City. Many may say that the rear blower is a sore, but I found it very functional. I was sitting on a car with a cool breeze of air, driven around in a Martian surface, with no vibration from the engine, no body roll (yes there was not body roll that I could feel, there might have been technically or theoretically), and I my heart was not in my mouth on the next ditch where the belly would be hurt.


I have been in my cousin's Safari, but then it was like sitting in a bus and not in a car. The lesser said about the Scoprio the better.


Now at the end of the onward journey of the TD, me and my friend swapped places. To do that he had to reverse the car, as we had hit a dead end with pipeline being laid. Normally, you would look around first for the road, stones, pavements etc before you reverse, but my friend did not even seem to bother where he was reversing (there were no other vehicles so that was not an issue). This is what strikes me. This is a car that will define how you drive, not where you drive.


I slipped behind the wheel, rather walked behind the wheel, easy cake. Adjusted the seat and the steering, its not hard to find a comfortable position. When I looked back at the road that we had come in, I was seriously in doubt if that was the road we had actually taken. For a moment I felt this was not happening, it was too good to be true.


For the first few meters I was very careful with the car, there were only ditches where we were going and since I drive a City I am used to praying to god, every time I have to negotiate and unknown ditch or hump. But then the reality stuck me, I just pushed the car into every piece of water that was visible. In a moment I felt guilty and looked at the sales rep, but he seemed to be engrossed taking to his colleague about some delivery details for some customer, not swat of him for testing it so hard.


Then the unbelievable happened, I saw a cement covered manhole in the mud road, its one of the dreaded things that you do not wish existed, and my heart was all wanting to conquer it, finally. I felt I had a car that would summit it. I was careful, I asked the sales rep in a joking mood, “you know, I think that manhole is that kind of thing that will stop being a hindrance to a car like the Duster, I wish I could actually test it”. He looked and me and said “sir, you have to be convinced with your drive, you do not have to ask me every time you want to test the car for something”. Was he off head? I mean, It was now really me and the manhole, I steered the car towards it, adrenaline racing and for a moment I felt I was being really stupid, I just wanted to back out, it was too much to test. But before I made my mind the right wheel was over the manhole, killed the manhole's ego, showed who the boss was and was humbly back on the mud road looking devilishly as the next ditch, prompting me to take it there.


That was a matrix moment for me, where Neo meets the Architect! For a guy who drives a Honda City this was too much to swallow in one test drive. I looked back at my friend in the rear seat and asked him how he felt on the conquest of the man hole. He moved his eyes from his mobile, and asked me what I was talking about, heck! Was he in coma when I did the conquest of my life? No, he had no clue what the car had done a few seconds ago. I immediately imagined how my little baby would be in the rear seat! (a big grin on my face).


Now many cars can boast of this experience? At that moment I remembered a Tbhp thread on what to do when you hit a speed breaker. I looked at the sales rep and he did not seem to be bothered with my test at all. He looked at me and said, “Sir, its sad to sit for TD s where people take the car onto the ring road, stop at a couples of signals, do a trun or two and seem happy about the car. They really do not know how many worries the Duster solves unless they drive on this non existent service road”. That was an honest man and an honest humble car.


There was a 100 meter straight paved stretch and I was able to push it to 60 just within that stretch, it behaved as composed as it was on the pothole filled road, heck, Dr. Jackile and Mr. Hyde!


After I got down from the car at the end of the TD, I was still coming to terms with what mobility, go anywhere meant. It's not about off roading, its about being tension free driving with the city, not caring every time if I would scarp the bottom, or break the front fender, or damage the rear, or paying a huge money just to buy a big guy.


The drive is very car like, its not like an SUV. You will still feel you are in a car and not a bus.


The interiors are very functional, I listed what my City has that the Duster is missing – NONE. There is no more equipment but then it does not miss anything. So, what would I really miss, only those that I do not have already?


The rear seat is great, I am 6 feet tall and I had no issues. But its for 4 only, strictly.


Why could you buy it:
  1. Go anywhere car
  2. Go anywhere without having to worry what will hurt your car, and indirectly your pocket
  3. If you want a car, but not a car in the “just a car” category
  4. If you are looking at smooth diesel engine mated to a good car
  5. If you have 4 people to ferry around and you do not travel light
  6. If you and your family both want to enjoy the car
  7. If km/l matter to you, but you do not want to sacrifice your mobility for that
  8. If you want to get out of the constraints that hatches and sedans impose on you
  9. If you like a car that does not cry each time you ask it to do what you want
  10. If you do not want to spend Lakhs of hard earned money on costly cars that have to make a statement, but you do not wish to push a 20L car over a manhole!
  11. Long high way drive is as a breeze as a Shiradi Ghat drive
    Why you might not buy it:
  1. Renault? Who?
  2. Real estate is more important than drive quality
  3. You have cash to burn
  4. You need a real 5 seater
  5. You would rather choose a car that has auto climate control rather than take on bad roads
  6. I love the sedan shape I want my car to look 3 boxes
    There have been comparisons to the Yeti, but I would like to differentiate it clearly. Yeti is your Tuxedo that you wear to a party, the Duster is you favorite pair of jeans and T shirt that you would wear over a picnic.

Would I buy the Duster now?


No!


I will wait for the 4X4 Duster, 4X4 it will have to be and wait till Renault hears me on on this, no doubt. The current Duster is like Ronaldo, but without his spike shoes.


If you can't wait for the 4X4, its nevertheless an experience that will change your vision of where to go and how to go!


The interiors are not great etc, lets not miss a thrilling move, because it does not have songs in them!


PS: I found the brakes, especially high speed to grind halt a bit spongy. This needs to be verified again.
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Old 17th July 2012, 20:28   #606
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

Quote:
Originally Posted by man_and_machine View Post
After I got down from the car at the end of the TD, I was still coming to terms with what mobility, go anywhere meant. It's not about off roading, its about being tension free driving with the city, not caring every time if I would scarp the bottom, or break the front fender, or damage the rear, or paying a huge money just to buy a big guy.
I must say, that came from the heart ! Very well put. To tell you the truth, thats the exact reason, why I wanted the Scopio 7 years back,
when I was looking for my first car, However I also wanted a smooth ride quality. Pitted against was the then new Honda City. The hassle
free city commute with pot holes was something which I could not think with the Honda City.

Thats when I chose to go with Fusion. Every one asked, why would some one pay >8L OTR and that too for a hatch. One could get a the top
end city for that price. But I must say, I did not regret it at all. Now because of owning such a car, when thinking of a change, not even a choice
comes one step too close.

That's the terrain Duster is made up for. Really hope that more and more of these X-overs make it to Indian shores (Nissan Quasquai, Ecosport,
Fiat 500X etc).

Now coming to 4x4, I can also see why most manufactures dont offer them. Because almost 80-90% sales are non-4WD targetted for cirty driving esp in
India. So unless the 4WD costing is brought down, we wont get it so easily in India. (In other words they need to be localized)
And for ity commute one may not require a 4WD. From that point of a non-4WD is also fine. To a certain it also talks about the maturity of the market.
May be going forward, we would also get 4WD versions.

The other point on the Rear AC: The 85bhp versions come without the rear AC unit. For those trims even 5 can be seated nicely.

Last edited by ampere : 17th July 2012 at 20:55.
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Old 17th July 2012, 20:37   #607
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

Note from the Team-BHP Support : Please avoid typing with excessive dots.........like................this. Thanks

man_machine (kraftwerk) I like your review because it is very heartfelt and not heartlessly objective, thanks a lot. You must be one of those guys who love to love their cars.

I am thinking of the 85 rxl without alloys or ABS, but am in no hurry. Will wait for people to talk about their issues about delivery/service backup/spare parts availability and decide in about six months' time. gotta wait for the Evoquish Alpha and the Ecosport before I finally take a decision. But having driven the Duster, I guess it is time finally to move out of the Bolero/Scorpio hangover that I have.

Last edited by GTO : 19th July 2012 at 16:59. Reason: Please avoid typing with excessive dots.........like................this.
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Old 17th July 2012, 20:38   #608
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

Request to the mods - while doing the official review of the Duster, is it possible to post photo comparisons with cars/SUVs in the same price bucket or the "closest" competitors, mainly external photos to compare size and internal photos to compare leg/head room?

Eagerly waiting for the official review and hope I'm not asking for too much! Cheers and thanks!
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Old 17th July 2012, 20:45   #609
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

I can relate to "drive anywhere stress-free" , as i realised about this aspect after owning OHC for 3+years and having to drive in some bad terrain..

however one feels great when you dont have to drive with the above fear, and all the high GC SUVs will give the confidence.


Quote:
Originally Posted by man_and_machine View Post
Talk about timing the TD. It rained for 3 days in Bangalore and the roads were at their best to hold on to as much water as possible. The pot .
Quote:
Originally Posted by ampere View Post
I must say, that came from the heart ! Very well put. To tell you the truth, thats the exact reason, why I wanted the Scopio 7 years back, ...
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Old 17th July 2012, 21:35   #610
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

The Yeti is certainly not a Tuxedo. I will agree if you say it is a bit like Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, who just happens to be wearing a Tuxedo whereas the Duster is a bit like Chuck Norris or someone like that.

If the Duster is a pair of regular say Flying Machine or Wrangler Jeans then the Yeti is a slightly more expensive pair of Levi's or RM Williams Jeans - that's all.

Today in the reasonably heavy rain around 645 ish I was driving along the Sarjapur Road coming back from Varthur area.

I was doing a fair clip - around 60 in the Yeti. At the last moment I saw a big speed bump because it, like most speed bumps in Bangalore was unmarked plus it was dark and wet. I braked but was too late and I hit that bump at not less than 40kmph.

The Yeti went up and came down with a thud which was merely the articulation of the suspension - nothing hit the road - but then, being a Yeti with its 180mm clearance I would not expect it to hit the ground.

Given our daily drive conditions in Bangalore one absolutely requires an SUV type vehicle with high GC. Nothing less will do.

I agree with wanting to buy a Duster top spec with 4WD. From all accounts if the top spec 4WD comes in, it won't leave much change from Rs 15-16 lacs.

Taking this into account, for Rs 4 lacs more you get a Yeti, the expensive pair of jeans - but what a lovely pair of jeans it is!!!



Quote:
Originally Posted by man_and_machine View Post
There have been comparisons to the Yeti, but I would like to differentiate it clearly. Yeti is your Tuxedo that you wear to a party, the Duster is you favorite pair of jeans and T shirt that you would wear over a picnic. [/list]
I will wait for the 4X4 Duster, 4X4 it will have to be and wait till Renault hears me on on this, no doubt. The current Duster is like Ronaldo, but without his spike shoes.
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Old 17th July 2012, 21:57   #611
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Nice review m&m (no puns intended!). Good to get a human perspective on the Duster, rather than the usual review checkpoints. Makes for a nice change.
I completely relate to that peace of mind feeling that a car like the Duster would bring you. I had a Scorpio, and when I drove it I really didn't think twice about bad roads, no roads, floods, speed breakers et al (It was a 4wd, but I never needed to engage even 4H in the city). The Scorpio's bulk also commanded more respect than the sedans or hatches, which is something I don't see happening with the much more compact Duster. On the flip side, this makes the Duster eminently more usable in tight city spaces than a Scorp, Fortuner etc. A Duster actually does a jack of all trades, master of none (some?) thing pretty well.
My take on the last row being absent debate:
- not many need that last row. It's a good to have option for those rare occasions when the whole gang's in town, but then you don't make decisions based on rarities. One of the biggest target segments for Renault are potential C/D segment sedan buyers, who might get tempted with the go anywhere, butch Duster. These people don't need the last row... luggage space (ample amount too) works for them. Those who regularly carry more than 5 people in their car wouldn't be looking at the Duster in any case.

Awaiting the team bhp review (would they get to test the 85?).
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Old 17th July 2012, 22:30   #612
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

Man and machine - I thought you were going to drop the sales folks and drive off! Enjoyed reading that, but given the passion for the Duster displayed all through a big anticlimax to hear you won't buy it!

Shankar - a question for you given you were waiting for the Duster for a longish period. Today if you had not bought the Yeti, and you had the choice between the Yeti and Duster what would you go for?
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Old 17th July 2012, 22:52   #613
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

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.....a big anticlimax to hear you won't buy it!
Well, I will buy the Duster, but not in the current avatar. I will wait for the 4X4 to come in. Then its the Duster that I will buy. So the duster it will be, but then it will need to come with the spikes :-)
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Old 18th July 2012, 00:08   #614
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

Does anyone have pics of how the Rxe petrol version looks.I know all about the features blah blah etc but was wondering how it looked in pictures.
I think many would go for the petrol version if they don't do more than 300 kms a month.
But then i don't know how good the resale value will be down the years.Imagine the used car market 3 to 4 years down the line.Getting a well maintained duster for 4 to 5 lakhs would be icing on the cake.
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Old 18th July 2012, 02:26   #615
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Re: Renault Duster : Official Launch Report

Nice review m&m, seems like you truly enjoyed the TD. I'm a bit skeptical of betting 12lacs on 1 test drive no matter how revealing it is. A couple of more TDs maybe for me to put down my money. At the end of the day, for most including me, its going to be the primary car/suv/muv/what ever and the insides better be a place I like. Ride quality will not be the only aspect on the top of my mind. Space, safety, features and their ease of use daily, quality of interiors etc will count just as much.
Also, if the clutch is that hard, do you think it will make the driving all that painful if someones commute is around 15km/day? I see this issue getting mentioned by almost everyone whos done a TD.
Also, are you saying that the interior quality of Duster, if not better is just as good as ANHC? Thats high praise for it and i can't wait for the official T-Bhp review then!
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