[firstdrive]

Looking at the pricing of S-Cross if Renault can give some change of interiors and price this turbo petrol close to S-Cross, that will get them some good numbers.

[Nazaar25]

Originally Posted by firstdrive

Looking at the pricing of S-Cross if Renault can give some change of interiors and price this turbo petrol close to S-Cross, that will get them some good numbers.

+1
Pricing is the key when selling a decade old product. Just see how Skoda did a heart transplant on the Rapid, launched a super VFM base variant, became the talk of the town and successfully sold a car which is essentially 11 years old
Just like VAG, Renault is making the same car from quite a while now so they would be saving a of lot money on production and the only new thing will be the Mercedes heart.
I hope Renault prices the magic carpet sensibly and market it well.

[vishnurp99]

Duster really has to be very VFM ( read cheaper than scross) for it to sell. Duster has poor interiors and also space packaging. As a result, the second row is not spacious at all. The AC is also not great for the back row passenger. THE service network is also pathetic.
If they can price it at 8.25 lakh ex showroom and have a decently loaded base variant it will be a reasonable buy for some people.

[aniyo]

Originally Posted by Nazaar25

+1
Pricing is the key when selling a decade old product. Just see how Skoda did a heart transplant on the Rapid, launched a super VFM base variant, became the talk of the town and successfully sold a car which is essentially 11 years old
Just like VAG, Renault is making the same car from quite a while now so they would be saving a of lot money on production and the only new thing will be the Mercedes heart.
I hope Renault prices the magic carpet sensibly and market it well.

Agreed. Nexon did the same. Re-worked the old platform that would have saved them tons of money and launched with good interiors and engines options for a VFM pricing. They have been greedy off late but well can't blame them other OEM are no saints

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by vishnurp99

Duster really has to be very VFM ( read cheaper than scross) for it to sell. Duster has poor interiors and also space packaging. As a result, the second row is not spacious at all. The AC is also not great for the back row passenger. THE service network is also pathetic.
If they can price it at 8.25 lakh ex showroom and have a decently loaded base variant it will be a reasonable buy for some people.

There is no way the 1.3 Turbo can be launched at such a low price point. The engine is brand new, state of the art, co-developed with Mercedes and both the engine and transmission have to be imported. They have already launched the BS6 1.5 NA Petrol version of the Duster with the base RXE variant priced at Rs. 8.49 Lakhs. The 1.3 Turbo will likely come in the mid RXS spec or above only. The NA RXS is priced at 9.39 lakhs and I would expect at least Rs. 1.5 lakh premium for the imported Turbo engine + 6 speed manual box. So RXS Turbo should start at around 10.89 lakhs at the lowest. That will still be priced significantly lower than the mechanically similar, entry level 1.3 Turbo Manual Kicks (XV) which is priced at 11.89 lakhs.

If Renault is able to pull off a coup and launch an RXS Turbo Manual at 9.99 lakhs, it would probably become the fastest SUV you can buy today under 10 lakhs - It would be faster than Seltos and Creta 1.4 GDIs and the Jeep Compass 1.4 Petrol.

[ramki.grandhi]

If Renault can give duster 1.3 for 9.99, even with 20% improvement wrt interiors, i think it will attract lots of buyers in KA(coz of road taxes).

I always liked duster's exteriors and ride quality. But interiors are such an eye sore, for someone who spends 10-12 lacs.

I mean, look at the duster interiors outside india model, taken this from dacia france website. This appears to be slightly better than indian model.

[GBX]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

If Renault is able to pull off a coup and launch an RXS Turbo Manual at 9.99 lakhs, it would probably become the fastest SUV you can buy today under 10 lakhs - It would be faster than Seltos and Creta 1.4 GDIs and the Jeep Compass 1.4 Petrol.

Although there is truth to the imported engine issue, I think Renault should take a page out of Skoda's book and launch a "Duster Turbo Rider" just to create buzz and probably sell a few at a loss just for marketing sake.

The similarities are there, both decade old platforms revived with new engines and nothing else. And unlike the Kicks which people may not buy no matter what the discount(out of arbitrary notions), the Duster can create an impact with the right pricing.

Really want this to succeed since the engine looks very tempting. If the combined volumes of Duster/Kicks/A-class justify local production of the engine, then hopefully we can see it in more products.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by ramki.grandhi

If Renault can give duster 1.3 for 9.99, even with 20% improvement wrt interiors, i think it will attract lots of buyers in KA(coz of road taxes).
I mean, look at the duster interiors outside india model, taken this from dacia france website. This appears to be slightly better than indian model.

This is the totally new Duster launched globally (except India) in 2019. Although the exterior is similar, it's a brand new car. We are still stuck with the original Duster.

[ramki.grandhi]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

This is the totally new Duster launched globally (except India) in 2019. Although the exterior is similar, it's a brand new car. We are still stuck with the original Duster.

Oh, in that case Renault should rebadge Kicks and sell to slightly lower price
At this point, for Kicks, only point that is holding back potential customers(like me) is..."what if" Nissan shuts down in India.

[wheelguy]

Renault Duster Turbo launch confirmed for this month, also new dealers added. - Link

Renault India has announced today that from April to July 2020, their network of Sales and Service has grown.

Renault India first gained recognition when it launched Duster. Over the years, the auto manufacturer has replicated that success with smaller launches, first Kwid, and then Triber. In July 2020, Renault reported sales growth of 75.5 percent at 6,422 units, on the back of its Triber and Kwid range.

The brand recently launched Triber AMT variant, and added to the Kwid range. Building on the momentum, efforts are now focused on the launch of the all new Duster turbo petrol engine, which the brand says is ‘the most powerful SUV in the segment’. With MoM sales growth being reported from May 2020 onward, Triber AMT, and introduction of Kwid variants in July has evoked positive market response.

Dealerships being built on Renault Store concept:

While businesses bumbled around soon after a countrywide Covid-19 pandemic related lockdown was announced in end of March 2020, production and sales activity picked up through May 2020, when lockdown relaxations were announced. Renault India has utilized the slowdown period to stay on track with its network building activities.

Through April-July 2020, 17 new sales (14) and service (3) touchpoints have been introduced. With this, the auto manufacturer now operates out of 390 sales and 470+ service touchpoints to sustain growth in existing and emerging markets. This includes 200+ Workshop On Wheels locations nationwide.

New touchpoint have been introduced as follows – Himachal Pradesh (4 facilities), Telangana (3 facilities), Rajasthan (2 facilities), Uttar Pradesh (2 facilities), Delhi, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. The new dealerships are built on the Renault Store concept.

[kkstile]

Duster's AWD hardware is well known for its excellent drive and handling and I still believe it's butch and rugged looks can pull buyers into the showroom. Now, if this engine+gearbox+AWD combo is launched at a reasonable price point with few interior upgrades, it has good potential.

The only all-wheel drive alternative would be the new Thar. Even with all the improvements, that would still remain a lifestyle vehicle for most buyers. Duster, meanwhile, has decent interior space with a large boot. Let's hope Renault springs a surprise with the princing.

[speed_edge]

Originally Posted by ramki.grandhi

I always liked duster's exteriors and ride quality. But interiors are such an eye sore, for someone who spends 10-12 lacs.

These are the golden words. Pretty much everyone likes the exterior but interior is terrible Hope they bring some changes with new release. Duster is known for great ride + Handling and now it gets power as well. But needs to improve on the feature set since newly launched products are miles ahead. Look at the Creta and Seltos numbers. Even at 20+ lakh on road in KA there are good number of buyers in this segment. And they expect decent feature set with quality interior.

Regards
SE

[Bibendum90949]

A quick glance on the new engine.

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

A quick glance on the new engine.

Times of India says the Duster Turbo variant is expected to be offered as a single range topping trim at Rs. 12 lakhs. If they are speaking of a Turbo with CVT it may not be a bad deal, since the Kicks Turbo CVT top end is priced at 13.8 lakhs.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...w/77505237.cms

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by speed_edge

.... Pretty much everyone likes the exterior but interior is terrible Hope they bring some changes with new release. Duster is known for great ride + Handling and now it gets power as well.

You are right. Everyone gets put off by its dashboard and lack of features. But changing interior and features is a lot easier than changing exterior and I read somewhere that Renault is addressing that now. That they're providing push-button start, cruise control, climate control, LED headlights etc. If that's true and if they undercut Koreans considerably on price, this would still find takers. After all, its ride quality is next to none.