[Gixxy.danger]

Renault has done appropriate pricing for the turbo petrol variant. Even the RXS variant gets a good amount of features at a competitive price. Even though it is dated compared to the Korean counterpart, I strongly believe feel it will stand out on the road with its new DRL and those R17 alloys.
Apart from the mundane and unexciting interiors, Duster 1.3L turbo petrol provides all the necessary equipment and the thrill factor at an affordable price point and is fit for a one-car garage.

[haisaikat]

It would be interesting to see how this one competes with the all new Thar provided M&M prices that well and considering AWD option is gone from Duster.

I believe folks willing to look at spending 12 lakh+ and with all rounder needs may also be opting for Seltos or the Creta.

Probably having an alternate automatic to the CVT box might make things interesting for Renault if they want to compete with Creta and Seltos in this segment.

[fhdowntheline]

Where does this leave the S Cross? Other than all four discs and a slightly better build quality, it is neither here nor there in terms of performance, space and soft-roadability.

[SoumenD]

Another video from Autocar.

https://youtu.be/gNbTG4rrVOo

[ramnaresh_2000]

This pricing will punch Kicks where it hurts bad. Seriously, very good pricing from Renault. Having said that, the interiors are looking a decade old. Kicks is far better in interiors department. Renault has more presence than Nissan.

If Renault can do a base variant at 10.49 why can't Nissan do it with Kicks? The XV 1.5 is at 9.99, Nissan should quickly react with a base version starting at 10.49 for 1.3 petrol to counter Renault.

[kamilharis]

The minute changes to the grill and those beautiful alloys still makes the duster look good.

Yes the interior is bad for the age but the exterior still looks macho and is livable.

Like some of the BHPians mentioned, a sticker price of ₹9.99 to start with would have been better. What if they choose to throw in some offer on ₹10.49 later ? So ₹9.99 would have been better instead of being discounted later. Plus the benefits of tax being passed on to the customer.

Anyway the pricing is good for the product.

[Reinhard]

The pricing for the 1.3 engine especially CVT is over ambitions for this car IMHO. The engine may be / is very good - but the car is old, that cannot be simply erased by the engine!

If the price isn't enough to push away customers - the applique and design pasted on the rear sure will.
And can someone please remind Renault that this car is going to sell in the same segment as the Seltos-Creta? Will this price hold much of a chance in this company? Sales statistics show how many people really pick a plush ride quality over a 10" head unit screen. (Practically none!)

[turbowhistle]

Damn that’s good pricing in my opinion, 1.3MT would be anyone’s choice.

I feel so stupid about getting the Venue now , we pushed Renault guys many times regarding this launch and no one had a clue. We couldn’t wait and got Venue Turbo Petrol last month. Renault needs to market this car aggressively and properly now. That engine with duster ride quality would be a blast for enthusiastic drivers.

[Turbo_anup]

The product and engine is good, but what about -

- after sales?
- Long term reliability of engine?
- dated interiors, where-in actually folks (& family) will be seating?
- Feature set and bling that appeal to most customers in showroom rather than engine response (especially those with families)?

Renault faces the same issues as Volkswagen / Skoda group - good product not being backed by good after sales. Not many people might be willing to take risk of spending 14-16 Lacs OTR for Duster IMO, instead of a Hyundai / Kia.

[xjosephjacob]

The old Horse has to keep running till the 3rd generation takes over. Credit where it's due, this 11 year model is still dynamically as rich or richer than the competition even it feels outdated in most areas.

Will it improve the sales? I don't think so.

Flat out 0-100 number of 11 sec dosen't somehow add up, especially when the 2nd gen with the same engine can do the same in 10.3 seconds. Heavier body ? Shorter gears ? Or is it how Renault India tuned it. Experts please throw some light.

At the end of the day what matters is in-gear acceleration. I just love the way the AWD annihilates the competitors and cars from a segment above in a 20 to 80 sprint. Yea, shorter gearing is actually a boon in our practical usage scenario.

[400notout]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

Disappointing pricing, I was expecting this one to be aggressively priced like the Rider, with an RXS version at or below 9.99 lakhs.

I have to agree with you here. The Rapid has the same issue which the Duster has, an old body. And in time it'll not get any younger. But the driving pleasure of the engines want us to have a go at these cars given it is specced acceptably at a lower price point.

The Rapid addressed this issue well with the rider and rider plus variants. But the Duster Rxe is still bare bones and the feature spread doesnt help.

The bigger problem is that unless we are strict on the body shape the Rapid on the lower end and the City at the higher end look much better options.

In fact neither the Kicks nor the Duster are able to match the City on price or features! And I suppose the performance of the City would be equal to this 1.3 turbo if not worse.

So unless I need that extra ground clearance, this is a tough sell.

[84.monsoon]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Another video from Autocar.

These are actually 'Advertorials" - paid for by Renault. Auto magazines blur the lines between actual reviews and paid "pseudo reviews" designed to highlight only the positives.

[abhi_tjet]

If people are still interested in buying decade old VW products then I assume Duster can also attract sales on the engine novelty factor.
Duster as a brand is still quite strong. Renault as a car company is quite successful too with better brand pull than Nissan. Kwid and Triber bring decent volumes which will help them to be committed to India for longer run unlike Nissan.

[John316_WRC]

Now, the engine might be great, but I simply cannot live with those interiors which is shocking for 2020!!

Also I find the new price to be high. 10.49 for this ageing car or 9.99 for the Creta diesel? I think the monthly numbers will speak for themselves.

This is a missed opportunity for Renault.
When "global new" launches are happening in India, why must other markets get the newer car & India get the old one? The updated model was launched in 2017 in other markets. Do we deserve less, Renault?

[DImPo]

I am quite surprised by the positive comments despite the atrocious pricing for the 1.3 Turbo. Rs. 2 lac premium for the DI Turbo engine is simply not justified. At this pricing, Duster 1.3 Turbo will make sense only for enthusiasts who like the SUV look and Torque and aren't worried about the fuel economy and maintenance costs. It is certainly not Value for Money for the common man. I would prefer the Creta 1.5 Petrol EX or CRDI E variant priced at Rs. 9.99 lacs over the Duster Turbo base variant priced at Rs. 10.49 lacs.

After doing some searches on the net on the Direct Injection Turbo engines, I had already decided that if I buy a petrol, it would be a Naturally Aspirated engine and not a Direct Injection Turbo Engine.