[designersf]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

agree with this statement. many of us seem to be keenly waiting for this vehicle. power should not be an issue. the same 1.5 Dci motor powers the Nissan X Trail and while that is not a super powered vehicle it is more than adequate for normal needs. anyway one wouldnt really be attempting the land speed record in an SUV of this kind now, would one? in the duster this motor will shoot out 90-105 bhp approx as per the speculation on the India spec.
cheers

I believe the X-Trail is powered by a 2.0L diesel (I believe this engine is Nissan's) while the Duster has a 1.5L dci.

Originally Posted by raul

dustercommunity.de - there is a lot of info here including owner reviews, roadtests, pics, videos etc however it is in german I think and needs to be translated. Attaching some pics I found to give perspective on size and design.

I have mixed feelings about this, its not a good looking car as you can see below. Its functional, not a premium car in the sense we understand it, its all utility and function, basic stuff with robust performance and is priced to reflect that in foreign market. However even there the top end model 4x4 110bhp diesel costs around 18000 euros so it will not exactly be cheap here. The prices range from 15500 to 19000 euros for the different trims including the lower spec 90bhp dci 4x2.

And given most manufacturers here have a propensity to overprice the cars and add a 'premium' tag to it so I don't see why Renault will do otherwise.

No one likes leaving money on the table so if they can get away with a few lakhs more in a relatively inelastic marketplace given the wide disparities in income here why not. Scorpio at 15 and Safari at 13 are examples of this.

That's an amazing size comparison!

[shankar.balan]

sorry I think you are right
the 1.5 also powers the micra - but has sufficient juice in it to push out 105 bhp of power in the duster

Originally Posted by designersf

I believe the X-Trail is powered by a 2.0L diesel (I believe this engine is Nissan's) while the Duster has a 1.5L dci.

[raul]

At the forum I mentioned earlier most folks are reporting 160-180kph speeds with ease and relative ease, also the handling and stability seems to be good on highway curves with minimum body roll and if you see some of the youtube vids its extremely adept at 4x4 terrain.

This is a good product by Renault but at a particular price, if you see the pics its not large, but adequate, the engine is the 1.5 dci and the interiors are bland and basic.

I think 12 lakhs or above for this will be pushing it, the top end should be 10-11 max, even in a market like ours thirsting for a decently priced suv.

That's the need Renault is addressing with this product in other markets, overpricing it here just won't work and defeats the purpose of the car, of being a functional value 4x4 compact suv.

[Scorcher]

Well. A Dacia, I thought, would never be interesting enough for me to stop and take a look or even make me want to feel it. Because I found it rather "" Sorry guys.

And when I post in a Dacia thread (with an evil grin indeed ), you can assure yourselves that something is not too Dacia about this car. Lo and Behold, here's the 850hp(gulp!) Dacia Duster Pike's Peak conquering tool. Cheese!

Jean Philippe Dayraut has released the first pictures of the Dacia Duster that he will pilot at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
Details are limited, but the car appears to be an evolution of the Duster that was built for the Andros Trophy ice racing championship. Official specifications haven't been released, but the car features a bespoke chassis, a lightweight body and a race-prepped engine that develops approximately 850 hp (634 kW / 862 PS).
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb kicks off on June 26th, so stay tuned for more information.

[shankar.balan]

very well said
these are exactly my sentiments and I ve posted some of these earlier on this thread

Originally Posted by raul

..... the handling and stability seems to be good on highway curves with minimum body roll and if you see some of the Youtube vids its extremely adept at 4x4 terrain.

This is a good product by Renault but at a particular price, if you see the pics its not large, but adequate, the engine is the 1.5 dci and the interiors are bland and basic.

I think 12 lakhs or above for this will be pushing it, the top end should be 10-11 max, even in a market like ours thirsting for a decently priced suv.

That's the need Renault is addressing with this product in other markets, overpricing it here just won't work and defeats the purpose of the car, of being a functional value 4x4 compact suv.

[2500cc]

The key for Dacia Duster would be the pricing as we have been emphasizing on the fact that there is no functional vehicle in the sub 10L range. Now how sensible are the Renault guys in pricing will be decided on 23th of May when they launch Fluence. Based on their Fluence pricing, we can speculating price for duster.

Cheers,
Rajesh

[zulfi hansi]

Let me put it this way, what Dacia is for Renault, Skoda is for VW. Considering that, if Koleos is priced about 14 lakhs, then they cannot price this beyond 10 lakhs (base version OTR), my worry is what if they do not take seriously to price the 4x4 version keenly, there is a good enough reason for that, how many 4x4 Scorpios do you on the road. And if it is going to be bench marked against the Scorpio, which it will be then the 4x4 will be not less than 12 lakhs OTR. Bad.

[ampere]

The other aspect is the timing of these products. There definitely exists scope for this sector. Whoever captures it first would definitely capture the imagination.
The subsequent offerings would then have to show something better.

So it would be good for Renault to launch the Duster faster. But then there is a catch:

1. Who will buy a Dacia if launched today. We at TBHP know about it. How about the open public? Renault needs to build a brand, which folks can recognize.

2. Given the previous point, I think they are right in launching a Sedan in the higher segment to create that brand image. But then look what is competition for Fluence?
Where does Fluence stand? Would that do something to create the Renault brand? I am not sure. My surmise says, we may get an understated brand.

3. Now, the idea of an X-over would appeal mostly to urban folks only to start with. And if Renault needs to dent their minds with a lifestyle vehicle, it also needs to
substantiate its brand with a quality product with price targeted to upper-middle-class.

Why upper middle class? Because that is a section where you can get the numbers. That is the section where folks think that by stretching a bit, they can buy a better product.
The 7-9L range budget folks can be tempted to by a 11L SUV.

I am aware that we had this discussion of which social-stratum of the society uses this product, but I wanted to allude it here once again from the product perspective.

[ashutoshb]

True, a large chunk of Duster sales would be of the diesel 4x2 (read cheaper) version.

[sreejinair]

Originally Posted by ampere

1. Who will buy a Dacia if launched today. We at TBHP know about it. How about the open public? Renault needs to build a brand, which folks can recognize.

I think thats why they have the fluence and the koleos before they launch the Duster. If you checkout any and I mean any video of the duster on youtube you will come to know its one of the best vehicles which we can say has VFM.

[shankar.balan]

if someone is looking for a utilitarian functional 4WD, Diesel driven, well engineered small SUV with all safety feeatures loaded in it + a good quality of fit, finish and trim, then I guess the Duster comes across as just right, in comparison with the Scorpio and Safari whose inherent refinement, fit and finish + lack of safety kit will work against them.
Of course Renault has to build their brand and develop consumer trust etc but in our largely unstructured market, any manufacturer who addresses the consumer needs well and at a comfortable price, will definitely have a good innings.
the Key is pricing and value offering - something that both Safari and Scorpio seem to have forgotten, in their race to try and compete with the expensive, poseur SUV's in the marketplace.
I would venture here that product to product, if Hyundai had allowed their Tucson to remain in the market and supported it well by indigenizing the same, it would have thumped the Scorpio, Safari and the Yeti by a good margin. Hyundai could have leveraged their excellent service network to make this a reality - but for some obscure reason they havent taken advantage of this fact.
Hope renault has studied the situation and takes the learnings gained by this to a new level!

[ampere]

Shankar, @sreejinair,

I totally agree with these views. The pricing has to be spot on, else the whole thing would fall apart. Again as Sreeji says, hopefully Koleos should have got them established to certain extent, if things go well for that product.

The point with mini-SUV with respect to urban crowd would be that, they would also weigh it from a brand and style quotient. All the utilitarian values as you discussed would still hold good, but a small apart of this quotient will get added up. And that is some thing which can propel the sales greatly.

No doubt they have to get the basic pricing right and then only the rest of the argument follows.

[sreejinair]

Well looks like Renault didnt learn anything from their past mistake. The fluence diesel which has no goodies at all is priced 13 lacs ex-showroom Delhi. I think Duster will probably be priced in the same range or may be even higher. If they do its not worth it.

[2500cc]

^^Renault pricing strategy seems to be poor. Renault Fluence is priced very optimistically that too in the segment where there are very good contenders (Altis, Cruz, Civic, Laura, etc.,). Also I failed to understand the USP of Fluence. However considering the Fluence Diesel pricing, they would not price Dacia Duster anywhere less than 13L. If this turns out to be true, does it really make sense in buying it ?

[ampere]

Clearly pricing is poor. Definitely Dacia would be priced in the orbit, unless Renault realizes its folly and re-do their maths.