[Enigmatic]

As top gear is not airing at the moment and i had nothing better to do so i downloaded a couple of Fifth gear episodes and started watching them .

Now here is the interesting bit Johnny Smith test drove a duster in the latest episode of Fifth gear which is Season 20 Episode 6 .

According to him when the duster would come to the UK it would cost somewhere around 10,000 pounds !! That roughly translates to Rs 8,11,000!!

Also considering the fact the hatchbacks and other entry level cars are actually cheaper in India than they are in the UK is it possible that the Duster will atleast start from around 7 or 8 lakh Ex-showroom ??

If this is the case then Renault surely has a winner in hand

[sumeshmani]

Originally Posted by zulfi hansi

Please hold your guns, going by the review of FV, even though it is the pick for ACI it is for all the wrong reasons, it is the Vento which earns my respect in that segment, that said, RD is a different animal altogether, so weigh your options before you take the plunge. For me RD makes more sense than a sedan any day, and considering the vento, RD is worth every penny. What if you get a RD 4x4 top end for vento Highline diesel money, nothing to think?

I agree. A 5-seat mini SUV will be more beneficial compared to a 5-seat sedan. Why?
1. If its a mini SUV, it might be light and will be more fuel efficient
2. The slight off-roading nature will come handy since most of us are not going to do serious off roading. Our off roading might be more of bad highway roads.
3. By nature, the passenger space might be better.
4. The feel of driving a SUV and the benefit of a high diver's stance on the highway

[Animesh]

Hi Enigmatic. The Duster certainly got thumbs up from Fifth Gear. It wouldn't be long before Top Gear gets this on their show for the new season to be aired soon (Am I being too hopeful that Clarkson won't let the Dacia brand even feature on the show????).

But then again Dacia cars seem to entice a comment from Captain Slow every now and then.

[CRtorquefan]

Don't know why Renault India is so Optimistic for the pricing of their cars in India.
First, Logan when introduced was priced near to Hyundai Verna.
Then came Fluence, again it also failed to take the flying start(due to underequipped Diesel variant) in Indian car market, which is having still potential for growth.
Koleos is also not much better on looks & pricing. It seems to be a size of Hyundai Tucson & don't deserves more than Rs.16-17 lacs price tag.
Pulse is again a shame for brand capabilities, further spoiled by its expected pricing, which is probably a notch higher than already expensive Nissan Micra.

Now, Duster seems to be a good & promising product, but again Anticipation about its Over-optimistic is taking a toll on its enthusiasts.

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by Animesh

Hi Enigmatic. The Duster certainly got thumbs up from Fifth Gear. It wouldn't be long before Top Gear gets this on their show for the new season to be aired soon (Am I being too hopeful that Clarkson won't let the Dacia brand even feature on the show????).

But then again Dacia cars seem to entice a comment from Captain Slow every now and then.

There is already a James May review in Top Gear website. Read that and you will be queuing up at the Renault showroom, cheque book in hand

[shankar.balan]

captain slow liked his sandero very much too - as per that episode of Top Gear - cant remember which one exactly - i think it was that Romanian one with the supercars etc. yes he seems partial to the dacia to some extent.

Originally Posted by Animesh

But then again Dacia cars seem to entice a comment from Captain Slow every now and then.

[ObsessedByFIAT]

Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh cars: Why wait for 2012 launches - Pictures - Pictures/videos - News in Pictures | Economic Times

Above link from Economic times claims launch of Duster in early 2012 while the Sandero in mid 2012. Really?

Just a couple of days back I had put a question on Renault India FB page and they themselves say that Duster is coming by Mid-2012. So is the Sandero coming before that??? Total fuse ho gaya hun .. :(

[Animesh]

I guess the key to Duster succeeding would depend a lot on how they can price this product. If they cross 10-11 Lacs for the top-end 4X4 variant, then it would be another dud from the Renault label.

Just read James May's review on the Top Gear website and makes me like the car even further.

[swiftnfurious]

Fifth Gear review - Watch Duster review from 15:10s onwards.

Fifth Gear Season 20 Episode 6 - YouTube

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

There is already a James May review in Top Gear website. Read that and you will be queuing up at the Renault showroom, cheque book in hand

Originally Posted by Animesh

Just read James May's review on the Top Gear website and makes me like the car even further.

Do you guys have the video link by any chance? I would love to see it than read it.

[F150]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Fifth Gear review - Watch Duster review from 15:10s onwards.

Do you guys have the video link by any chance? I would love to see it than read it.

Boy, Am I starting to like the duster ? Nice review there, thanks for sharing swiftnfurious

[Animesh]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Do you guys have the video link by any chance? I would love to see it than read it.

Nah, there is no video of Duster on Top Gear yet. The only byte you would find there is James drives the Dacia Duster - BBC Top Gear

[C300]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Fifth Gear review - Watch Duster review from 15:10s onwards.

Fifth Gear Season 20 Episode 6 - YouTube

Nice review. Eagerly waiting for the launch in India.
Come on Renault! show us what you got!!

[SkyWalker]

SwiftnFurious, thanks for sharing that fifth gear video. Did i hear it right? Apparently the guy claims the 85bhp one does a 0-100 in 12s. That's next to impossible for an SUV with a feeble 1.5 liter heart .

If that's true, then Renault has my money when they launch the 110bhp K engine here. Suddenly Duster is looking very good!

[MAS]

Originally Posted by SkyWalker

SwiftnFurious, thanks for sharing that fifth gear video. Did i hear it right? Apparently the guy claims the 85bhp one does a 0-100 in 12s. That's next to impossible for an SUV with a feeble 1.5 liter heart .

If that's true, then Renault has my money when they launch the 110bhp K engine here. Suddenly Duster is looking very good!

The guy mentioned 0 - 60 in 12 sec. Now was it 60 miles per hour or kilometers per hour is a question.

The Dacia Duster part of the video is in the link below

Dacia Duster - Fifth Gear 25 noiembrie 2011 - YouTube

[anb]

Originally Posted by MAS

The guy mentioned 0 - 60 in 12 sec. Now was it 60 miles per hour or kilometers per hour is a question.

It is definitely miles per hour. Premier Padmini does 0-60 kmph around 11 seconds.