[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Sir,

Is the Duster as large as the Safari? I'm not sure. Judging by the pictures, it's about Yeti sized, or maybe a little smaller. So will there be room for two cursory seats? And will it be reasonably comfortable for children/smaller people?

Forget size for now. I own a safari, and the two seats at the back are not fit for travel by adults. So effectively, it can be used as a 7 seater only in emergency. Normally, its a 5 seater.

[mpksuhas]

Adding 2 seats puts the vehicles in higher tax bracket too I guess. Not sure about the current taxation rules are based on engine capacity and vehicle length only. Previously when Omni 8 seater (Omni E) was launched remember it having higher on road price due to tax diffrence between 5 seater and 8 seater.
If the same rule is applicable most of us will be shelling out more for no use.

[shankar.balan]

The Duster is just marginally larger than the Yeti - almost the same size overall.
Higher ground clearance of 200mm as opposed to the Yeti's 180mm.
It is a practical, inexpensive 5 seater SUV which has no pretensions in any way to being a people mover with 7 seats.
It has some reasonable luggage space at the back and would be just right for a family of 4 and their luggage.
Great sort of beast for the budget conscious person desiring an SUV.

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Sir,

Is the Duster as large as the Safari? I'm not sure. Judging by the pictures, it's about Yeti sized, or maybe a little smaller. So will there be room for two cursory seats? And will it be reasonably comfortable for children/smaller people?

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

The Duster is just marginally larger than the Yeti - almost the same size overall.
Higher ground clearance of 200mm as opposed to the Yeti's 180mm.
It is a practical, inexpensive 5 seater SUV which has no pretensions in any way to being a people mover with 7 seats.
It has some reasonable luggage space at the back and would be just right for a family of 4 and their luggage.
Great sort of beast for the budget conscious person desiring an SUV.

Absolutely.

I just believe that adding 2 extra seats defeats the purpose of it being a mini-crossover-SUV in the first place. The Safari and Scorp aren't really mini-SUVs. they are proper SUVs that can be great mud-sluggers. They're much larger, and accommodating side-step seats at the back won't be that much of an issue.

In the Duster, it would be very hard, and the seats would be cursory, and at the most, used for kids. But if I were to buy this car, I'd never put my kids in the makeshift 3rd row in a car like the Safari or Scorp.

The Duster is no where near these Indian-bred SUVs in terms of size and off-rad ability, however, it would make people think twice before buying them, because the Duster, IMO, is a smarter alternative, now. Ditto the EcoSport.

[shivmarwaha]

Talking about the size, I presume the duster to be similar in size as a grand vitara. Can the experts on the forum post comparo pictures for lesser mortals like us to visually compare the sizes of the two, since both of these cars are five seaters. Thanks in advance

[shankar.balan]

I agree with all that you have said except the part about off road ability. The Duster is an excellent off roader and hence is popular amongst the rural population in Eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal etc. Being significantly lighter than the Scorp or Safari and having short overhangs and an excellent ground clearance make the Duster an ideal little modern vehicle that can handle a lot of hard use.

I sold my Scorpio to my old friend in Coorg recently. His little boy appears to love lurking about on the jump seats at the rear. However, I do believe this is more from a novelty perspective as of now. I have suggested to my pal that he disallows this because there is absolutely no safety in that rear seat, apart from it being one of the most uncomfortable places on the planet! More so especially when the Scorpio is being driven at normal speeds on the twisty bits in the hills!

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Absolutely.

I just believe that adding 2 extra seats defeats the purpose of it being a mini-crossover-SUV in the first place. The Safari and Scorp aren't really mini-SUVs. they are proper SUVs that can be great mud-sluggers. They're much larger, and accommodating side-step seats at the back won't be that much of an issue.

In the Duster, it would be very hard, and the seats would be cursory, and at the most, used for kids. But if I were to buy this car, I'd never put my kids in the makeshift 3rd row in a car like the Safari or Scorp.

The Duster is no where near these Indian-bred SUVs in terms of size and off-rad ability, however, it would make people think twice before buying them, because the Duster, IMO, is a smarter alternative, now. Ditto the EcoSport.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I agree with all that you have said except the part about off road ability. The Duster is an excellent off roader and hence is popular amongst the rural population in Eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal etc. Being significantly lighter than the Scorp or Safari and having short overhangs and an excellent ground clearance make the Duster an ideal little modern vehicle that can handle a lot of hard use.

The Duster has been designed for the sole purpose of being able to tackle hilly and rough terrain. I do not doubt its off-road ability in any way. In fact, it would be a more accomplished SUV if it would be equipped with 4X4. That said, it can't be pressed into service over some serious off-road courses. It would be much happier on moderately rough surfaces.

The Duster is no mud-slugger. But it is quite capable for it's size, engineering and technology.

[aravind.anand]

Just came across the pictures of the base variant of the Duster. Doesn't look as appealing as the higher versions, understandably so, because of the black bumpers and the bare steel wheels. Hope Renault doesn't offer such a bare-bones model to get to the promised price tag. Then, one would be pushed to skip this one for want of decent features.

[shankar.balan]

The top euro spec Duster comes with 4x4 etc but I am not sure what Renault India's thoughts are on developing on the increasing leisure SUV market here in India.They are being rather cagey about their plans at the moment but I believe much would be revealed at the Auto Expo!

Originally Posted by suhaas307

The Duster has been designed for the sole purpose of being able to tackle hilly and rough terrain. I do not doubt its off-road ability in any way. In fact, it would be a more accomplished SUV if it would be equipped with 4X4. That said, it can't be pressed into service over some serious off-road courses. It would be much happier on moderately rough surfaces.

The Duster is no mud-slugger. But it is quite capable for it's size, engineering and technology.

[AutoIndian]

If one is to believe the news from Indian Auto Blog, then the Duster has taken the whole of Europe by storm & has even surpassed the figures of hot selling cars like the VW Polo & the Golf. Read it further here --> Dacia badged Duster tops charts in France and Spain

[mohandas]

if history is the way to go, then it will be another overpriced dud. This has been the recent trend of Renault-Nissan pricing team.

[joe1980]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

If one is to believe the news from Indian Auto Blog, then the Duster has taken the whole of Europe by storm & has even surpassed the figures of hot selling cars like the VW Polo & the Golf. Read it further here --> Dacia badged Duster tops charts in France and Spain

I rarely see any Dusters here in Germany. But what I often see is the Renault Koleos and I often confuse it to the Duster. But personally, I like the Duster and it is a good option for a family SUV. Gives a high stance when inside.

[ObsessedByFIAT]

This morning, saw a news on TV, that the Govt is planning to levy an additional cess on Diesel cars of about 20% and on petrol cars 7%. Directly impacting the pricing strategies!

And again there is a talk on increasing the petrol prices by Rs.2, Rupee falls to all time low of Rs.53.30/-

Any guess what would be the pricing on Duster????

[pawan_pullarwar]

I have decided to drop XUV500 which I was very eager to book in Jan 2012 and wait for June when Renault Duster will launch. Take a test ride of both the SUVs, whichever is better go for it.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by ObsessedByFIAT

This morning, saw a news on TV, that the Govt is planning to levy an additional cess on Diesel cars of about 20% and on petrol cars 7%. Directly impacting the pricing strategies!

And again there is a talk on increasing the petrol prices by Rs.2, Rupee falls to all time low of Rs.53.30/-

Any guess what would be the pricing on Duster????

The interesting part was that the fuel surcharge would be only on petrol, as implementing it for diesel would have huge implications on the economy! So diesel vehicles will surge ahead, while petrol vehicle are pushed further down the road to oblivion. In such a scenario only two types of petrol vehicles will survive
. The ultra low cost ones like Alto and Santro, for those who can just about cobble up finances for a new car.
. The performance vehicles for enthusiasts, which have TSi or equivalent high performance engine