[shankar.balan]

Am rubbing my hands in glee. Cant wait to check it out and possibly buy it!
I would just love the Duster top end - seems to have all that I want from a vehicle. But am taking the launch date with a pinch of salt. I would budget for mid-next year or at best, last quarter of this year.
cheers

Originally Posted by zulfi hansi

Got verified today morning from the dealer at Bangalore, the WINTER 2011 car id indeed the DUSTER, how happy can I be, but then these schedules are known to got delayed. Also why would Renault bring in their Premium SUV and then launch a budget SUV back to back? well it may look weird but it still makes sence for them, for one the Premium SUV is a CKD which makes it easier to be launched in a short time, second there is not much competition other than the Fortuner in that segment, and third is that even in the budget SUV segment there is no competition for the Scorpio. That said they are actually doing an intelligent strategy of entering in the segments where there is so much to be established, and the crowded segments can wait, by that time they would have built some brand image with the SUVs and also developed the dealer network before they launch the volumes cars. Nevertheless Duster looks like it is going to be a volumes car anyways. Even the dealer sales guy was all in anticipation of how Duster will throw dust on every other car of that price range even the sedans. Got to watch that space.

The dealer had another interesting thing to tell, Renault decided to bring the Duster before the small car (moreover Micra is already there which is yet to establish itself as of now and they do not want another stable mate for competition, makes sense) and so now the launch is Winter 2011, but also indicated (anybody can guess this), by the time you get your car it will be 2012.

[zulfi hansi]

Renault Fluence (approx. Rs. 16 lakhs for diesel OTR Bangalore) officially launched in Bangalore at Hotel Lalit Ashok yesterday amidst fanfare with a dinner on the house, I was invited, but missed it since i was out of town, no big deal for this car. But I would not miss the Duster launch for any thing. Even if they do it in the showroom!!!

[shankar.balan]

Hey
do rope me in for the Duster too. Would be nice to be a part of that.
thanks

Originally Posted by zulfi hansi

Renault Fluence (approx. Rs. 16 lakhs for diesel OTR Bangalore) officially launched in Bangalore at Hotel Lalit Ashok yesterday amidst fanfare with a dinner on the house, I was invited, but missed it since i was out of town, no big deal for this car. But I would not miss the Duster launch for any thing. Even if they do it in the showroom!!!

[zulfi hansi]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Hey
do rope me in for the Duster too. Would be nice to be a part of that.
thanks

@Shankar; Hey anytime, I just hope I am in town that day.

[raul]

The schedule on the Renault India website has changed, infact the car which appeared to be the duster has disappeared and there is a quirky looking van or something in its place which is now Winter 2011. Curious to say the least.

Today Autocar on TV tested the duster abroad, since these are always driven by the car company's pr team this can only mean it going to launch sooner than expected, in the next 3 months perhaps, no other reason for the review to happen now.

Also some of the price speculation can lead to disappointment, this is a market in which Scorpio and Safari sell large numbers in the 10-14 lakh wannabe suv segment, even the Thar is around 7.5 on road I think. Given the Duster is better in many ways than these vehicles a 7-8 lakh price is simply unrealistic given how cars have been priced in India so far, even with the Fluence Diesel with poorer interiors and the same old 1.5 dci Renault showed they are also victim to this so expecting a super low price is probably wishful. I think it will be more in the 9-14 segment depending on engine and 4x4 options.

[ampere]

Wow we are talking Duster end of the year! That is indeed good news. Even I would give a delay a quarter at minimum. But nonetheless, it would be good to have it as early as possible. It would really make some serious numbers.

In anticipation of an early release ....

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by raul

The schedule on the Renault India website has changed, infact the car which appeared to be the duster has disappeared and there is a quirky looking van or something in its place which is now Winter 2011. Curious to say the least.

Does that means the Duster is off the plans? The winter 2011 car looks like a Modus MPV (or maybe the Scenic). And what is in there for Summer 2012 – Maybe a Sandero?

[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by vb-san

Does that means the Duster is off the plans?

That would be very bad now... I that were to happen, one thing would be firmly proven- that Renault has completely failed to understand the Indian consumer.

Originally Posted by vb-san

The winter 2011 car looks like a Modus MPV (or maybe the Scenic).

Scenic would be very nice. Have a very high opinion of this vehicle, because of it's comfortable, hassle free and vfm nature.

[ashutoshb]

This link on cars coming soon still has the Duster : Renault - Range of Cars

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by ashutoshb

This link on cars coming soon still has the Duster : Renault - Range of Cars

Was this a bookmarked link? When I go to Renault.co.in -> Cars -> Range of Cars, a different page is being shown. Not sure if I am missing something here.

[MaserQ]

Originally Posted by raul

Also some of the price speculation can lead to disappointment, this is a market in which Scorpio and Safari sell large numbers in the 10-14 lakh wannabe suv segment, even the Thar is around 7.5 on road I think. Given the Duster is better in many ways than these vehicles a 7-8 lakh price is simply unrealistic given how cars have been priced in India so far, even with the Fluence Diesel with poorer interiors and the same old 1.5 dci Renault showed they are also victim to this so expecting a super low price is probably wishful. I think it will be more in the 9-14 segment depending on engine and 4x4 options.

Renault do have a choice. Either follow the market and price the Duster on par with the Scorpio/Safari or be the price leader and go just below them. The Duster is a bit smaller than the Indian SUV duo, inside and out and in India size does matter especially in the SUV segment.

Also, if Renault are to capture market share from established players like M&M, they need a clear USP and for this they will need to be aggressive in terms of pricing, positioning and branding. All areas they got wrong with the Logan, hopefully they will know better next time.

[sreejinair]

ACI's First Drive Review of Duster

Come mid-2012, the Duster will be part of Renault’s range in India, sporting the Renault lozenge instead of the Dacia logo it uses in Europe. It could become one of the most important models for the French carmaker in India and erase memories of the Logan debacle, especially since both the Logan and Duster share the same platform.
The Duster isn’t an out-and-out hardcore SUV. At 1695mm in height, it’s not as tall and the Duster isn’t muscular looking either. Still, a purposeful bumper, running board and overtly flared wheel arches hint at the Duster’s SUV pretensions and the large 215/65-R16 tyres give it a high stance, which is good enough for basic off-road duties.
From the side, the low window line rises gently, before getting thrown up by the flush-mounted rear quarter-glass. The tail-lights and the rounded tailgate feels out of place on what is otherwise a simple, yet effective design. 475 litres of luggage space is not that big but the Duster at 1205kg doesn’t weigh as much as an SUV either. Although built on the Logan platform, ground clearance has been increased to a purposeful 210mm and wheelbase has been stretched too by 43mm and is also longer overall (25mm).
Those familiar with the Logan will notice the highly inconvenient placement of the rear power window switches between (and just behind) the front seats. Other ergonomic gaffes are carried over too like the air-con switchgear, whose poor location is made worse by the centre console which oddly slopes at the bottom. However, the Duster feels better built and more upmarket than the Logan. The black dash looks smart and will age better and the silver door handles look more stylish. The plastics though still lack any plushness and the shiny finish makes them look cheap.
The Duster however scores well with its spacious interiors. The driver’s seat gets a two-step height setting for a commanding view of the road ahead. The backseat is also very good, if not better than the Logan. Excellent kneeroom just makes it all the more comfortable to be in, even for the long haul.
The Duster shares the proven K9K 1.5-litre diesel motor with the Logan too however power is up to a useful 107bhp and comes mated to a six-speed gearbox. Once past the 2000rpm mark, the turbocharged motor develops power cleanly, running till the redline without faltering. The rubbery gearshift quality meant that slotting gears in a hurry required some effort and the clutch too was quite heavy on the car we drove, which made negotiating rush-hour traffic hard work. Out on the highway, the Duster’s tall proportions and large frontal area don’t suit high-speed driving.
The Duster has a MacPherson setup at the front and the semi-independent torsion beam suspension at the rear. The ride was supple and pliant and unaffected even with a full load. The high profile tyres would work brilliantly in India, rounding off sharp edges with their tall sidewalls. However, don’t expect the Duster to be a hoot to drive. The soft setup has the Duster rolling a fair bit around corners and this two-wheel-drive version distinctly understeers. The ventilated front discs and rear drum setup offers sufficient braking power to slow things down when required. For proper off-roading duties, the Dacia has a 4x4 variant which should do the job.
The factor that is likely to make the Duster a no-brainer and will turn the tables decisively in its favour is an expected Rs 7-8 lakh price tag. If Renault pulls this off, then the Duster will end up scripting a new and exciting chapter for Renault in its India story

[ashutoshb]

Originally Posted by vb-san

Was this a bookmarked link? When I go to Renault.co.in -> Cars -> Range of Cars, a different page is being shown. Not sure if I am missing something here.

Yep! You're right, can't find this page anywhere through the site's menu.

[zulfi hansi]

[quote=raul;2378709]The schedule on the Renault India website has changed, infact the car which appeared to be the duster has disappeared and there is a quirky looking van or something in its place which is now Winter 2011. Curious to say the least.

That IS the Duster, not any van. And it is winter 2011.

[ajaynaphade]

So guys, a news to cheer. Just had a word with one of the SE here in Pune about 'RD' and guess what? He said, 'RD' will get launched around September 2011 and will be aggressively priced to beat the competition hands down. He also said that it's a wonderful vehicle and they are expecting huge booking once launched. I am so excited folks , can you guys also confirm the same in your respective cities?