Team-BHP > Team-BHP Reviews > Official New Car Reviews


Reply
  Search this Thread
6,259,604 views
Old 5th June 2014, 10:00   #4036
Newbie
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 14
Thanked: 2 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluestallion View Post
Good news for aspiring Duster owners! Based on the recent reports of Limited Adventure edition launch etc. I went to the Trident showroom yesterday and inquired about the vehicle. Saw the 85 bhp Adventure - looks cool in green...though when I saw it was parked in the garage in the shade and didn't looks very different from the Woodland brown parked next to it. The front fog lamps, smokey headlamps etc look cool...I told the advisor I would think about it and came back.
Just received a call from the dealer that they will give Insurance free on this model (85 bhp Adventure) which reduces on road Bangalore price from 11.11 lakhs to 10.77 which I think is a good deal.
Hello,

A month back I was confused between buying 110 Adventure version or 110 RXZ.
A couple of points made me go with the RXZ. Dont know if this will be helpful to you.

1. Adventure version is RXL based. So some RXZ feature will be missing in ADV(Adventure).
2. ADV is priced more than the RXZ.
3. ADV version only has the externals done out better than RXZ. Mechanically it is
same as RXZ. Infact, it may not have some of the features of RXZ like lumbar
support, seat height adjustment, etc.
4. Gun-metal-finish alloys and smoked head lamps look great.
5. Compass( I guess) Stickering looks great too. But not sure how durable and lasting it
is.
6. Additional fog lamps didn’t quite impress me.
7. At the end of all, I have a feeling that RXZ will have a better resale value than
Adventure.

But again, this is just my point of view. :-)

Nage
Nagendra_11 is offline  
Old 5th June 2014, 10:09   #4037
BHPian
 
harpreetsubhi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Faridabad
Posts: 255
Thanked: 163 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Hello Gang of Dusters.
I need a piece of advise. I have been owning a Ford Ecosport since October 2013 and I have been really not feeling nice about its intermittent pickup/heaviness issue and hence I'm contemplating selling this off and move on to something reliable and nice.
I just have been following the adverts in the newspapers about some nice offers from Renault about RXL+ and adventure editions.
The biggest let off in Ford is that the company itself does not care about customers. So my prime focus is that customer service too along with technical specifications of the car.
So just wanted to have your expert views about Renault's customer service. Are they lousy ?
Does the company really work hard, in case, an issue is reported to them ?
All your reviews will definitely make me go and make a decision so please pour in your experience.
Many thanks in advance for reading this.
Regards
Harpreet
harpreetsubhi is offline  
Old 5th June 2014, 10:15   #4038
Senior - BHPian
 
TheARUN's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,373
Thanked: 953 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by harpreetsubhi View Post
Hello Gang of Dusters.
I need a piece of advise. I have been owning a Ford Ecosport since October 2013 and I have been really not feeling nice about its intermittent pickup/heaviness issue and hence I'm contemplating selling this off and move on to something reliable and nice.
I just have been following the adverts in the newspapers about some nice offers from Renault about RXL+ and adventure editions.
The biggest let off in Ford is that the company itself does not care about customers. So my prime focus is that customer service too along with technical specifications of the car.
So just wanted to have your expert views about Renault's customer service. Are they lousy ?
Does the company really work hard, in case, an issue is reported to them ?
All your reviews will definitely make me go and make a decision so please pour in your experience.
Many thanks in advance for reading this.
Regards
Harpreet
There you go, negative things coming in about Ford and the EcoSport. No wonder the waiting period is down to weeks now. Looks like the EcoSport is set to follow the XUV500 down the same road, like some of our Bollywood heroines - Bhagyashree, Amisha Patel etc. etc. heartthrob of the nation at one time, but nondescript celebrities now
TheARUN is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 5th June 2014, 12:10   #4039
BHPian
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: New Delhi
Posts: 165
Thanked: 118 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Vising this thread after some time now!

Firstly, here's a quick update on my Duster: It's 17,500 kms old now, driven mostly by my father, who takes the car to his work place.

Also, I got a Fiat Punto MJD for myself last month, replacing the 7 year / 1.05 Lakh Kms old Estillo. So these days, I mainly drive the Punto to work on weekdays and some short drives on the weekends.

Last week, after nearly a couple of months, I took the Duster for a 100Km long drive and to sum up the drive: felt out of place for the most part! It must be because I was driving it after so long, still, I would like to share some of the things I observed ( I know the two cars are totally different, still the comparision only because I own them):

As soon as I started the car, I realised the differences between the 1.5 L K9K engine of the Renault Duster and the 1.3 L MJD of the Fiat Punto. I have driven 3 cars with the K9K Engine: Renault Duster, Mahindra - Renault Logan and the Nissan Sunny and can conclude that the it lacks the refinement that the 1.3 MJD offers. The MJD is just a whole lot smoother and produces less noise as compared to the K9K. However, performance is a totally different area and the K9K shows it's true strength here! Whatever the K9K lacks in refinement, it more than makes up for it in performance!

Also, I feel that the Punto handles rough roads better than the Duster at times. I deliberately took the Punto over rough roads a few times and just released the clutch. The car sails over them and you can hardly feel that you're driving over a rough patch!

Coming to other things, the gear shift in Punto is smoother, but I love the 'click' with each gear shift in the Duster! Also, the noisy engine in the Duster has that GRUNT, which gives you a sense of power the car has and makes you realize that you're indeed driving an SUV!

Before buying the 85PS Duster, all I heard about it was that it was a breeze to drive in the city. I can now confirm this! Even though the Duster is a much bigger car, I would still prefer to take it during the traffic hours as opposed to the Punto, which is sort of a pain in the traffic!

Overall, IN LOVE with both the cars and what each of them has to offer!

P.S. Even I have started to face some rattling in the Duster and will get it checked during it's 3rd / 20,000 Km service.
Abh1nav is offline  
Old 5th June 2014, 16:43   #4040
Newbie
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Pune
Posts: 17
Thanked: 10 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Hi Everyone, I had a quick query regarding the tire pressure to be maintained in the Duster. I own a 85PS RXL(0) model. I read somewhere that the ideal tire pressure should be 29psi which will soften the ride to quiet an extent, however, when I checked with my dealer, they said that it should not be less than 30. I have been maintaining 30 psi but will this difference of just one psi make a difference in the ride quality?

Also I need to know if anyone has gone with fitting of the front and rear bumper silver skid plates? I ordered it specially for my Duster as the dealer did not have it in stock. However, once they arrived, the dealer was only able to fit the front one. He said that the rear plate cannot be fitted as they will have to cut the bumper to make the grooves without which the plate would not fit, and making the grooves would spoil the whole bumper. They said that the RXZ model comes with a factory fitted plate and if I insist then they can go ahead and replace the whole bumper with that of an RXZ and then fit the plate. Any suggestions would be welcome here, or else as suggested by the dealer I am thinking of getting the rear bumper painted where the plate sits, in silver, so that it exactly looks like a plate is fitted there.
abhi_dude is offline  
Old 5th June 2014, 21:16   #4041
BHPian
 
HillMan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 753
Thanked: 499 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by abhi_dude View Post
I have been maintaining 30 psi but will this difference of just one psi make a difference in the ride quality?
While filling air, the pumps really don't have a very precise measurement.
So 29-30 will not have a huge impact. But I have seen 32ps to be hard at couple fills.

Quote:
Also I need to know if anyone has gone with fitting of the front and rear bumper silver skid plates? I ordered it specially for my Duster as the dealer did not have it in stock. However, once they arrived, the dealer was only able to fit the front one. He said that the rear plate cannot be fitted as they will have to cut the bumper to make the grooves without which the plate would not fit, and making the grooves would spoil the whole bumper. They said that the RXZ model comes with a factory fitted plate and if I insist then they can go ahead and replace the whole bumper with that of an RXZ and then fit the plate. Any suggestions would be welcome here, or else as suggested by the dealer I am thinking of getting the rear bumper painted where the plate sits, in silver, so that it exactly looks like a plate is fitted there.
This is strange. I have not got a fitting done, but it will be surprising to know Renault would manufacture two specifications of rear bumpers for a variant and lose out on accessory sales. There is something fishy about the deal.
HillMan is offline  
Old 5th June 2014, 21:37   #4042
Newbie
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Pune
Posts: 17
Thanked: 10 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by HillMan View Post
While filling air, the pumps really don't have a very precise measurement.
So 29-30 will not have a huge impact. But I have seen 32ps to be hard at couple fills.



This is strange. I have not got a fitting done, but it will be surprising to know Renault would manufacture two specifications of rear bumpers for a variant and lose out on accessory sales. There is something fishy about the deal.
Even I thought it was quiet strange. Also, the skid plates are not offered as an accessory, rather they come under spares. I got the front one fixed but the rear one I have seen for myself. It has plastic holders which are around sixteen or seventeen of them and the bumper needs to be cut precisely otherwise it would not fit properly and the bumper would also be damaged. Sorry, I couldn't take a pic of it which would have explained what I'm trying to say. What I feel is that they don't have the expertise or the tools to do the fittings and they are scared of damaging the bumper. Also, it's quiet costly as the front skid plate alone costs 7500 with fitting. I am thinking of getting a paint job done on the rear bumper which I think will not cost more than 3 to 4K and after that no one can make out if it’s the plate or just paint as it looks EXACTLY the same. Will post a pic once the paint job is done on the rear bumper.
abhi_dude is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 6th June 2014, 11:09   #4043
BHPian
 
xjosephjacob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Kochi
Posts: 275
Thanked: 683 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by abhi_dude View Post
Even I thought it was quiet strange.. rear one I have seen for myself. It has plastic holders which are around sixteen or seventeen of them and the bumper needs to be cut precisely otherwise it would not fit properly and the bumper would also be damaged.. I am thinking of getting a paint job done on the rear bumper which I think will not cost more than 3 to 4K and after that no one can make out if it’s the plate or just paint as it looks EXACTLY the same.
Suggest you to buy the rear skid plate and ask good local garage to install it. They'll be more than happy to take up the job.

I come from Kerala, and a couple of my friends who own Dusters have got skid plates installed at Renault Calicut and Kochi dealerships. Where as my dealer (Thrissur) was reluctant to install skid plates on my Duster citing the reason that one of their previous skid plate installation job didn't go well.

I am not a big fan of skid plate like paint job on the bumpers. I've seen a couple of Dusters sporting the paint job. Though the difference is not noticeable when the car is running, people (at least us enthusiasts) can easily make it out when the car is stationary.

Did you liaise with any garage that do car modification/any aluminium fabrication centres ? They may help you make a new aluminium skid plate according to your tastes.
xjosephjacob is offline  
Old 6th June 2014, 14:09   #4044
Newbie
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Pune
Posts: 17
Thanked: 10 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by xjosephjacob View Post
Suggest you to buy the rear skid plate and ask good local garage to install it. They'll be more than happy to take up the job.

I come from Kerala, and a couple of my friends who own Dusters have got skid plates installed at Renault Calicut and Kochi dealerships. Where as my dealer (Thrissur) was reluctant to install skid plates on my Duster citing the reason that one of their previous skid plate installation job didn't go well.

I am not a big fan of skid plate like paint job on the bumpers. I've seen a couple of Dusters sporting the paint job. Though the difference is not noticeable when the car is running, people (at least us enthusiasts) can easily make it out when the car is stationary.

Did you liaise with any garage that do car modification/any aluminium fabrication centres ? They may help you make a new aluminium skid plate according to your tastes.
I'm not sure whether a local garage would be able to do it and I'm not willing to take the risk. However, I've got the paint job done on the rear bumper and it has come out great. Only if you stand close to the car and inspect it then only you'll be able to tell that it’s not actually a plate. I will let the picture do the talking. Also, I have a friend who has a paint shop and I got this done for just a thousand bucks. I’m quite happy with the way it has turned out.
Attached Thumbnails
Renault Duster : Official Review-untitled.jpg  

abhi_dude is offline   (3) Thanks
Old 6th June 2014, 15:07   #4045
BHPian
 
xjosephjacob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Kochi
Posts: 275
Thanked: 683 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by abhi_dude View Post
..However, I've got the paint job done on the rear bumper and it has come out great..got this done for just a thousand bucks. I’m quite happy with the way it has turned out.
A Thousand rupee job!! Looks pretty nice.

That said, I feel that the original plates does look like an extra part and add a bit of bulk to the bumpers; Those visible black screws on either side of the plate accentuates the same. But then, 7,000 rupees is a lot of money for a piece of plastic.

At the end of the day, all that matters is your satisfaction. You've saved a lot too.
xjosephjacob is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 6th June 2014, 15:20   #4046
Newbie
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Pune
Posts: 17
Thanked: 10 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by xjosephjacob View Post
That said, I feel that the original plates does look like an extra part and add a bit of bulk to the bumpers; Those visible black screws on either side of the plate accentuates the same. But then, 7,000 rupees is a lot of money for a piece of plastic.
I agree with you on that. Even I'm missing those black screws on either side but I think it was not worth taking the risk.Also I did not know of any local garages or mod shops which could have fixed the plate, so paint was the only option left and considering the amount which he quoted for this, I couldn't resist it and just went ahead.
abhi_dude is offline  
Old 7th June 2014, 10:56   #4047
BHPian
 
vskesavan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Chennai
Posts: 79
Thanked: 25 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by mpksuhas View Post
I don't think it is related to insulation. I too had faced this issue, later found out that they were sneaking in when I open the door in the previous day to get out.

I too was thinking the same. My guess it is Daewoo Matiz, I guess the logo which is visible on wheel cover is of Daewoo's.
when I got the same problem I started closing the A/c vents while parking the car at the end of the day. Now no problem.
vskesavan is offline  
Old 9th June 2014, 14:35   #4048
BHPian
 
Neil Roy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Chennai
Posts: 451
Thanked: 1,673 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Hi fellow Bhpians looking for a tyre change feedback,
I have updated my ownership review with details of my tyre upgrade. Given below is the link for further details.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post3451354

Cheers.
Neil Roy is offline   (2) Thanks
Old 9th June 2014, 16:05   #4049
BHPian
 
KING DYSP's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: KA 17/Mysore
Posts: 168
Thanked: 434 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Update

Hormazd Sorabjee, Editor-Autocar India tweets "It's confirmed. Duster 4x4 coming this September. Sadly there's no auto".
KING DYSP is offline   (2) Thanks
Old 9th June 2014, 16:51   #4050
BHPian
 
Slush_Traveller's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 67
Thanked: 50 Times

Duster is one amazing vehicle which can tackle any kind of road. I had an incredible experience over it's test drive that I would like to share.
The sales person from the thane showroom accompanied me for the test drive on an empty patch of road he asked me " Sir, footpath pey gaadi chaadha do " I was like what ?
He again confirmed " Haan sir gaadi foot path pey chaadha do, aaram sey chaadh jayegi " I will shocked but finally I plunged the vehicle towards the footpath which would be approximately 6 inches high and the vehicle smoothly climbed over it and then I repeated the manoeuvre twice. This was not the end later on he insisted not to slow down at speed brakes and act like you missed it, I did what he said and I was super duper impressed by the vehicle's ride quality . A 4x4 will make this an great off roader , eagerly waiting for the same.
Slush_Traveller is offline   (3) Thanks
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks