[xjosephjacob]

Originally Posted by DieselLover

..I guess 85 ps would be a good option for City/Kerala type roads. However it may not reward with top end performance on highways..
Coming from Swift, my priorities would be (in the descending order)
1. Ride quality/ability to tackle bad roads (old gen swift fails terribly here)
2. Rear Leg space (again a weak point of swift)
3. Decent highway performance (on par or above swift)

I am used to turbo lag of diesels and is not a major concern. Any idea how the real world FE differ in 85 and 110?

Test drive is planned for next week.

I own a 1st gen Swift DDIS and Duster 85, and here's my opinion:

1. Duster rides better than Swift. Period.

2. If rear leg room is a priority, I suggest you look elsewhere. If your folks are on the taller side, they might even find it cramped. The shortest in my family is 5'5 and we find the rear leg room just about okay.

3. Swift DDIS is noticeably better than Duster 85 on highways. Duster 85 has a mediocre highway performance, there's just no top end grunt to speak of. More you drive it, the more evident it becomes.

Duster 85 has an slight edge in city/ghat drivability though. However, below, say 1100-1200 rpm Duster 85 is very weak. Well technically we're not supposed to drive in that rpm range, but sometimes it happens and I get annoyed. The engine refinement and the brilliant throttle response of Swift, in a way, more than makes up for the mental block caused by turbo lag. To me, Innova is a benchmark for drivability and I'd say Duster 85 is no match for it. Duster 110 would be a better match for Swift DDIS.

Fuel economy is Duster 85's forte. I sometimes get even 24 kmpl with a couple of people on board and light luggage.

[Seran Manian]

Originally Posted by DieselLover

Coming from Swift, my priorities would be (in the descending order)
1. Ride quality/ability to tackle bad roads (old gen swift fails terribly here)
2. Rear Leg space (again a weak point of swift)
3. Decent highway performance (on par or above swift)

I am used to turbo lag of diesels and is not a major concern. Any idea how the real world FE differ in 85 and 110?

Test drive is planned for next week.

Ride Quality of Duster is beyond any questions I suppose. I test drove Duster and City Diesel and settled for City just because of the rear leg room being exceptional in City.

I think Ciaz will have better ride quality as compared to City and at least an at per rear bench space. But then one has to test drive it and make an assessment first.

[DieselLover]

Originally Posted by xjosephjacob

I own a 1st gen Swift DDIS and Duster 85, and here's my opinion:

1. Duster rides better than Swift. Period.

2. If rear leg room is a priority, I suggest you look elsewhere. If your folks are on the taller side, they might even find it cramped. The shortest in my family is 5'5 and we find the rear leg room just about okay.

3. Swift DDIS is noticeably better than Duster 85 on highways. Duster 85 has a mediocre highway performance, there's just no top end grunt to speak of. More you drive it, the more evident it becomes.

Duster 85 has an slight edge in city/ghat drivability though. However, below, say 1100-1200 rpm Duster 85 is very weak. Well technically we're not supposed to drive in that rpm range, but sometimes it happens and I get annoyed. The engine refinement and the brilliant throttle response of Swift, in a way, more than makes up for the mental block caused by turbo lag. To me, Innova is a benchmark for drivability and I'd say Duster 85 is no match for it. Duster 110 would be a better match for Swift DDIS.

Fuel economy is Duster 85's forte. I sometimes get even 24 kmpl with a couple of people on board and light luggage.

Thanks Josephjacob. Very useful comparison as you own both cars.

#2 is a serious issue as the main reason for upgrade is pathetic rear legroom in Swift. I am the tallest in my family with 5 8". All others are less than 5 5". How is the shoulder space in back as compared to swift? Can it comfortably sit 3 average built adults?
I will be driving frequently with family/parents and they hate the swift's rear bench and ride quality. Turbo lag is not a problem provided the the vehicle is a decent highway performer. The swift performs well even with 5 adults on-board.

FE is a good to have but not a major factor. I have fixed the budget at 12.5-13L onroad(hope 110Rxl will fit this budget). I would probably need to consider sedans (city or Ciaz) if the performance and rear space is not up to the mark.

[wacko_man]

Hi Guys,

I am really enjoying the ride quality of my nearly 2 months old duster. Although I have not been able to log in kms as my office is really close to my home but still I am in love with my Duster. Planning to write an ownership report soon. Please help me with a couple of queries

1. The clutch seems really hard because of which I don't prefer taking duster to office and use my swift instead. Is there no way to lighten it a bit?

2. My 1st service is due on 25th Sept but because of Durga Puja holidays we are going on a short trip on our duster. It will also help us in clocking kms which now stands at mere 600. So, will giving the car for service around 10 days late create any problem?

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by wacko_man

1. The clutch seems really hard because of which I don't prefer taking duster to office and use my swift instead. Is there no way to lighten it a bit?

If it is 110ps they have a modified clutch pedal assembly. Let the SA know about the hard clutch pedal at 1st service.

2. My 1st service is due on 25th Sept but because of Durga Puja holidays we are going on a short trip on our duster. It will also help us in clocking kms which now stands at mere 600. So, will giving the car for service around 10 days late create any problem?

Shouldnt be an issue. Best is to call Renault service center and get yourself an appointment for a later date.

[Dr.Abhi]

India made Renault Dusters are found to have gone through faulty paint process resulting in accelerated corrosion particularly around door sills and bonnet areas as pointed out by some 90 owners complaints in UK. India was the manufacturing hub for RHS dusters and was exported to UK some time back. But after receiving corrosion regarding complaints, parent company Dacia switched the export base to Pitesi, Romania from India citing logistic reasons. more of it here
http://www.motorbeam.com/cars/renaul...t-wont-recall/
and here
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/po...x.htm?t=101792

[sumeshmani]

Originally Posted by Dr.Abhi

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/po...x.htm?t=101792

The discussion on this forum has shifted focus from Renault bashing to India bashing.

Apart from the complaints about jobs lost to India, someone said that Hyundai, Nissan and Suzuki cars made here also do not meet their quality expectations.

That is a worrisome bit if its true. If the export models are bad, what about the quality control for the cars sold here.
To add to this fear, even UK does not get good customer support from Renault/Dacia. More to worry for us then

[gurha]

Originally Posted by DieselLover

How is the shoulder space in back as compared to swift? Can it comfortably sit 3 average built adults?
I will be driving frequently with family/parents and they hate the swift's rear bench and ride quality.

FE is a good to have but not a major factor

DieselLover
The back seat is fairly big in duster. I've sometimes traveled with four averagely built person in the back seat without much of a problem. So when there are only three persons, they will be having enough space in the rear seat.

I own a Duster 110 Rxl and I get an average of around. 14-15 Kmpl as I frequently touch 120 kmph. But I've also got a mileage of around 19 Kmpl on Mumbai- Pune expressway where I didn't exceeded 100 kmph. So a lot depends upon your style of driving as well.

You should really test drive both 85 and 110, because if you are a sedate driver where you hardly go beyond 100 kmph, I think 85 might be a good choice. There are many people who own 85ps model and are really happy with the vehicle and constantly get around 18 Kmpl in city. I hardly drive in city and thus I liked 110 more.

Hope this helps.

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by DieselLover

How is the shoulder space in back as compared to swift? Can it comfortably sit 3 average built adults?

Not a problem for 3 in the rear. I drive with a family of 4 adults and 2 kids. One of the main reasons for me choosing the Duster was this as well. I needed space for them as well as the luggage.

While checking out cars for my family last year, I was going around with a measuring tape in my pocket

I have noted my selection process in my review. Hope it helps;
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...er-85-rxl.html

The seats are wide and back rest is angled well for a comfortable ride. The door handles do not protrude into the seating space (Most cars do, reducing the actual seating width). When you test the cars for seating space you must sit inside and close the doors to know the actual usable area.

We are on the heftier side. My mom find it difficult to get in an out of the back seat, mainly because of the height. The doors open wide enough. But once inside she is comfortable for the journey.

[DieselLover]

Useful posts gurha and hillman. thanks for the inputs I am planning to visit the showroom tomorrow. Will update post the visit.

[DieselLover]

Visited Renault showroom in the morning. Was surprised to see the AWD version on display. The launch is happening within few days it seems. They have no information on pricing as of now. The version on display was AWD Rxz . It felt more spacious and premium as compared to the 85ps full option which was also on display.

The regular 110 was not on display. Test drive vehicles were also not available :(
As commented by owners, rear legroom is not great. After adjusting the driving seat for my comfort (I am 5 8"), I have just enough legroom in the back. Shoulder space is sufficient for 3 adults.

The showroom staff was not keen on selling the 110ps. They were insisting me to book the 85ps saying it is the most popular model and they receive very few bookings for 110 in Kochi. Not sure if this is true. However, booked a test drive for both versions and left.

Need to also check the AWD version.

Pricing (onroad @ Kochi):
85ps Rxl Plus - 11,14,000
85ps RxL Option - 12,48,000
110ps RXL - 11,91,666
110ps RXL Plus - 12,38,849 (RxL features + dual Airbags + Parking sensor)

Normal insurance is free on all models (till Sept 30th) which will reduce the price by another 25-30K

[HillMan]

Went through a few reviews. The AWD is a totally different car in Duster skin.
The engine seems to be in a different tune, the suspensions are multi-link, the interiors, the console everything is different.

If they find a good place for test drives. I wouldnt mind buying a ticket for it

[DieselLover]

Originally Posted by HillMan

Went through a few reviews. The AWD is a totally different car in Duster skin.
The engine seems to be in a different tune, the suspensions are multi-link, the interiors, the console everything is different.

If they find a good place for test drives. I wouldnt mind buying a ticket for it

True. The similarity ends only in the looks. You can feel the difference the moment you step inside. Eager to take a test drive once it is available.

On a different note, I was able to test drive 85ps in the evening. I was quite surprised by its performance ride quality. Large potholes which I take in 1st/2nd gear in Swift (it will still crash into the potholes) was dismissed with absolute arrogance in 3rd gear at around 40-50kmph with only a mild thud felt inside the cabin. The TD car was having 60K on ODO and had a faulty clutch. But still it was quick off the mark and pulled cleanly. I couldn't take it beyond 80kmph but acceleration upto the point was impressive. We were driving with 5 adults and 2 kids and couldn't feel any strain on the engine. Wanted to see how it performs between 80-120 range and then take a decision. Another TD of 85ps and 110ps is scheduled for Monday to test the mid-range/top end performance. The sales executive who bought the vehicle for TD was also pushing to buy the 85 and insisted that 110 is not really required in Kerala!

Few questions to the owners:
1. If i go for 85RxL Plus which doesn't come with MediaNav, Alloys & parking sensor can we go for aftermarket HU upgrade which supports touch, Bluetooth, Navigation,reverse Cam etc? Does the steering controls work with aftermarket HU?
2. What would be approx. cost for alloys?
3. Any issues with warranty if we do aftermarket HU upgrade, parking sensor/reverse cam installation?

The reason for these questions is, the price difference between 85RxL Plus and RxL Option is almost 1.2Lakhs which I find difficult to justify.

[Esu Junior]

The showroom staff was not keen on selling the 110ps. They were insisting me to book the 85ps saying it is the most popular model and they receive very few bookings for 110 in Kochi. Not sure if this is true. However, booked a test drive for both versions and left.

Hi,
same attitude by staff in TVS calicut too.They pushed me for 85ps by saying unless you go for long drives no need of 110ps. I took delivery of 110RXL PLUS 3 days back with insurance free offer.

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by DieselLover

Few questions to the owners:
1. If i go for 85RxL Plus which doesn't come with MediaNav, Alloys & parking sensor can we go for aftermarket HU upgrade which supports touch, Bluetooth, Navigation,reverse Cam etc? Does the steering controls work with aftermarket HU?

In my opinion it's not worth going for the Option variant.

You can buy those stuffs after market.

After market HU will not work with the steering remote. You will need an electronic adapter to match, which might not be found or very expensive.

You could upgrade to medianav at the dealership. I use Waze on my phone for navigation. The Bluetooth works well with the default HU.

2. What would be approx. cost for alloys?

Used to be around 40k for the Renault alloys. Checkout the price at a local accessory shop, the prices vary based on material and design.

3. Any issues with warranty if we do aftermarket HU upgrade, parking sensor/reverse cam installation?

Yes, any alterations gives the manufacturer an opportunity to deny warranty. This is common to every industry.

Anyway the reverse sensor at the Renault dealership is reasonable. I got mine without camera for around 4k. Works like a charm. Reliable up to 0.3meters. They did a good job with the installation too.

Many have upgraded the HU most have done only speakers too.