[VinodGK]

Today i had been to Renault Baner showroom at Pune. Had gone to to check out information on the pricing ,availability and wait period for the AWD version which had two variants RxL and RxZ.

The on road price for the RxZ was 15.86 and seems there are discounts dished for the RxZ around 40k for boosting Year End sales.Was wanting to check if more information is available on the discounts at other places.

[selvagp]

Team, please help me clear this confusion.

In Oct Renault announced an all India special price of 10.99 lac for the Adventure edition. I decided to go for it and wanted to buy during Diwali. But almost every dealer in Tamilnadu said they can not invoice this offer price and instead gave an on-road cash discount of 1.13 lac (difference in the ex-showroom price). This meant I would have to bear additional taxes at 15% and I was also confused about the IDV that my insurance should have. I walked off from the deal.

In Nov, Renault offered special prices for AWD and got me hooked again. I started my hunt again. After discussing and getting confused over variants and the offers I finally decided on the Adventure edition again. This is because a dealer near to my home town agreed that he could invoice for 10.99 and deliver the car with Temp Registration. I could do the insurance and registration myself. Happy with the deal I have booked the car and proceeded with the loan. The dealer was keen to invoice in Nov but the loan might take two more days.

I now have several questions and request your advice.

1) SA said it is a Sep-14 car. But the VIN decoding provided by Wildon and google search show it to be Jul-14 car. I will clarify the mfg month and year with SA tomorrow. Should I be worried if this is a Jul car? Adventure edition was launched in Jul I believe.
2) If it is a Jul car, would they be able to invoice it at the offer price?
3) I am paying 11K for temp registration. Is it right?
4) Considering I would have 1 month for permanent registration, If register it in Jan-2015, will it carry Jan-2015 on the RC or the month of temporary registration i.e Dec-2014?
5) What will I be missing in Adventure compared to RXZ(O)? Per my SA, wooden finish, leather seats, leather gear nob, seat height adjuster and none of this is important to me.


I sincerely appreciate your replies, have just read two horror stories on our forum and I am worried.

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by selvagp

1) SA said it is a Sep-14 car. But the VIN decoding provided by Wildon and google search show it to be Jul-14 car. I will clarify the mfg month and year with SA tomorrow. Should I be worried if this is a Jul car? Adventure edition was launched in Jul I believe.

It is common for vehicles to be sitting in stock yards for delivery. Do a through PDI. Look for paint damages after water wash.

Are you sure it is Jul-14?

2) If it is a Jul car, would they be able to invoice it at the offer price?

The invoice price should match the revised price declared with RTO. So it is possible.

3) I am paying 11K for temp registration. Is it right?

You are already paying up the registration misc charges to Renault. Why not get a permanent plate.

4) Considering I would have 1 month for permanent registration, If register it in Jan-2015, will it carry Jan-2015 on the RC or the month of temporary registration i.e Dec-2014?

Your date of registration will be 2015 but manufacturing date remains Jul 14 in the RC.

5) What will I be missing in Adventure compared to RXZ(O)? Per my SA, wooden finish, leather seats, leather gear nob, seat height adjuster and none of this quoteportant to me.

Adventure edition 85ps is based on RxE variant and 110ps is based on RxL. See feature details in the brochure.
ABS+EBD and Air bags will be a major deduction.
https://www.cdn.renault.com/content/...res/Duster.pdf

[Falcon_blr]

Originally Posted by selvagp

5) What will I be missing in Adventure compared to RXZ(O)? Per my SA, wooden finish, leather seats, leather gear nob, seat height adjuster and none of this is important to me.
.

Hello Selvagp, just a thought here. I would recommend going for the RXL plus variant as you would be getting the important safety features - Air bags, ABS+EBD. This is just for an additional amount of 70k.
Also, this being the end of the year they should be able to allot a car from the fresh stock I would think.

[selvagp]

Thank you @Hillman @Falcon_Blr
I have booked the 110 PS adventure variant. Airbags and ABS were always part of the plan. I was comparing it to the 110 PS RXZ(O)

Even thought about RxL AWD because of offer price of 11.29 lacs. But only driver airbag was a deal breaker.

Reg the temp registration, there is no Renault dealer in my home town. Have to take it from near by town and so temp reg is mandatory it seems. Curious why I should pay ₹12948 for temp reg when permanent registration itself would only cost me approx ₹4500.

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by selvagp

Curious why I should pay ₹12948 for temp reg when permanent registration itself would only cost me approx ₹4500.

₹12948 is exorbitant. Not this high in Bangalore. This is the amount for registration paper work and misc the showroom charges.

[sridhu]

Originally Posted by selvagp

Thank you @Hillman @Falcon_Blr
ICurious why I should pay ₹12948 for temp reg when permanent registration itself would only cost me approx ₹4500.

I am thinking that you are being duped. TR should cost you may be 1000-1500 (I paid 500 but that was about 8 years ago).

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by sridhu

I am thinking that you are being duped. TR should cost you may be 1000-1500 (I paid 500 but that was about 8 years ago).

This is common across all showrooms. Only the amount varies a bit based on value of the ride.

If you see the cost breakup, along with Ex-showroom price insurance, standard accessories and tax there will be registration charges. This is their consultants paperwork, number plate making charges and miscellaneous percentages including the statutory RTO fee for registration.

[allidzrused]

Originally Posted by selvagp

Thank you @Hillman @Falcon_Blr
I have booked the 110 PS adventure variant. Airbags and ABS were always part of the plan. I was comparing it to the 110 PS RXZ(O)

Even thought about RxL AWD because of offer price of 11.29 lacs. But only driver airbag was a deal breaker.

Reg the temp registration, there is no Renault dealer in my home town. Have to take it from near by town and so temp reg is mandatory it seems. Curious why I should pay ₹12948 for temp reg when permanent registration itself would only cost me approx ₹4500.

It will be very helpful if you could provide a breakup of the price

[anilntny]

I had my 2nd service of 10000 Km done from Renault Kottayam.Total amount was close to 4000 Rs only.

My car had terrible rattling issues ,both from roof and bottom.They did rectify the problem to a good extent.

But noise from roof is still there.Service advisor told me that renault has started providing damping kit for correcting this issue for free,unfortunately they did not have stock with them.

Is it true? Anyone got the same installed?

[soumobakshi]

Bringing Home a Bison

It all started with my Trusted Logan of almost 7 years showing signs of fatigue with the daily usage in terms of Suspension and Clutch Plate after being in Service for 1.3 Lakhs Km on the ODO.

I defined my need into Must Have and Good to have into the following;
1st I start with Must Have:

• Good Space
• Decent Power & Torque
• Should be able to last for atleast 6 to 7 years
• ABS
• Dual Air Bags
• Good Boot Space
• Should be an SUV / MUV with Good Ground clearance to tackle the mountains in Bangalore, also known as Speed Breakers.
• Trustworthy A$$ and nearby to my place of residence.
• Budget around INR. 1.2 MN on Road.
• And Yes Color has to be BLACK.

And now the Good to have features:

• Integrated Music System
• High Seating Position
• Decent Mileage
• Should be able to carry 5 in comfort
• Integrated Turn Indicators on Mirror console
• Arm Rest for Driver / Co-driver

The Dilemma:

The vehicles shortlisted in my order of personal preference were Safari Storme, Renault Duster, NG Scorpio.
Walked into the TATA Showroom om Mysore Road near to Kengeri and was greeted by not so smart Sales Staff and was unsure of whether the Test Drive vehicle is available or is it doing some rounds in Coorg as part of a Promo campaign. Till then on my insistence they showed me a customer vehicle in LX trim in order for me to assess the look and feel of the base variant. And after a while I was told that the Test drive vehicle is indeed available and I can proceed for the test drive.




I saw the vehicle parked near the entrance with the entire body covered in Coorg Mud and I kind of liked it! After all what is an SUV to do if it can’t get dirty! Climbed into the Cockpit and turned the key to bring this monster into life. I recalled that it was my boyish dream to own a Safari some day and here I was taking the TD. I liked all the aspects of the vehicle barring the Engine and Gear box and non availability of Air Bags was a big turn off even though I was aware of the same prior to taking the test drive. Slowly I took all the offer details and came back with a mixed opinion, more on it later…
Drove straight into Anant Cars, Mysore Road the following Sunday to see the NG Scorpio and take a test drive, I was looking for the S4 variant and after a details Internet search realized many of the so called features of NG were absent from the S4 variant and after taking a look at the S10 in all its glory I realized that this vehicle is not for my liking in the S4 variant and the others are simply too expensive for my Vitamin M. Never bothered to take TD as my decision was made, no offence to any Owner or any Prospective Owner.
The nearest to my residence from RR Nagar, Bangalore was this Trident outlet of Renault and I drove in with my Logan. The security guards assumed that I came in for service and allotted me a parking space meant for Service vehicles, well can’t blame them as the Renault Logo on the 1st Gen Logan’s were too prominent.
I was greeted by smart professional’s and was introduced to the Sales personnel Mr. Ramaswamy.


I was initially looking for Duster RXL Plus in 85 BHP Tuning and mentioned the same to him for my preference to take the TD. I felt the engine response and gear box to be very similar to my current ride and did not feel to be in a new vehicle other than the raised seating stance. During the TD he mentioned that if I am interested he will arrange for 110 BHP Test drive as well. Post the test drive I reluctantly agreed to take a repeat Test Drive on the same road in the 110 BHP avatar.


And yes, that was the turning point while I took the vehicle on Mysore Road for a Good 3 Km Stretch and then on insistence of the Sales Advisor took it on a mild offroading in Bangalore University Campus to check its prowess in the FWD mode. The sales adviser also enquired if I would like to check out the newly launched AWD variant to which I said a confirmed No.
Now after being bowled over by the super refined 110 BHP tuned avatar of Duster in RXL Trim I wanted to know how much will it cost me.
The On Road price in Bangalore with everything included (Inclusive of Zero Dep Insurance) for;
85 BHP RXL Plus (With Air bags and ABS) – INR.1.205 Mn
110 BHP RXL (With Air Bags and ABS as std) – INR. 1.348 Mn
It was definitely beyond my Budget and I said the same to the SA, to which he said give me a min as there are some new offers which has come so let me check. It was the first week of November and I hoped that there must be something good to clear Year End inventory.
SA Came back and offered me a 90K discount on 110 BHP RXL making it available for INR. 1.258 Mn which was approximately north by 50k to my desired budget. I said OK and walked out with a sense of content.
Reached home and took out a piece of paper and started jotting out all the Pros and Cons from the 2 TD’s and even though my heart pulled me in both direction of Safari Storme and Duster 110 BHP my head was clear on Air Bags as a must. So decision was made and Duster 110 BHP in RXL Trim it is.
Informed Home Ministry and my Jr. on the decision of taking in a new vehicle and my choice of preference. Home Ministry: Why do you need ? Jr. Yes We need !
Within this I asked the SA to get the Duster to my residence in order to check if there is an issue with the parking lot that I have in my Apt and he promptly got the vehicle the very next morning and everything was okayed from Home Ministry and Jr.



Time for Vitamin M




I was a HL customer for SBI and also I have closed 2 previous Car loans from SBI so apparent choice was SBI for finance. But the decision was not so easy as I had a ZERO out of pocket Car Leasing plan from my Company, so took quotes from the Leasing companies and started working on Excel to measure which makes a better deal. At the end of the day with the higher interest Rate from the Leasing companies and the headache of closing the Loan on exiting form my current Company made it simple for me to speak to my SBI Branch Manager for the finance.


Booking & PDI:




Car was booked and finance was under process and it was time for some final nego with the SA.
Managed to squeeze in some goodies in terms of exhaust chrome tip and a cool blue foot lamp for the driver and co-driver. Informed the SA on my intention of doing a proper PDI prior to him getting the vehicle registered and on 21st I got the VIN details. I called the SA and informed him that the following day, Saturday the 22nd I will do the PDI even though if it meant to travel to Trident Stockyard at Nelamangala a good 15+ km from my place.
Armed with the PDI Checklist I approach the stockyard and my wish list also included to see MRF Wanderer Rubber and the Glove Box Lamp ( As I was informed by the SA that the same is being discontinued).
I reached the Stockyard and was overwhelmed by the sheer size and the number of vehicles that were parked in there as it was a common stockyard for Trident Hyundai, Chevrolet and of course Renault.

[soumobakshi]

Before I was shown the vehicle, it was given a Wash and it was driven towards me with a shining gleam as if to say, “Here I Am cleaned and Gleamed from all the Dust Just for You”
The moment I walked into the cabin I had a strange feeling but decided to ignore and put head to task in completing the PDI. All checked, Rubbers – MRF Wanderer, Glove Box Light – Yes as well
I asked the person in charge if I can take it for a short drive within the stockyard and was answered to the affirmative. I slotted it in reverse gear and took a short turn and drove for a little time and noted the ODO reading of 8 KM. Came back to my starting point satisfied with the test drive and PDI checklist okayed, parked the vehicle under a tree for some customary pics. Switched off the Engine and I was about to exit but I can’t!
I am unable to move my left feet away from the clutch as my loose shoe lace got tangled and was trying to tell me not to leave the car and go, 1 more moment created and stored in my heart, .. forever!

[soumobakshi]

Registration & Delivery:

Informed the SA, PDI is done and he can take the vehicle for Registration to KA 05 RTO only and try and see if he can get me a sum of all digits to 8, to which he said that I will have to pay extra. I declined saying let’s see what comes in. And boy it did come out with a sum of 8, just the way I wanted without paying a dime extra.

Based on family decision the delivery was scheduled for Sunday the 30th of Nov 2014 before 11 AM and I called the SA and informed him to complete the demo with me 1 day earlier to save time on a Sunday.

The Vehicle was parked on the terrace of the Sales & Service Outlet and I climbed in along with the SA for a detailed demo of all features and Do’s and Don’t’s. I was satisfied and started waiting for the moment.

30th November 2014 morning 9 AM, left home picked up flowers and sweets for the SA & Dealership team alongwith the normal puja items required got ready and got a call from the SA stating that the vehicle is ready for delivery. Reached the dealership at 10:40 and proceeded with all the paper works and exchanged the sweets and chocolate box and we were ready for the Camera moment and Action!

A big round of applause for the SA Mr. Ramaswamy of Trident Renault, Mysore Road for ensuring everything went of smooth from booking till delivery.

But yes I did have complaints. The Owner’s manual and service booklet was handed over in Trident Paper envelop! Come on after paying more than a Million Rupees this was least expected of Renault and Trident. Not giving a proper pouch for the Owner’s manual is a Crime, Period!
It’s been a week now and have placed order for Seat Covers from Imperial Leathers and have added some accessories like the Chrome stuffs on Door Handles, Fog Lamp Surround and Tail Lamp Surround via e-Bay.

Couple of things which I am unsure of it’s a vehicle feature or can anything be done about the same;

• The Doors never Auto Lock and have to be locked using the central locking button on the Dash.

• How to check the Reserve Tyre Pressure without making someone go under the vehicle.

The First Long Drive:


I took out the Bison to stretch its leg on the Highway stretch between BLR and Chintamani via Old Madras Road and i will cover the main topics which i have to point out:


Pros:

• Handling and Ride Comfort is just excellent.

• Even though I am in the running in period and asked to maintain a sub 2500 on RPM, it is capable enough to catapult the vehicle in the 90+ region in no time.
• Already Getting a Mileage with 100% AC USage of 13 KMPL + and would expect inputs from current owners on what is the mileage that they get out of this 110 BHP tuned engine.

Cons:


Since i am coming from Logan, i have very few to list as i Have already been Renaultised

• Absence of Auto Door Lock / Unlock
• Split Rear Seat should have made the offering in a different league of versatility altogether.
• The Horn seems to be a bit feeble for a vehicle of this demeanor.
• The step extension on either side is a real pain if you are on light colored clothing's as your back of sheen area will keep getting dirty due to unavoidable contact while walking in / out of the car.

Below Screen grab from my Fuel Buddy Mileage Tracker App.

[selvagp]

Originally Posted by allidzrused

It will be very helpful if you could provide a breakup of the price

The current break up looks like below. Will post the actual once I take delivery.

ex: 1,099,000
temp+handling: 12,948
Road Tax: 164,850
Reg: 4,500 (approx)
Ins: 35,000 (approx)
Total: 1,316,298

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by soumobakshi

Couple of things which I am unsure of it’s a vehicle feature or can anything be done about the same;

• The Doors never Auto Lock and have to be locked using the central locking button on the Dash.

• How to check the Reserve Tyre Pressure without making someone go under the vehicle.

As for mileage, you are going good. You can expect 15kmpl on highway.

As for the above two questions. The Auto Lock feature is sourly missed. They dont even have an accessory out there for setting this up. I miss the window up-module and the auto-lock on Duster.

For reserve tyre pressure you can install Valve/Tyre pressure warning indicator cap. Like this one on the link;

http://www.ebay.in/itm/Tyre-tire-pre...item23468391fe

You can not avoid getting on your knees, but at least it enables to do a visual inspection.