Renault Duster : Official Review

werfish · 11th August 2012, 19:41

I have got couple of calls from the dealer asking for feedback about the vehicle,they do not have any details about when accessories like guards,side railings,etc will be available.
The only crib i have until now is the lack of automatic locking when the vehicle starts.

dkaile · 11th August 2012, 19:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Just back from a TD and booked a Duster on behalf of my cousin.

My close friend is in a similar dilemma and is asking my advice to choose between Vento, Honda City, Nissan Sunny and any other best possible vehicle for him. He is upgrading from an Accent, which too was my choice 7 years back. I have a strong mind of suggesting him the Duster. Will be going with him soon for a test drive and then give him my final analysis.

LonelyPlanet · 11th August 2012, 22:11

Current waiting time for Duster 85 mid variant is 5 months in Bangalore. The Entry level is 7 months.
This is as per Whitefield Renault in Bangalore...

motorhead1981 · 11th August 2012, 22:28

In Coimbatore, delivery had started as of Monday when I had booked mine. When I had gone to the showroom to book three vehicles were being readied for delivery. My SA told me they have got RTO clearance for the 110 and that's the only one being delivered though they have the 85 with them too. But in the past week I haven't sighted a single Duster in Coimbatore !!

Vid6639 · 11th August 2012, 22:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Driver's seat in both cars, one display car and other TD car had 2 inch play, height adjust lever is a terrible design.

I observed the same thing. Both display and TD cars had a good couple of inches of play in the drivers seat. Everytime you brake or accelerate the seat would keep rocking back and forth. Very irritating.

I found the plastic quality as bad as the Figo.

Although features are good it misses out on some features that hatch back like the Figo have.

1. There's no auto door lock at Xkmph. Figo has this.
2. Remote control does not have boot release. Figo has this.
3. Wipers don't have variable intermittent adjust. Figo has 6 speed.

It was a very mixed bag with excellent ride quality, nice 110Ps engine with 6 speed gearbox. But doors felt really cheap, nowhere close to Figo solid feel. Space inside at the rear was also average, probably a little more than Figo if not same.

I am comparing it to my Figo because if I did go for Duster, it would replace my Figo.

CarSpotter · 11th August 2012, 22:47

Post deleted by the Team-BHP Support : Please do NOT post one-liners that add little or no informational value to the thread. We need your co-operation to maintain the overall quality of this forum.

Please read our rules before proceeding any further.

condor · 12th August 2012, 08:05

Have deliveries started ? I saw a white one near National College, BLR, last evening. It came up from the opp direction, but wasnt able to make out if it had a regular plate or a temp one.

sarthakgupta · 12th August 2012, 08:39

Yesterday saw a red duster on road. Had flowing ribbons all along. So must be a delivered vehicle.

One thing is sure, if some one is considering road presence as criteria while selecting a SUV, he can give duster a miss. It is very easy to overlook this car among a sea of other cars on-road. It just felt like any other car. I feel even Ertiga has some road presence (more than duster).

abhinavinc · 12th August 2012, 11:49

I have seen 3-4 dusters till date here in ludhiana, so i know the deliveries have started here. As i expected , all dusters were in the brown colour which IMO looks the best on it. All Have a PB-03-xxxx regn. numbers i.e. Bhatinda, so i guess deliveries may have started even earlier in Bhatinda. I know for a fact that the same dealer has showroom in both ludhiana and bhatinda(Padam Cars).

raul · 12th August 2012, 13:57

This thread is losing steam, the early owners have vanished, no ownership threads, no exciting pics, no new owner insights. I guess we need another 'flavour of the month' soon. Automakers please oblige!

Anyway here is my 2 cents to keep this going. On my regular weekend trip to Pune, dropped in at the Renault showroom to test the 85bhp and this time unlike most there is no mad frenzy and things were a lot more relaxed, just how I like it.

So I took my own sweet time testing the 85 and 110 back to back. Around 5 cars for delivery so with a fast losing charge on my phone managed to get a couple of pics of red, grey and silver.

They Pune dealership have around 1000 bookings so far, Renault is apparently trying to deliver 100 a month, but have so far only managed 23. Even at that rate it will take them ten months! Apparently they are expecting deliveries to ramp up in 2 months. We know Renault can produce 400,000 cars in Chennai so they may be able to ramp up.

Currently both Renault and Mahindra need to rethink their launch strategy. It may feel good having long waiting lists, have lotteries in a slowing market, and for showroom folks to proudly declare 3-6 months waiting but once the initial euphoria is done then what, I know many people who have got put off by the 3-6 months waiting time and moved on or postponed their purchase. The showroom folks may feel they are emphasizing the huge success but for the customer its a drag and they shift their purchase or the need itself when they are ready to buy after waiting.

Back to the test drive. First the 85. Just 2 people in the car, didn't feel under powered in the least. A pretty rev happy engine, as much as can be for a diesel. Good responsiveness and I floored it to 110. The difference between this and the 110bhp is a very slight rush on the 110 variant, this is more linear like the petrol motors we are used to.

I feel this will probably be good till 120, strain till 140 after which it may be too much of a drag to bother. Slight difference in acceleration with and without AC. Excellent braking and control, I aimed for potholes and bad stretches and like others have mentioned composed ride quality. On the whole I felt the 85 is fun to drive, has plenty of potential but you will need to push it.

The 110 was even better. The curious thing is on my previous drive there was bad turbo lag in second gear between 1000-2000rpm, I had to really work the gear and the accelerator. On this one none! So much so that I had to reconfirm with the associate whether it was a 85 or 110.

I checked the speedometer and had done 2200km, will need some inputs from diesel heads on the huge variation on the turbo lag. I hardly felt any lag and pushed cleanly in traffic, inclines. The 110 is the better of the two, it has good acceleration and responsiveness and always seems to have a reserve more 'mature' power band.

On the whole after longer test drives I felt more confident about the cars. Good power, nice handling, comfortable, can be fun to drive, and has all features one would expect. On roundabouts and fast turns there was no veering or roll, it feels effortless to drive, you don't feel the size at all. It felt a more complete car. The issues with the plastics remain, at this price the interiors need to more plush for folks who are spending 13 plus lakhs, you are not getting value. Renault has overpriced it by 50-75k.

All the more reason for Renault, Mahindra and others to plan their launch well. Giving a good relaxed experience to prospects befitting the costs of the cars at the showroom and test drives is essential to build a good brand image and respect for the brand.

A few stray points. One of the Dusters had an accessory sunroof fitted by the dealer. According to the dealer a large majority of the bookings from the rural areas, and that is Mahindra's bastion.

DieselDon · 12th August 2012, 15:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by zen kobane

Hey GTO,

Something I might have missed or I'm not sure if you reviewed, the call quality through Car bluetooth.

Is the mic clear and audio clear?

What is your overall take on the quality of in-built calling options?

Call quality through Bluetooth : I tested this on my very first test drive way long ago (am a little more comfortable with gadgets of every kind)

- The Audio was clear (no noise/static).
- Likewise for the receiving party (Mic is good as well).
No comments on call quality as this is the network provider's capability.

Other aspects :
- The pairing itself was pretty fast.

- But it took a while for me to realize that one has to press a sequence of buttons on the HU to enable Bluetooth Audio. From then on, calls/music from my phone came on pretty good.
- I had to again press a sequence of keys to get the Radio/CD to play.
- The phone is paired all this while. When a call is received, one needs to press those sequence of keys on the HU to get Bluetooth Audio on.
- The HU does not automatically detect the call, switch from Radio/CD to the Bluetooth Audio.
- The HU remembers 5+ phones. Not sure/Could not test if it can connect to all at the same time.

Not sure If I could answer as good as the experts.

Cheers, D

h.s.r · 12th August 2012, 16:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarthakgupta

Yesterday saw a red duster on road. Had flowing ribbons all along. So must be a delivered vehicle.

One thing is sure, if some one is considering road presence as criteria while selecting a SUV, he can give duster a miss. It is very easy to overlook this car among a sea of other cars on-road. It just felt like any other car. I feel even Ertiga has some road presence (more than duster).

I dont agree that Ertiga has better road presence than Duster.Ertiga can be easily mistaken as Ritz from the front and does not have any Wow factor in terms of looks,however if you talk about road presence for that matter even some 1 crore car does not have road presence.In Delhi even Audi Q7 looks normal on roads.An enthusiast would easily recognize premium or sports car among sea of cars
If one really wants attention then go mighty Hummer.

FlyingSpur · 12th August 2012, 16:52

Some pics of a grey Duster, might help someone in choosing (or avoiding) a particular colour.

Renault Duster : Official Review-img_1589-large.jpg

Renault Duster : Official Review-img_1590-large.jpg

Renault Duster : Official Review-img_1591-large.jpg

Renault Duster : Official Review-img_1592-large.jpg

Renault Duster : Official Review-img_1593-large.jpg

Renault Duster : Official Review-img_1594-large.jpg

Renault Duster : Official Review-img_1595-large.jpg

waxtouch · 12th August 2012, 20:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyingSpur

Some pics of a grey Duster, might help someone in choosing (or avoiding) a particular colour.

Attachment 968596

Attachment 968597

Attachment 968598

Attachment 968599

Attachment 968600

Attachment 968601

Attachment 968602

actually i was to book gray colour but my friend advised me for brown.Gray looks aged very early and dont give the feel of new car. Your pictures justify my decision thanks

sarthakgupta · 12th August 2012, 21:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by h.s.r

I dont agree that Ertiga has better road presence than Duster.Ertiga can be easily mistaken as Ritz from the front and does not have any Wow factor in terms of looks,however if you talk about road presence for that matter even some 1 crore car does not have road presence.In Delhi even Audi Q7 looks normal on roads.An enthusiast would easily recognize premium or sports car among sea of cars
If one really wants attention then go mighty Hummer.

True h.s.r.

What I meant by road presence was the recognition factor as well as the burly factor. When I saw that duster, the first thing that struck me was a different looking Renault grill. Only then I figured it out that it was the duster. (Actually till now I had seen this car only in images. I hadn't personally seen it at showroom).

Compared to it, Ertiga was more readily recognizable to me (but I admit it can be my perception - Ertiga looks a lot like Ritz, save for the different headlamps).

Secondly, it is not burly like our regular Tata or Mahindra UVs.

11th August 2012, 19:41	#586
werfish BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 177 Thanked: 142 Times	Re: Renault Duster : Official Review I have got couple of calls from the dealer asking for feedback about the vehicle,they do not have any details about when accessories like guards,side railings,etc will be available. The only crib i have until now is the lack of automatic locking when the vehicle starts.
	() Thanks

11th August 2012, 22:11	#588
LonelyPlanet BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Jam-luru Posts: 324 Thanked: 159 Times	Re: Renault Duster : Official Review Current waiting time for Duster 85 mid variant is 5 months in Bangalore. The Entry level is 7 months. This is as per Whitefield Renault in Bangalore...
	(1) Thanks

11th August 2012, 22:28	#589
motorhead1981 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Coimbatore Posts: 53 Thanked: 116 Times	In Coimbatore, delivery had started as of Monday when I had booked mine. When I had gone to the showroom to book three vehicles were being readied for delivery. My SA told me they have got RTO clearance for the 110 and that's the only one being delivered though they have the 85 with them too. But in the past week I haven't sighted a single Duster in Coimbatore !!
	() Thanks

11th August 2012, 22:47	#591
CarSpotter BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 116 Thanked: 65 Times	Post deleted by the Team-BHP Support : Please do NOT post one-liners that add little or no informational value to the thread. We need your co-operation to maintain the overall quality of this forum. Please read our rules before proceeding any further. Last edited by GTO : 13th August 2012 at 10:00.
	() Thanks $Received Infraction$

12th August 2012, 08:05	#592
condor Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Speed-brkr City Posts: 16,242 Thanked: 16,903 Times View My Garage	Re: Renault Duster : Official Review Have deliveries started ? I saw a white one near National College, BLR, last evening. It came up from the opp direction, but wasnt able to make out if it had a regular plate or a temp one.
	() Thanks

12th August 2012, 08:39	#593
sarthakgupta BHPian Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Indore Posts: 425 Thanked: 576 Times	Re: Renault Duster : Official Review Yesterday saw a red duster on road. Had flowing ribbons all along. So must be a delivered vehicle. One thing is sure, if some one is considering road presence as criteria while selecting a SUV, he can give duster a miss. It is very easy to overlook this car among a sea of other cars on-road. It just felt like any other car. I feel even Ertiga has some road presence (more than duster).
	(1) Thanks

12th August 2012, 11:49	#594
abhinavinc BHPian Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Toronto Posts: 95 Thanked: 85 Times	Re: Renault Duster : Official Review I have seen 3-4 dusters till date here in ludhiana, so i know the deliveries have started here. As i expected , all dusters were in the brown colour which IMO looks the best on it. All Have a PB-03-xxxx regn. numbers i.e. Bhatinda, so i guess deliveries may have started even earlier in Bhatinda. I know for a fact that the same dealer has showroom in both ludhiana and bhatinda(Padam Cars).
	() Thanks

12th August 2012, 13:57	#595
raul BHPian Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Pune Posts: 920 Thanked: 374 Times	Re: Renault Duster : Official Review This thread is losing steam, the early owners have vanished, no ownership threads, no exciting pics, no new owner insights. I guess we need another 'flavour of the month' soon. Automakers please oblige! Anyway here is my 2 cents to keep this going. On my regular weekend trip to Pune, dropped in at the Renault showroom to test the 85bhp and this time unlike most there is no mad frenzy and things were a lot more relaxed, just how I like it. So I took my own sweet time testing the 85 and 110 back to back. Around 5 cars for delivery so with a fast losing charge on my phone managed to get a couple of pics of red, grey and silver. They Pune dealership have around 1000 bookings so far, Renault is apparently trying to deliver 100 a month, but have so far only managed 23. Even at that rate it will take them ten months! Apparently they are expecting deliveries to ramp up in 2 months. We know Renault can produce 400,000 cars in Chennai so they may be able to ramp up. Currently both Renault and Mahindra need to rethink their launch strategy. It may feel good having long waiting lists, have lotteries in a slowing market, and for showroom folks to proudly declare 3-6 months waiting but once the initial euphoria is done then what, I know many people who have got put off by the 3-6 months waiting time and moved on or postponed their purchase. The showroom folks may feel they are emphasizing the huge success but for the customer its a drag and they shift their purchase or the need itself when they are ready to buy after waiting. Back to the test drive. First the 85. Just 2 people in the car, didn't feel under powered in the least. A pretty rev happy engine, as much as can be for a diesel. Good responsiveness and I floored it to 110. The difference between this and the 110bhp is a very slight rush on the 110 variant, this is more linear like the petrol motors we are used to. I feel this will probably be good till 120, strain till 140 after which it may be too much of a drag to bother. Slight difference in acceleration with and without AC. Excellent braking and control, I aimed for potholes and bad stretches and like others have mentioned composed ride quality. On the whole I felt the 85 is fun to drive, has plenty of potential but you will need to push it. The 110 was even better. The curious thing is on my previous drive there was bad turbo lag in second gear between 1000-2000rpm, I had to really work the gear and the accelerator. On this one none! So much so that I had to reconfirm with the associate whether it was a 85 or 110. I checked the speedometer and had done 2200km, will need some inputs from diesel heads on the huge variation on the turbo lag. I hardly felt any lag and pushed cleanly in traffic, inclines. The 110 is the better of the two, it has good acceleration and responsiveness and always seems to have a reserve more 'mature' power band. On the whole after longer test drives I felt more confident about the cars. Good power, nice handling, comfortable, can be fun to drive, and has all features one would expect. On roundabouts and fast turns there was no veering or roll, it feels effortless to drive, you don't feel the size at all. It felt a more complete car. The issues with the plastics remain, at this price the interiors need to more plush for folks who are spending 13 plus lakhs, you are not getting value. Renault has overpriced it by 50-75k. All the more reason for Renault, Mahindra and others to plan their launch well. Giving a good relaxed experience to prospects befitting the costs of the cars at the showroom and test drives is essential to build a good brand image and respect for the brand. A few stray points. One of the Dusters had an accessory sunroof fitted by the dealer. According to the dealer a large majority of the bookings from the rural areas, and that is Mahindra's bastion. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by raul : 12th August 2012 at 14:02.
	(6) Thanks

12th August 2012, 16:52	#598
FlyingSpur Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 3,935 Thanked: 1,449 Times View My Garage	Re: Renault Duster : Official Review Some pics of a grey Duster, might help someone in choosing (or avoiding) a particular colour.
	(3) Thanks