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


Reply
  Search this Thread
6,259,471 views
Old 15th September 2012, 09:10   #871
Senior - BHPian
 
mooza's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,096
Thanked: 368 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

I am interested in the petrol Duster too. Maybe people like me should request a TD at the earliest, so that Renault feels that there is a demand for the petrol version as well.

My reasons for the petrol ? Low running (5000 kms a year maximum), lower NVH (I know the diesel has low NVH anyway), and want a looker in my stable !
mooza is offline  
Old 15th September 2012, 14:40   #872
BHPian
 
thalavoy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Chennai
Posts: 406
Thanked: 77 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

If I go outside for fixing reverse parking sensors, will it void any warranty? Or is it better to go with the authorised accessory guy of the dealer. The price is higher with the official guy.
thalavoy is offline  
Old 15th September 2012, 14:58   #873
BHPian
 
suchit23's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 179
Thanked: 296 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by thalavoy
If I go outside for fixing reverse parking sensors, will it void any warranty? Or is it better to go with the authorised accessory guy of the dealer. The price is higher with the official guy.
Generally it should not. May be some existing Renault owner can confirm how they receive such mods. How much are you getting it for from the showroom? In Bangalore they are selling the steel mate PTS 400T for Rs 5600 which I think is fair if not great. Its a wireless model which means they dont have to pry open side and front paneling which is peace of mind.
suchit23 is offline  
Old 15th September 2012, 21:34   #874
Newbie
 
bull8e's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Kozhikode
Posts: 13
Thanked: 9 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by thalavoy View Post
If I go outside for fixing reverse parking sensors, will it void any warranty? Or is it better to go with the authorised accessory guy of the dealer. The price is higher with the official guy.
Even I had a similar concern. Checked with the dealer before I got one fixed elsewhere.
I will recommend RD parking sensors if you are in the market for one.
The unit is priced higher than Autocop, Xenos.
They'd even install it on-site if you prefer.

Very happy with the purchase and installation.

PS: I am in no way associated with RD. Just a happy customer
bull8e is offline  
Old 16th September 2012, 12:09   #875
BHPian
 
suchit23's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 179
Thanked: 296 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

OK, this is my honest attempt to jot down my experience with Renault Duster booking, waiting and pre-delivery. The intention is to put down all the information in a nutshell which may be of use to members who are interested in test driving/booking/buying the Duster. Some information will be Bangalore specific.

The Car:
I dont have to say much here after the likes of GTO have. I can probably summarize by saying, buy this car if:
1. You want a typical SUV look, with excellent ground clearance
2. You have a requirement for enough space for 5 at least once in a while
3. You need a diesel engine with enough power for comfortable highway cruising
4. You feel practicality is more important than style/elegance
5. Mileage is something you cannot ignore
6. You appreciate refinement
7. You think ride comfort/handling is more important than plastic quality

The Variants:
Lot has been said about these. Somehow they completely messed up the RXZ model (no offence to owners). It was almost like they forcibly created a top end variant and had to make things different. Things like Rear AC, Silver Mirrors, Non-Premium faux woods etc. only put you off more than anything else. Where as stuff like Alloys, Airbags are always appreciated. No wonder the 85 RXL(O) was chosen as the best variant by the Indian customer. Something Renault did not anticipate. Either they are very smart or incredibly stupid (Dialog borrowed from "Enemy of the State"). I mean, even an MBA intern could have told them what people will gun for. And btw, the 110 RXL has ABS/EBD/BA which you may miss easily while comparing the equipment level across variants.

The Dealers (Bangalore):
At present there are 2 dealers, one in Sadashiv Nagar (near Mekhri Circle) called "Renault Palace Orchards". This one was the lone showroom up until now. Located in a very busy road, abslotely no parking in and around, though they have a board for Valet parking, I have hardly seen anyone being offered that service. You end up parking in by-lanes behind the main road and walking up to the showroom. The newer one called "Renault Whitefield" is located near K.R.Puram over bridge. If you are going from K.R.Puram towards whitefield you see this on the right hand side just after you have crossed the bridge. Actually you will see "Trident Hyundai" and Renault is just adjacent to it on the Outer Ring Road. This is also owned by Trident which is a popular dealer of Hyundai cars in Bangalore. And they said another one is coming up in Mysore Road soon.

The Test Drives:
In the month of July there were Qs for test drives. I remember waiting 2 hours when I was there in the second week. Right now you can do it when ever you are ready. The SAs accompanying you were not very intrusive nor are they offering any additional information. The duration is very short. Dealer 1 can give you test drives in bumper to bumper traffic situations where as dealer 2 can offer you speeds upto 100 in outer ring road. But no where can you test highway dynamics. And the SAs are always in a tearing hurry to get back to their showroom, for reasons best known to them. So if you are the long test drive types, insist on it.

The Booking:
The good thing about the SAs is that they dont push you to book, they probably dont have to right now. For the first 1 week the booking amount was 50K, bumped up to 1 lakh second week onwards. I booked on 9th July so managed to convince the SA to take my booking for 50K itself. The penalty in Bangalore dealers in case of cancellation is Rs 2500. I asked for 85 RXL(O) but the booking slip mentioned 85 RXZ(O). There is no such variant. The SA assured its not a problem, and it really was not.

The Waiting / Renault Customer Service:
Initially I was told a delivery estimate of September. I assumed Sep mid. After a month of booking (around 9th Aug) I start calling, only to be told my vehicle is still not allotted. I called the Renault Customer Care (Toll Free No) several times. The less that is said about them the better. I could visualize them sitting in a room with nothing but a pen and paper apart from the phones. They dont seem to have any central system or any connection with the dealers what so ever. You call them expecting some information, instead you end up giving your information and every time you call you start from scratch, they could use the services of my companay to implement a CRM system! And everytime they say they will call you back it means its a dead end. Summary is: Deal with the dealer!

Financing:
Out here they have tied up with Kotak Mahindra and SBI primarily. They will push you for Kotak siting each of processing etc. but Kotak has penalties for pre-payments and pre-closures and may be more in fine print. I went with SBI. Processing is slow but peace of mind there after.

Insurance:
They have tie up with Bharati Axa, HDFC Ergo and Royal Sundaram. Quote is around 7-8K more than what you will get outside. They refused me the option to go with outside insurance and I didnt press too much considering the outstanding support I seemed to be getting from Renault themselves. Opted for zero dep with Bharati Axa, which was 5K more than the comprehensive ones (around 40K).

Accessories:
Close to Zilch. Even the basic floor mats where on and off in stock, hope they will have a set when I take delivery tomorrow. They are giving mud flaps without any fuss though. Apart from that they had Evo Alloys which were priced at least 12K more than after market, didnt go for it. They have Steel Mate parking sensros which I thought were not too much over priced. They also have Red Soul reverse parking+camera at around 17K. Art Leather seats (which comes with RXZ(O)) can be added for close to 40K, again overpriced. The muffler tip is Rs 900 which is a good buy. And they are doing the IND number plates for around 900. And dont expect instant fitment of any accs, the technicians seemed to be far and few in between. So if you want any give them good notice while your loan and registration is happening.
suchit23 is offline   (3) Thanks
Old 16th September 2012, 16:38   #876
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Trivandrum
Posts: 333
Thanked: 321 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Excellent review of the Renault Duster, GTO.

Do you know the gear ratios of the car?

Regards

Saji
SajiNSalin is offline  
Old 16th September 2012, 17:13   #877
BHPian
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Delhi
Posts: 198
Thanked: 153 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Has anyone on the TBHP or peer of TBhpian got delivery of 85 PS anywhere?
I guess all Dusters ownership threads relates to 110 PS.
I booked 85 PS on 8th July,waiting given was 2 months.
Still no confirmation or intimation of any kind by Renault or Dealer.
h.s.r is offline  
Old 16th September 2012, 21:51   #878
BHPian
 
suchit23's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 179
Thanked: 296 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by h.s.r View Post
Has anyone on the TBHP or peer of TBhpian got delivery of 85 PS anywhere?
I guess all Dusters ownership threads relates to 110 PS.
I booked 85 PS on 8th July,waiting given was 2 months.
Still no confirmation or intimation of any kind by Renault or Dealer.
In my numerous trips to the dealer in Bangalore, everytime I saw a Duster being delivered it was either an RXZ or RXL 110. I booked 85 RXL(O) a day after you and my number had not come in the schedule until end of September and there was no guarantee for October as well. However Renault has started 3 shifts from September and hopefully the situation will get better in second half of this month.
suchit23 is offline  
Old 17th September 2012, 01:00   #879
BHPian
 
idofsuresh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 157
Thanked: 81 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

I got my Duster RXZ(O) a couple of days back. I booked it in the 3rd week of June. Right after the launch, the dealer said my car has been allocated for August end and it will be in their stock yard during the 1st week of September. I heard him, left it there and did not follow up as I was not in any particular hurry. Surprise! Bang on September 1st the dealer informed my car has arrived! I wasn't expecting it. So, I started the paper work with my company immediately, in a hurry. The process took a couple of weeks. I must say the dealer was patient enough to wait for me to finish the process. +1 to the dealer.

I have driven it for about ~450 kms in the last 2 days in congested stop-go traffic within Bangalore, in NH7/NH47 GQ and in regular single lane highway. Another ~250 KMS planned tomorrow from Coimbatore to Thrissur & back. Don't want to hurry into commenting about the car without using it a little more. I will write an Initial Impressions thread soon.

By the way, I love the leather seats and the rear AC, both of which are not a hit here. My car will rarely have the 5th passenger, so it better be optimized for the first 4! I was worried about the wind noise before I bought. Here is my take on it after a ~400 kms highway drive. It IS noisy, as if you had kept a window slightly open, especially when the wind is high and you are at high speed. But it is NOT a deal breaker. My solution: Switch on the music and you are good. End of the day, the noise is not bothering me too much even without the music - maybe I had a very muted expectation already set.

Let me know if you have quick questions before I come up with an ownership thread.
idofsuresh is offline  
Old 17th September 2012, 08:43   #880
BHPian
 
sumeshmani's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: bangalore
Posts: 478
Thanked: 111 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Can the 85PS's 5 speed gear box handle the added power a tuning box can deliver?
The other day I enquired about the 110 RXl (O) in Bangalore. Its ~60K more than the 110 RXL.
The dealer was not very confident if Renault will deliver an RXL (O) even though they had it listed in the price list.
for the 60K, what do we get over the 85PS RXL (O):
- the extra power of a 110
- a 6 speed gear box
If we can get the extra power from the 85PS with a tuning box, which might cost ~30K, may be that worth it for people like me, who are on a tight budget. The tuning box can be added at a latter point.
The big question here is, can the gear box and 85PS engine handle a tuning box? Experts please share your thoughts on this.
sumeshmani is offline  
Old 17th September 2012, 13:43   #881
Newbie
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Norwich
Posts: 14
Thanked: 16 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Don't forget that the 110 has a variable rate turbo, whereas the 85 has a fixed blade one. The differences in the engines are not just down to tuning.
Ulpian is offline  
Old 17th September 2012, 16:30   #882
BHPian
 
zen kobane's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Delhi
Posts: 131
Thanked: 78 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ulpian View Post
Don't forget that the 110 has a variable rate turbo, whereas the 85 has a fixed blade one. The differences in the engines are not just down to tuning.
Are you sure about this? As in, where did you find this tech spec?
zen kobane is offline  
Old 17th September 2012, 16:50   #883
BHPian
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 314
Thanked: 97 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by sumeshmani View Post
Can the 85PS's 5 speed gear box handle the added power a tuning box can deliver?
The other day I enquired about the 110 RXl (O) in Bangalore. Its ~60K more than the 110 RXL.
The dealer was not very confident if Renault will deliver an RXL (O) even though they had it listed in the price list.
for the 60K, what do we get over the 85PS RXL (O):
- the extra power of a 110
- a 6 speed gear box
If we can get the extra power from the 85PS with a tuning box, which might cost ~30K, may be that worth it for people like me, who are on a tight budget. The tuning box can be added at a latter point.
The big question here is, can the gear box and 85PS engine handle a tuning box? Experts please share your thoughts on this.
Wont you be voiding your warranty on your 85PS by adding a tuning box. I dont think it makes sense not to use a OEM 100PS engine/6speed gearbox for about 60k when you are spending over 10lakhs for the car.
zoombiee is offline  
Old 17th September 2012, 17:13   #884
BHPian
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 97
Thanked: 41 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by h.s.r View Post
Has anyone on the TBHP or peer of TBhpian got delivery of 85 PS anywhere?
I guess all Dusters ownership threads relates to 110 PS.
I booked 85 PS on 8th July,waiting given was 2 months.
Still no confirmation or intimation of any kind by Renault or Dealer.

I should get the delivery of my RXL 85 (O) by the end of this week and then should be able to answer your questions.... fingers crossed
kumarsiddhi is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 17th September 2012, 19:12   #885
BHPian
 
DieselDon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 199
Thanked: 135 Times
Re: Renault Duster : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by sumeshmani View Post
Can the 85PS's 5 speed gear box handle the added power a tuning box can deliver?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ulpian View Post
Don't forget that the 110 has a variable rate turbo, whereas the 85 has a fixed blade one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zen kobane View Post
Are you sure about this? As in, where did you find this tech spec?
Quote:
Originally Posted by zoombiee View Post
Wont you be voiding your warranty on your 85PS by adding a tuning box. I dont think it makes sense not to use a OEM 100PS engine/6speed gearbox for about 60k when you are spending over 10lakhs for the car.
I remember a discussion on this earlier. Link. To add to the list of dependent variables, the gearbox capabilities are different between the 85 and 110. Click above link to see details.
DieselDon is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

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