Mod Note: Team-BHP's Duster AWD report has been uploaded at this link. Please continue the discussion over on the new thread. Thanks!
Renault Duster the urban SUV has been in the Indian Market for quite sometime, Renault now comes with the Duster 4WD ,but thats not what they call it,its called the All wheel drive (AWD).Having the 1.5 DCi engine with 110PS (obviously).
What will you Like in the Duster AWD - Great ride quality for any kind of road
- Good Muscular looks
- Ground clearance slightly more than its predecessor,210mm.
- Large boot space,410 litres
- ESP & ASR available (yes) ,both variants
- Hill Start Assist
- Eco mode for better fuel efficiency,offered in RXZ only.
Things that might put you off- No 3rd row of seats, a strict 5 seater
- Turbo lag under 2000rpm ( kicks off after 1800rpm)
- Could be priced higher as the RXZ variant of the 1.5 dci,110 PS 4x2 Duster is already expensive.
- No climate control AC
- No touch down windows ( even for the driver window)
- ORVM switch placed weirdly under the handbrake
- Power window switches placed weirdly
- No dead Pedal
- Rear Drum brakes
- Plastic quality
- After sales yet to prove its mark
At the first glance its the same Duster,but will a 1.5 dci engine do justice to 4WD ? You would be amazed as to how far it can really take you.
Driving Dynamics of the car is amazing,though it has the ergonomics of a car,you still feel way off it. The handling of the Duster AWD is brilliant, it handles itself well at corners.
The steering feels heavy even at higher speeds unlike a car.Even at high speeds the stability is great and now the Duster AWD comes with ESP ( Electonics Stability Program) and the ASR (Anti Skid Resistance) in all the variants, though at times you feel the car is going a bit faster than its actual speed.Ride quality is outstanding the car goes very easy on potholes and bad roads.
Performance -Duster AWD only has one engine option 1.5 diesel engine with 110PS of power, 85 ps was the obvious option out no room for petrol here as well. AWD will be offered in two variants RxL and RxZ (Top end).The 1.5 diesel engine has max torque of 245NM@ 1750 RPM. You would find a noticeable turbo lag till approx 1800rpm after which the engine responds well to your needs. This engine comes with a 6 speed gear box, at start you might find the gears a bit hard, I earlier thought it had something to do with the gear ratio mismatch, but no you just have to get used to the gear shifting and things will be fine.You have an additional Eco mode option in the Rxz variant,its nothing but programming your car ECU to offer more mileage but resulting in reducing the power of the engine.This mode is apt for the city drive,but if you want to do some serious offroading or need power, just turn this off. You can expect a mileage of anything between 12-14 km/l (actual reading given by the odometer).
NVH levels are well taken care of you can hardly hear the sound of the engine, be at idle or at higher speeds.There are no vibrations irrespective of the driving conditions.
Off-roading - You would definitely want to know how the car performs in this area.Duster AWD can be driven in 2 modes , 2WD and Auto. In auto mode the car switches to 2WD or AWD depending on road conditions. We did a bit of driving on rocky roads, slush a bit of grassy terrain and water pits,the Duster AWD handles itself well.Though on slush you do feel that you will loose control of the vehicle, but you manage to get back in control with ease.And you do find the ESP light flickering at such instances.The Duster AWD handles the 30-35 degree climbs effortlessly and that too without brushing anything beneath thanks to a healthy ground clearance of 210mm (just 5mm higher than the current running model). The AWD has another great feature called the hill start assist, where it will forbid an immediate rollback after starting off your Duster AWD on inclines,but this just lasts for around 2-3 seconds after which the car starts to rollback.
Exteriors of the cars are pretty compelling,the Duster AWD has killer looks,though there is not much change from its predecessor, it has the same double barrel headlights.
The sides too have a muscular feel,the Rims differ,16-inch alloys in Rxz and 16-inch Steel in RxL,Tyre size remains the same 215/65 R16 MRF Wanderer.Brakes could've been better with all Disc brakes unlike the current Front Ventilated Disc and the Rear Drum.
Roof rails add in to the SUV look of the Duster AWD.
The rear of the car looks muscular as well, but has the same dated tail lamps,Renault could've had some differentiating factor here.
There is a black button which can be pressed to release the boot.All the variants have the rear wiper and only the top end (Rxz) come with rear parking sensors.With the Variant name and the engine you will find the 4WD(AWD) badge prominently placed below.
Interiors - Though the interiors of the car are well placed, plastic quality could've done better, especially the buttons.The ORVM switch is weirdly located below the hand brake.The power window buttons too feel oddly placed and so is the headlamp level adjuster.Audio controls behind the steering wheel which can take a while to get used to.One considerable difference from the 4x2 variant is the absence of rear AC vents in Duster AWD.AC cooling is quick ,like its predecessor Duster AWD too doesn't have the climate control AC,which is available mostly in all the cars in that segment.Dead pedal too is missing.
Duster AWD has a humongous boot space of 410 litres and you can drop down the rear seats to increase the boot space even more.
Audio systems differ,Rxz gets the Media Nav system whereas RxL has an Integrated 2 Din Audio.Renault did a good job adding the Burnt Red Fabric Upholstery instead of their conventional beige interiors.
Rxz comes with cruise control where speeds can be fixed via the controls on the steering wheel.
You have an intelligent driver advisory system recommending gear shifts depending driving condition, but this is again limited to RxZ.
Both front and the rear seats are comfortable with enough leg room and headroom with under thigh support.
Final Take after having a complete day with this offroader and cruising through different terrains must say,this car is a complete winner.Though the current 1.5 dci Rxz(o) 4x2 is already priced around 14 lakhs, this vehicle would be priced atleast a lakh higher considering its 4x4,almost nearing its competitors the Mahindra's XUV500 and the Skoda Yeti , also one more worrying factor is about Renault after sales,I still haven't heard of any signs of improvement yet. Apart from that with great driving dynamics the Duster AWD is here to stay.