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Old 11th August 2020, 13:04   #1
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Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT

Disclaimer: This is my ownership review on Renault Duster AMT RXZ 110PS. These are solely my opinions, not to be generalized in any manner and no offence meant to any other cars/brands.

Prologue: I owned a Nissan Terrano (85 PS XLD PLUS, MT Bronze Grey) previously for 4+ years, I was pretty happy with it and intended to keep it long term, however, Bangalore traffic didn’t allow me.
Here is my Terrano Ownership Review: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...ano-85-ps.html

I bought Nissan Terrano through 4 years company lease. Driving 3-4 hours (sometimes more) everyday for 30 kms, stressing out daily made me think health is important than anything else in the world. People driven in Bangalore can better correlate what I mean. By then I already had taste of driving my wife’s TATA NANO AMT, so my desire to move to an automatic vehicle became pure necessity than anything else.

Lovely NANO AMT in Red:
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-nano.jpg

Transferred Terrano to my name after 4 years and started looking for an upgrade to in an automatic guise. I wanted to go for another 4 years lease with a new AT vehicle. I was super comfortable with Terrano, so didn’t want to compromise that ride quality, space, ruggedness, reliability of the engine, decent maintenance costs etc. However, I couldn’t find any suitable replacement for Terrano among the new vehicles in the market and some priorities changed on personal front as well. Hence started to look for pre-worshipped SUVs, kept budget around 6 lakhs as I wanted to change to a new vehicle in couple of years (Didn’t want to incur substantial losses by paying bigger amount for a pre-owned now).

I have had great experience of owning 11 pre-worshipped cars. I love doing that as it encourages you to spend good $$$ on modifications and can sell off when you feel, without losing much. All of my cars have been in good shape while buying and in great shape while selling as I kept them in mint condition, friends tease my vehicles as my first wife (wifey also jealous of them).

So the hunt started, few vehicles generated an interest in mind and some in heart (keeping my budget in mind):

I would have bought a Skoda Yeti straight away if it had an auto transmission.

Nissan X-Trail: Affinity towards Nissan family pulled me towards it, great CBU build quality, powerful, 4x4 option, sunroof, loads of space, but reviews suggested against due to high maintenance and delay in getting spares. Moreover I couldn’t find much in Bangalore and most of them were 10+ years old, dropped it.

Renault Duster: AMT would have been ideal replacement of Terrano, but not considered since AMT models were in 8L-9L range in Bangalore used car market.

Ssangyong Rexton RX7: Sunroof, AWD, 7 seater, exclusive too. When I looked in flesh, it was huge for Bangalore traffic, not a head turner, pretty outdated looks, tough resale, all were high on miles and out of budget, didn’t think it’s worth the shot.

Honda BRV: Honda’s reliability and A$$ support, smooth CVT, 7 seater, but when I looked in person, it was more like a minivan than SUV, forget about imposing, the character was missing and didn’t appeal.

Honda CRV: Generation old models were available for the budget, petrol only variants and poor mileage was deterrent.

Mitsubishi Outlander: Spares availability, poor mileage, resale issue, lack of service / support at Bangalore. One of the smarter looking ones though.

Renault Koleos: Why not? 4x4 premium and powerful SUV at my price bracket. They are very rare and exclusive, but heard problems in procuring spares. It costed ~30L as new, so obviously the spares and maintenance would be expensive. I wanted to see one on road badly, but after many weeks, I could spot one at my office parking and disappointed, I don’t know why it was priced at ~30L, it didn’t look premium or couldn’t even create any curiosity, it’s the end of it.

Mahindra XUV: Was never considered as I didn’t like its round bulky shape, it was obese + out of budget too.

At this point, I took a break and did some introspection. Since my plan was to keep it only for 2 years, I didn’t want to bring home a model which mass market didn’t like as new. I would have to incur huge losses or find an enthusiast for selling it later, so changed my priorities & started looking for mass market SUVs including sedans:

Honda City: Honda’s reliability and A$$ support, smooth CVT, smart looking car, current running model, sold well in the market, good resale. But after driving SUV for 4+ years, I didn’t feel comfy in this car, it’s not a go anywhere vehicle, low stance, so wanted to pursue SUVs, even though smaller in size.

Ford Ecosport: Cute looks, lot of good stories about strong build quality and nice interiors. But rear seat and boot space was too less for a family of 3 adults and 2 teenage kids. I didn’t want to compromise on space again, going from Terrano’s space, Ecosport was claustrophobic, sorry.

Volkswagen Jetta: Though it was not on my list, couldn’t overlook this superb driving machine. Since it is a low slung sedan and I have some reservations right now, want to consider it for retirement ��. It’s a gem if someone is looking for an automatic, premium, safe and powerful sedan.

All options are gone, didn’t want to go further down to Nissan Micra, Hyundai i20 etc for obvious reasons. What else, what else, stopped thinking about for a while, there was no suitable replacement for Terrano in my sight new or old. Only people who drove this machine extensively can related to what I mean, just a test drive may not convince all.

In fact, I had kept my Terrano on sale, a gentleman fell in love and paid some advance, so I didn’t want to use Terrano after taking advance. I had my wife’s NANO for city runabouts, however, I had to do something to speed up my buy. Either compromise on something or increase the budget a bit and get a satisfying one.

One day I got a call from my friend (who deals with the pre-owned vehicles) about a Duster being exchanged at a showroom for a new SUV. He knows my taste for cars. He is well connected with showroom people at Bangalore. I got a good feedback from his showroom connection about the condition of the Duster. Next I wanted to know the PRICE and color. I always liked the Duster in Cayenne Orange. I received the pics, oh, to my pleasant surprise that was the Cayenne Orange I wanted. Price was not available, I was asked to talk to the owner directly. I called up the owner and met at a common place. I was happy to see the Duster in flesh, it was in great shape. It was 2016-May model, AMT, RXZ (top end), Single owner, 46k run, no modifications, all stock condition, original set of tires (bald), no claims, non-smoking cabin. I took a quick test drive around, felt home !!

I verified the documents and drove straight to the Silkboard Renault Service Center and asked for an inspection. Owner was a very courteous, he stayed back at the service center letting me and service engineer to take a spin, service engineer gave thumbs up. Sitting in Duster just felt like being in my Terrano + AMT, I verified the service history, claims etc while at service center, there was no heart break.

Price quoted was a bit high for my budget, additionally I had to replace all tires and unaware of any unforeseen expenses, but this pre-owned gem seemed to be in positive condition, so I paid token advance & agreed for the deal, even though I had to stretch my budget. It had a loan, owner told he will clear the loan in 10 days and was ok for full payment after the loan was cleared.

Came back home, had lunch, transferred remaining amount (withholding the loan amount). Me & wifey took a uber, collected the car with signed RTO forms and headed back home. I wanted to drive thru the most dreaded traffic junction of Bangalore “The Great Silk Board Junction”. AMT was driving smooth all along, but at the bumper-to-bumper traffic at silk board, I felt some kind of shuddering, immediately called the owner, he said it is normal in AMTs. I thought it may be due to my manual driving style. After silkboard, we drove through Hosur road, Bommanahalli etc some discomfort was there in heavy traffic, but was cool while moving in traffic free zones.

Next day took to Renault service station again and asked for a detailed inspection, service engineer told shuddering is normal in AMTs after 40k kms, advised to change the flywheel if I felt too much discomfort driving. Luckily the Duster was under extended warranty, service guys told to leave the vehicle for a week for an inspection of the flywheel by TVS folks from Chennai to claim warranty. Owner was a nice gentleman and was ready to return the money if I wasn’t happy with Duster, so I became firmer on the deal. I told service engineer to go ahead, so TVS inspection done after few days & approved as well. Service guys advised me to change the clutch also as they are anyway removing whole assembly, but clutch won’t be covered under warranty. I tried to argue since it is AMT we don’t have any control over clutch, it should be covered under warrant etc, but I had to pay for clutch finally. I got the complete service done along with flywheel and clutch assembly change. I took the delivery after almost 7-8 days and drove home much delighted. You won’t believe it was a new car feel, butter smooth ride, no shuddering, then there was a BIG grin on my face. All that wait and fight was really worth, I paid off the remaining balance to the owner after receiving the clearance letter from bank and submitted all the documents for transfer of ownership. A long journey of events came to a peaceful end

I had parked Duster and Terrano side by side (couldn’t take any pictures of them together), there was hardly any difference on side profiles, however, Terrano’s rear was looking premium compared to Duster’s. I won’t complain on Duster’s (2016) interiors as it is far better than my (2015) Terrano’s.

Finally time came to part with Terrano, with a heavy heart. It served flawlessly for ~4.5 years since day 1 till the last day. I had nothing to complain.

Good thing it was handed over to a car lover. After a long drive to his home through NICE road & some bad stretches, he acknowledged ride quality, appreciated the maintenance of the car, for me that was the biggest satisfaction.

I delivered it in a pristine condition, after a foam wash. Couple of pics before handing over:
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-terranowash1.jpg

Classier design and stance:
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-terrano1.jpg

Focusing back to Duster, first thing I wanted to change were the Duster OEM alloys and Apollo Apterra tires, I loved the Terrano alloys so much, I bought them from a friend (who upsized) and got new Yokohama Geolander All Terrain shoes, it increased Orange Duster’s look by a million times.

I did few long trips solo and with family, each trip close to 1000km return journey, Duster completed the duty effortlessly. I wanted nothing more than a Terrano with an automatic transmission, it just got better with Duster.

Without much bragging, let us look at the character, behavior and experience:

Here are big positives:
• Mind-blowing ride quality (it’s the USP) and breeze on any kind of roads
• Robust, abuse-friendly build and construction
• Balanced handling & dynamics with 205 mm GC
• 109 BHP turbo-diesel is fast as well as fuel efficient, great economy for the size
• AMT is a boon in Bangalore city traffic and enjoy 6 speed on freeways
• Safety kit includes dual airbags, ESP, ASR, ABS, EBD, BA, Hill Hold & understeer control
• Car-like to drive with a can go anywhere attitude
• Airy and spacious in cabin with large and practical boot (475 - 1,064 liters of capacity)

and few dislikes:
• AC in not that effective, noise of AC blower is a bit high in 3rd level
• Navigation system sucks
• No dead pedal
• No parking (P) mode in AMT
• Lack of storage bins - rear doors have no storage at all
• Black rims with a silver outline look so after-market'ish! Not to my taste. (Terrano’s were awesome)
• I didn’t like the arm rest on driver’s seat
• NVH insulation could have been better

Since there is a detailed official review of Duster on team-bhp, I won’t repeat it. I will briefly compare with Nissan Terrano and share my experiences with Duster.

Below are the extras I got in Duster, which were missing in Terrano:
• Steering mounted audio controls
• Cruise control
• Rear view camera, GPS, DVD playback
• Driver arm rest
• One touch down on driver side window
• Power windows are operational few seconds after key is removed
• Automatic climate control
• Auto folding mirrors with blinkers
• Lumbar support
• Driver seat height adjustment
• Exhaust finisher
• Soft plastic on dash and doors
• 109 BHP
• Automatic (AMT) with 6 speed gear box
• Sporty Color

It’s time to unveil my beauty !!

Exterior Styling and Design: Overall well-balanced looks, far butcher than many new toys on road:
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-star.jpg

Carbon fibre wrap for mirrors, front grill and back chrome strip (I hate chrome). This was done at Kriti Care Center at Bangalore north:
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-kriti1.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-kriti2.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-mirror1.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-mirror2.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-front.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-fullback3.jpg

Equipment Levels: I would say decent list – GPS, Rear view camera, DVD playback, cruise control, steering mounted controls, mobile charger point at front and rear, Auto Climate Control, Lumbar Support, Auto folding mirrors, Driver seat height adjustment and many more, no complaints.
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-int1.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-int2.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-int3.jpg

Build Quality, Paint Quality, Fit & Finish: Overall robust, abuse-friendly build and construction. There are few stray areas where finish could have been better like outside door handles, rubber beading, steering wheel etc. Overall quality is generations ahead of what some our popular and locally grown SUVs have to offer. Paint quality is excellent, Duster shines like new even after 4 years after a nice bath !!

Interior Space & Comfort: Space at front is excellent and no complaint on rear space, it is sufficient for us. Rear seat is wide enough, three adults can sit with comfort for long drives. Getting in and out is a breeze, airy cabin with lot of light and visibility makes it even more specious. Air condition not very effective gets a bit noisy at level 3 and more.
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-img_e1203.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-intrear.jpg

Handling, Suspension & Ride Quality: It is the USP of Duster. The ride quality, in one word, is OUTSTANDING. Excellent handling and dynamics with 205mm ground clearance. Well balanced and planted ride quality improves overall comfort levels. Predictable behavior and controlled body roll. Turning radius of 5.2 meters is a boon for city drives. Emergency breaking is adequate. Duster dismisses off broken tarmac with arrogance. You don't have to slow down or search for better space on road, just move on.

Wheels & Tires: I never liked the after-marketish alloy wheels and Apollo Apterra Tyres (no offence to existing owners please). I immediately changed to sweeter Nissan Terrano Alloys and Yokohama Geolanders A/T, now it looks worth million.
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-dusteralloystires1.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-tires.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-terranoalloys.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-tiregeoat.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-img_e1210.jpg

Interior design & quality: Soft plastic on dash and doors compared to Terrano. Crimson-black upholstery with white stitching looks good, fit & finish is satisfactory, cool in summers but get soiled very quickly. I had slink leather seats with perforations on my Terrano, which looked premium, I will change Duster seat covers later.

Driving position, ergonomics: Few people seem to have problem with getting right driving position and complain about ergonomics too, I drove continuously for 5-6 hours many times (drove from Bangalore to Pune in my Terrano, I had no fatigue). In Terrano, the ORVM adjustment knob was located below the handbrake, in duster it is given on driver door. 1 touch window up is very useful and can be operated few seconds after removing the keys from ignition.
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-img_e1204.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-img_e1202.jpg

Visibility & size of mirrors: Great frontal visibility with high stance, I have heightened the driver seat further and steering is tilted down for supreme comfort. Size of mirrors are just adequate unlike my Hyundai Verna’s which were protruded out than needed.

Air conditioner: I am not satisfied with cooling & effectiveness of AC, I had same problem with Terrano also. Doesn’t cools enough in hot summers, my NANO’s AC is like being in freezer, NANO size may be smaller but very effective chill.

Audio system: Sound quality is decent, better than Terrano. Bluetooth works flawlessly, Radio, USB, Navigation all are good enough.

Interior storage: Practicality of storage could have been better. Japanese cars are at their best for this. There is only 1 space for big 1ltr bottle. No storage on rear doors. Boot space is generous with 475ltrs and 1064 ltrs when seats folded. I never ran out of space with 5 peoples luggage for 1 week.
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-img_e1205.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-img_e1206.jpg

Transmission (Automatic Manual Transmission): This is the biggest differentiator from Terrano’s MT for me. Duster’s 6-speed AMT is sourced from ZF Sachs (made in Germany) and is plonked to 1.5L variant which develops 109 BHP (@ 4,000 rpm) and 245 Nm of torque (@ 1,750 rpm). Shifting is not butter smooth like conventional ATs and not expected in AMTs. It takes a bit of getting used to, then you can say yay it is indeed smooth. I like the sheer feel (head nod) of gear change, however, overtaking has to be mastered else it can be complicated. I haven’t tried manual mode yet.

In the city: There is no P (Park) mode, just start in N (neutral), move the lever to D (drive), move your foot off brake, it starts crawling. It makes the drive stress-free in Bangalore traffic, can drive with only one pedal (i.e. the brake) and car will keep moving at ~7 kph. Easily accepted as I haven’t driven torque-converter or dual-clutch automatics before, shift is negligible when driven in relaxed manner.

On highways: Engine has enough grunt to keep the Duster running at triple digit speeds all day long. I never felt of it’s breathless unlike Terrano (85ps ofcourse !). As I said before overtaking has to be mastered else it can get complicated. When pressed hard, it takes few seconds to downshift.

Having said that, it is in no way boring engine, outright performance is excellent and can make you grin wide on highways. Confidence inspiring at high speeds due to planted ride, steady composure and manners. I recommend to upgrade the headlights for better vision at night.

Hill Start Assist: Duster AMT is equipped with a 'Hill Start Assist' (HSA) and ESP feature as well. HSA holds the car steady on an incline for 2 seconds, giving enough time to take the foot off the brake and press accelerator. Very useful feature indeed !!

Fuel efficiency: I get a mileage of 12-14 kms/ltr in City and 16-18 kms/ltr on Highways. In Eco mode, gear shifts are quicker, so mileage could improve by 1-2 kms/ltr depending on driving style. It’s amazing economy considering the size and power of the car.

After Sales Service: I have been servicing at Renault authorized service center only at Bangalore, I must say I have no complaints. I didn’t have problems with Nissan A-S-S also, though many weren’t happy, probably I am lucky.

Upkeep & maintenance costs: I would say it is bearable, engine is a proven work horse, it can run multiple lakhs if maintained well. Regular spares are inexpensive, extended warranty is must to cover the expensive spares, else it can spoil the whole impression.

Few pictures of the exterior:

With original alloys and tires:
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-original.jpg

Front view:
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-sidefront1.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-sidefront2.jpg

Rear view:
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-sideback1.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-sideback2.jpg

From top:
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-topview.jpg

Last edited by Sheel : 12th August 2020 at 09:25. Reason: break = brake.
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Old 11th August 2020, 13:13   #2
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re: Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT

My family members feel this a mild upgrade to Terrano for what extra features and comforts Duster is offering, all are pretty happy with the many trips made so far.

Accessories or modifications done:
• Steering Cover
• White light inside (at front cabin)
• Nissan Terrano Alloys 😊
• Yokohama Geolanders All Terrain Tires
• Carbon fibre wrap for mirrors, front grill and back chrome strip (I hate chrome)
• Bosch horns (Found to be duplicate, need to replace with better ones soon)
• Dashboard camera
• 3D Mats
• Tire inflator, vacuum cleaner, jopasu duster and car polishing kit (don’t know when I can do polish)

Few pictures with Nano:
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-fieldwnano.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-roadwnano.jpg

At the garage:
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-openparking.jpg

Recent Lock down:
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-closedparking.jpg

Shot at night:
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-nightout.jpg

Dusters at my office parking:
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-officeparking1.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-officeparking2.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-officeparking3.jpg

Somewhere near Vanivilas Sagar Dam:
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-vvsagar1.jpg
Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT-vvsagar2.jpg

Summary: Being a driving enthusiast, I was looking for an imposing, bit exclusive, one that glides on potholes, accommodating my family members with comfort, one that deserves love and attention. I bought a Nissan Terrano and satisfied with that, but when automatic became a necessity, I made absolutely no mistake in choosing the Renault Duster. It fulfilled all my original expectation + more goodies to make merry.

Verdict: I wouldn’t have been happier with any other replacement for my Terrano – continuing smile every mile with my Duster. Wear seat belts and drive safe.
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Old 11th August 2020, 14:37   #3
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re: Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT

Quote:
Originally Posted by hummer View Post
Verdict: I wouldn’t have been happier with any other replacement for my Terrano – continuing smile every mile with my Duster. Wear seat belts and drive safe.
Congrats on the duster @hummer.
Loved the shots and well rounded verdict. The fuel economy is quite surprising (in a pleasant way ) for a vehicle of this size and AMT box.

Wish you many miles on this !!
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Old 11th August 2020, 17:03   #4
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re: Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT

Quote:
Originally Posted by hummer View Post
This is my ownership review on Renault Duster AMT RXZ 110PS.
Exchanged a Terrano for a Duster!
That's blasphemy!

You were supposed to destroy them Anakin, not join them!


Jokes apart, your new baby is a real beauty. Many congratulations!
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Old 11th August 2020, 17:18   #5
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re: Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT

Hey Hummer,

Good to see you back!

Your Terrano's ownership review was one of the reasons I decided on the Terrano .

A Duster is an excellent choice to replace a Terrano even though it is not exactly an upgrade. As you said you will not miss the outstanding ride quality.

This is the first time I am seeing the Terrano's alloys on a Duster and it looks absolutely cool .

Quote:
All options are gone, didn’t want to go further down to Nissan Micra, Hyundai i20 etc for obvious reasons. What else, what else, stopped thinking about for a while, there was no suitable replacement for Terrano in my sight new or old. Only people who drove this machine extensively can related to what I mean, just a test drive may not convince all.
Bang on!. I drive the 110 ps (manual) and it is an absolute monster on open roads. Contrary to many opinions, it is a breeze for me in city traffic too. Hardly needs frequent gear shifts. Pulls through brilliantly. FYI, I also drive in Bangalore!.

The Duster set the ball rolling with the compact SUV (crossover segment) and it has only gone from strength to strength since then.

The Terrano retired from the scene as a market failure due to Nissan's lackadaisical attitude. In the hands of a Hyundai, it would have been a blockbuster.

In my opinion, the Duster and the Terrano twins hit the sweet spot in terms of-

1. Size. Just big enough to easily seat 5 with a massive boot and butch looks, but not so big that you struggle in congested streets and tight parkings.
2. Ride and handling like an SUV but drive it like a sedan. So best of both worlds. The 5.2 metres turning radius is a boon.
3. Suspension and ride quality- Enough has been said and written.

Enjoy the Duster and keep updating the thread!.
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Old 11th August 2020, 18:08   #6
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re: Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT

Quote:
Originally Posted by RedTerrano View Post
Exchanged a Terrano for a Duster!
That's blasphemy!

You were supposed to destroy them Anakin, not join them!


Jokes apart, your new baby is a real beauty. Many congratulations!
Thank you RedTerrano !!
Bangalore Traffic and Nissan India didn't support me enough continue my companionship with Terrano, there is no other reason, Terrano is a real gem

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nalin1 View Post

Your Terrano's ownership review was one of the reasons I decided on the Terrano .

This is the first time I am seeing the Terrano's alloys on a Duster and it looks absolutely cool .

The Terrano retired from the scene as a market failure due to Nissan's lackadaisical attitude. In the hands of a Hyundai, it would have been a blockbuster.

Enjoy the Duster and keep updating the thread!.
Hey Nalin1, Sorry I had to switch to an automatic badly
I always liked Terrano's diamond cut alloys from the launch, I was not sure how it looks on a Duster, but got a great feedback, thank you.

Agree, Terrano would have been a super hit with either Maruti or Hyundai, unfortunately Nissan India didn't do enough for such a wonderful machine. Sorry to see people commenting about these twins without even driving them.
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Old 11th August 2020, 18:20   #7
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re: Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT

Congratulations on your pre-worshipped purchase and an eminently sensible one!
Looking at used car prices, had got the feeling that Duster was a good deal for what it offered and its tough build.

I must say your Duster looks in smashing condition and the Terrano alloys really enhance the looks! Impressed with the paint quality !

I'm glad your Terrano found a loving home , your care for the vehicle was evident when I drove it Havent forgotten the ride quality.

All in a good deal and Duster will serve you well for quite some time.
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Old 11th August 2020, 18:25   #8
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re: Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT

Congratulations @hummer. Wish you many safe & happy miles with the magic carpet on our roads. A timeless capable machine. And you are going to experience it twice in a row in different avatar. Lovely sunset shade of the Duster you got. Cool colour of the Nano too!

Nice photography. Keep the thread alive please. Take care!
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Old 11th August 2020, 18:27   #9
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re: Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT

Quote:
Originally Posted by hummer View Post
Disclaimer: This is my ownership review on Renault Duster AMT RXZ 110PS. These are solely my opinions, not to be generalized in any manner and no offence meant to any other cars/brands.
Hi Hummer! Your review made for a great read for me, it's beautifully written.
Also, after seeing the Terrano alloys on a Duster, boy-oh-boy, do they look good on it! I wonder why Renault didn't ever think of putting those alloys on the Duster. Would've made it look a hundred times more modern.

P.S - Loved how your office parking lot is filled with Orange Dusters .

Last edited by akash_v12 : 11th August 2020 at 18:29.
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Old 11th August 2020, 20:22   #10
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re: Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT

Congratulations on your Duster , a not so distant cousin of the Terrano. You should not miss the gem of a suspension at all!! You still are moving from a Terrano to a Duster. I moved from a duster(85ps) to another duster(Awd) without even selling my earlier one and now am left in a dilemma of where to keep the first one
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Old 11th August 2020, 22:20   #11
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re: Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT

Congratulations on your AMT Duster. It is indeed a well maintained car. With the new clutch job, you are good for another 1,00,000 km at least. The deal must have gone through effortlessly, at least it seems so by how you write about it.


Just buy the 7 year 1,00,000 km extended warranty and 3 year RSA from Renault and you will have complete peace of mind. Get the AC filter replaced, sometimes a clogged filter also reduces AC effectiveness.


Just a thought, did you try removing the hub emblems from the Duster's wheels and placing them in the Terrano's wheel hub? The Nissan logo looks out of place.
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Old 12th August 2020, 11:37   #12
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Re: Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT

Quote:
Originally Posted by Redline6800 View Post
Congratulations on your pre-worshipped purchase and an eminently sensible one!
Looking at used car prices, had got the feeling that Duster was a good deal for what it offered and its tough build.

I'm glad your Terrano found a loving home , your care for the vehicle was evident when I drove it Havent forgotten the ride quality.
Thank you Redline6800, I had to pay some premium over what I received for Terrano. I felt that premium was worth the goodies in Duster + Duster is 1 year younger to Terrano. I too was amazed to see Terrano’s shiny exterior when you were driving it, I hardly see my own vehicles driven by someone else

Now my Terrano buyer’s friends are looking for a pre-owned Terrano/Duster, such is the trust.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Reinhard View Post
Congratulations @hummer. Wish you many safe & happy miles with the magic carpet on our roads. A timeless capable machine. And you are going to experience it twice in a row in different avatar. Lovely sunset shade of the Duster you got. Cool colour of the Nano too!
Nice photography. Keep the thread alive please. Take care!
Thank you Reinhard, yes living it twice in slightly different avatars. I will keep updating the thread.

Quote:
Originally Posted by akash_v12 View Post
Hi Hummer! Your review made for a great read for me, it's beautifully written.
Also, after seeing the Terrano alloys on a Duster, boy-oh-boy, do they look good on it! I wonder why Renault didn't ever think of putting those alloys on the Duster. Would've made it look a hundred times more modern.

P.S - Loved how your office parking lot is filled with Orange Dusters .
Thank you akash_v12. Renault India has done nothing major to facelift the Duster. The new Duster with 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine producing 156hp and 250Nm of torque is also with same exterior. Configuration will make the Renault Duster one of the most powerful mid-size SUVs in India, but not sure how many will like it in same old clothes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by adg_andy View Post
I moved from a duster(85ps) to another duster(Awd) without even selling my earlier one and now am left in a dilemma of where to keep the first one
Thank you adg_andy. Congratulations on Duster TWINS, PM me if you want to sell previous one, friend is looking for a Duster.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tgo View Post
Congratulations on your AMT Duster. It is indeed a well maintained car. With the new clutch job, you are good for another 1,00,000 km at least. The deal must have gone through effortlessly, at least it seems so by how you write about it.

Just buy the 7 year 1,00,000 km extended warranty and 3 year RSA from Renault and you will have complete peace of mind. Get the AC filter replaced, sometimes a clogged filter also reduces AC effectiveness.

Just a thought, did you try removing the hub emblems from the Duster's wheels and placing them in the Terrano's wheel hub? The Nissan logo looks out of place.
Thank you Tgo, yes real peace of mind till 1,00,000 kms. I am planning to buy extended warranty, it’s a must. Duster’s hub caps won’t fit Terrano alloys, I tried it.

Last edited by hummer : 12th August 2020 at 11:40.
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Old 12th August 2020, 12:07   #13
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Re: Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT

I am sorry, is it just me or others think the same way? I love your Terrano more than new Duster Terrano looks dashing, can you share pricing details as well? How much did you get for Terrano and how much you paid for Duster? I am in market looking to sell me TUV AMT, and getting different quotations from dealers.
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Old 12th August 2020, 13:21   #14
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Re: Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT

Congratulations on the car. The Duster is a great choice. It is one of my favourite cars on sale in India.

The Duster was probably the first vehicle that I found acceptable with the AMT. The powerful diesel engine makes the gear shifts a lot smoother than smaller engines. Besides, there is the ride quality of the car. It has been the benchmark among Indian cars for a long time.

It's been a long time since the Duster was introduced in India. But, even today, I wouldn't mind buying one.
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Old 12th August 2020, 13:58   #15
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Re: Sold my Nissan Terrano MT, bought a Renault Duster AMT

Congratulations Sir!
The Duster/Terrano are tailor made for Indian conditions and with the 110hp tune, it makes for a brilliant highway cruiser too!
I remember me, my brother and dad had called for a test drive of the Duster back in 2016 and we were super impressed with the way the Duster was handling our adventurous roads!
Wishing you lacs of joyful and trouble free miles with Orange Beast!
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