Renault Duster SUV Car Review 2014

It is not often that one gets everything what they want in a car, especially in context of the Indian market, where customers are extremely price sensitive. Nevertheless, every once in a while, unexpectedly, a vehicle is launched in the market, which takes everyone by surprise. French car maker, Renault, is still finding its way in the India and has a limited customer base. Surprisingly, Duster compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) turned out to be one of those cars that deliver on all fronts, be it performance, pricing or the fuel-efficiency. Let’s take a look at why this car has struck such a nice chord with customers in the entire country.Renault Duster is a compact SUV that has a bold and muscular design that is pretty straightforward. It looks like your typical no nonsense SUV with a raw and rugged appearance. Despite not being crafted intricately, this model has a sort of appeal to it, which has attracted many buyers. The front grille combines well with the double-barrel headlights to give this utility vehicle a formidable appearance. Also, considering the budget at which this car is available, customers will not complain about anything.

Arguably, the only aspect about the Duster that prevents it from being an absolute winner is the quality of interiors, which are a bit of a let-down. Decent levels of mechanical sophistication have been maintained by the French auto maker but the material used in buttons is not that up to the mark. However, one thing that seems to have covered up for this lacking is the space inside the Duster, which considering its segment, is just amazing. The seats are large and comfortable, thereby making this car a superb vehicle to sit in a long distance journey.

Renault has provided both diesel and petrol engine options in the Duster and both are pretty decent. The K4M 1.6-litre engine, mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, develops an output of around 102 bhp along with top torque of 145 Nm. This sort of output and torque combination is quite impressive, thereby suitable for people living in the city. However, it is the diesel variant of this utility vehicle that is its highlight. The 1.5-litre diesel K9K engine variants come in two output versions, namely 83 bhp and 108 bhp, of which the latter is much better in terms of handling and performance.

The highlight of this car is its driveability that has impressed one and all. Great handling enables customers to easily manoeuvre this car in congested city areas. The suspension system of this utility vehicle is quite similar to that used in several hatchbacks, something that has helped Renault to price this car aggressively. In fact, the abilities of this car are quite better than that of Scorpio and Safari, which is quite an achievement. Safety is another highlight of the Renault Duster as it comes loaded with Anti-lock Braking System, Stability Control Module and Emergency Brake Assist.

To put things in a nutshell, Renault Duster is one of the best cars in the market, which is ideal for city roads. Its pricing, comfort, mileage and raw-look are factors that have attracted buyers. Recently, sales of EcoSport have taken an impact on the market state of Renault Duster. However, we think that it is only the price factor that has made EcoSport click with customers in the Indian market. Renault Duster is better than its Ford counterpart in many departments.