Renault Duster

RENAULT DUSTER "DESIGN FOR BEING REGAL"

PROS:-

• Design
• Value
• Fit and Finish sophisticated look

CONS:-

• No 4x4 Wheels

OVERVIEW:-

With striking looks, well-appointed and spacious interior, loads of cargo space, and nice ride quality, the Duster makes for a compelling package. The top-end variant with a 1.5-litre dCI engine that pumps out 110PS is definitely more delightful to drive than the detuned 85PS version. The Duster has the mettle and the grunt to handle the urban jungle and a bit of spirited rough road driving with élan. It’s ideal for small-sized families wanting a bigger car.

There has been considerable hype surrounding the Duster. That it was going to be launched with a killer price tag, that it will be a make or break vehicle for Renault in India and that it will be well-built, reliable and easy to maintain. Does it live up to all that hype and more importantly, will it satiate this fast emerging hunger among car buyers for a vehicle that is like a sports utility and is yet as practical as a car?

Just like the scenario in the late nineties when there was a latent demand for small cars, I'm now at the cusp of an explosion in demand for SUVs and vans. What is driving the surge in demand - the need for a second car, the pent up desire to own a vehicle with a butch road presence and possibly to a much lesser extent the need for a people's mover.

EXTERIOR DESIGN:-

The Duster which sports a Dacia badge in many other markets shares more than just the name with the previous car from the stable. The Logan platform forms the base on which the Duster was built. In terms of design though, the Duster is a step up over the Logan, but just about. The Duster's design is not very adventurous or quirkily French, but at least it is got all the right attributes that we Indians appreciate in a stocky-looking SUV.

At about 4,315mm, the Duster is just over the 4-metre length limit for small cars. But, the Duster looks much bigger thanks to its raised stance (ground clearance is 205mm), the large, flared wheel arches rising all the way upto the shoulder line and the off-road worthy approach and departure angles. More SUV-ish features that add to its muscular stance and road presence are the roof rails, the running boards on either side and the big bonnet slab, which is laid almost horizontal to the road. The India-spec Duster has had a few changes to its design, the most prominent of which is the fresh and chunky bonnet grille. The fat three-slat grille design adds a dash of aggressiveness to the design of the Duster.

Like many SUVs today, the Duster positions its full-size spare tyre under the body rather than on the hatch. The rounded tail does make the Duster look a bit hunchbacked, but the blister effect beside the small tail-lamps is unique.

Underpinning the Duster is Renault’s hardy B platform that also forms the basis for the Renault Logan (now Mahindra Verito), though the Duster’s wheelbase is marginally longer. Its Monique construction also allows it to sit lower than conventional body-on-ladder SUVs. For now, India only gets the front-wheel-drive Duster, which employs MacPherson struts in the front and a programme-deflection torsion beam axle at the rear. The four-wheel-drive version, which is unlikely to be available before late 2013, uses a slightly different rear suspension (independent MacPherson struts) to accommodate the 4WD hardware. All 108.5bhp diesel Duster variants get ABS, EBD and brake assist and ventilated front discs and rear drums as standard.

INTERIOR DESIGN:-

The Duster's cabin is very much sedan-like, though the slightly over-vertical centre stack is the give-away SUV trait. When I sit behind the wheel the raised SUV seating position is very obvious, but still, my shoulder is above the window line. The interior of the Duster sports a biege-black or cream and black twin colour theme. The dashboard design has been reworked in parts for the Indian version. The design is simple and functional overall, with all the knobs and controls within easy reach for the driver, except the rotary electrical adjustment knob for the door mirrors which is strangely located below the handbrake lever.

The Duster is a bit wider than the Logan, but there is not much of the extra space in the cabin. I am guessing much of the extra width must have been lost to fatter door panels. So, when you sit at the wheel, the door armrest is right next to you. But there is no feeling of being cramped and the eight-way adjustable driver's seat is so comfy that you'll hardly notice the Duster's hatchback levels of shoulder room. But, you get fairly generous amounts of legroom and headroom (905mm at the second row) both at the front two and the rear bench seats. In fact, the rear bench seat hardly feels like a bench, with very decent amounts of lumbar and thigh support. I was told that the seats were completely reworked for the India-spec Duster. The rear parcel shelf is also different from the other country versions

.

But more than anything else, it is the quality of plastics throughout the cabin that disappoint. Some bits, like the well-finished door handles and curvy instrument binnacle, do look nice, but elsewhere the hard plastics seem straight out of a budget hatchback. The pillar-like rear AC vent (engineered especially for India) stands out like a sore thumb, looks cheap, and also eats into middle-passenger legroom. Everything does feel solidly put together though and the fit between panels on the dashboard is decent. The dashboard itself is quite functional, but places the air-con controls a bit low for comfortable access; the mechanically operated air-con switches, both front and rear, also feel quite rudimentary. Then there’s the unusual positioning of the electric mirror adjuster under the handbrake lever, and audio controls on the steering column (and hence out of sight) that take time getting used to. Thankfully, Renault has re positioned the power window switches from the dashboard to dedicated pods on the doors before launching the Duster here, but it’s still not perfect.

With no third row of seats to eat into boot space as with seven-seat SUVs, the Duster has plenty of space for cargo. The boot is cleverly shaped and can gobble up a lot more luggage than its 475-litre capacity suggests. Folding down the single-piece rear bench further increases the carrying capacity to 1,064 litres.

PERFORMANCE:-

The Duster is offered with two engines, one each of petrol and diesel. Knowing well that the diesel is likely to be the overwhelming choice, Renault India is offering the engine in two states of tune. Of course, the engine here is the now familiar 1.5L K9K dCi engine, which is shared by quite a few cars from the brand. The variant with the higher state of tune features this 1,461cc diesel engine with a variable geometry turbocharger and an intercooler, which together bump up the peak power to 110PS, which is available from about 3,900 rpm. Peak torque of 248Nm is delivered at a bit delayed 2,250 rpm. Just like the numbers indicate, the engine starts delivering decent levels of pulling power to the front wheels only after the needle crosses the 1,500 rpm level.

I drove this version of the Duster only and though I felt the turbo lag a bit more due to the hilly terrain that I was testing it out in, buyers who will be mostly driving it in urban conditions will probably not miss more torque in lower end of the rpm band. This 110PS variant is mated to a six-speed gearbox with a very sedan-like short throw, slick shifting gear stick. The same common rail direct injection engine is also offered with a lower tune state. Here the engine produces 85PS of power at 3,750 rpm and peak torque output is 200Nm at 1,900rpm.

Going by the stats, this engine could be the one that is more suited to urban driving conditions, with more lower end torque and possibly more fuel efficiency too. This could be the version that rakes in the most numbers, since most city buyers should be satisfied with this level of performance. Both the diesel variants offer the best performance when the engine is kept within a 2,000 to 3,500 rpm band.

The petrol engine on offer is the Renault 1.6 K4M engine. The 1,598cc engine produces 104PS of peak power at 5,850 rpm and 145Nm of peak torque at 3,750 rpm. The petrol engine version and the 85PS diesel version are both paired with a 5-speed gearbox. The Duster is not being offered with a four-wheel drive option, though it is available in other markets.

RIDE AND HANDLING:-

The manner in which the Duster casually dismisses the worst patches of road makes it a more comfortable drive than all comparably priced saloons too. The suspension always goes about its business in a quiet manner, sharp bumps like expansion joints are easily filtered out and your passengers won’t be able to tell the size of the crater you just drove over.

Even at highway speeds, the Duster remains very composed and free from any undue up-and-down movement. Its wide footprint and relatively low centre of gravity also come together to give it good stability at all speeds and also under braking. Body control is also good and roll is fairly well contained. But, driving up a twisty section, I found the Duster lacked the agility you’d expect from a monocoque SUV. While it is not ponderous around bends, it is not as engaging as a Honda CR-V either. The electro-hydraulic steering doesn’t serve up much feedback either, with some slack at the straight-ahead position. However, it is light enough at low speeds, which is a boon in city confines. A tight turning circle further aids the Duster’s ease of use.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION:-

What's the cost:-

• Ex Showroom :- Rs. 10.99 Lakhs
• Warranty :- 4 years/ 80K KM

Engine:-

• Fuel:- Diesel
• Installation:- Front, Transverse
• Type:- 4 Cylinder, 1461 CC
• Bore/Stroke:- 76.0/80.5 mm
• Compression Ratio:- 15.3:1
• Valve Gear:- 2 Valves Per Cylinder
• Power:- 108.5 BHP @ 3900 RPM
• Torque:- 25.3 BHP/ Tonne

Transmission:-

• Type:- Front-Wheel Drive
• Gear Box:- Six- Sped Manual

Dimension:-

• Length:- 4315 mm
• Width:- 1822 mm
• Height:- 1695 mm
• Wheel Base:- 2673 mm
• Boot Volume:- 475 Litres
• Ground Clearance:- 205 mm

Suspension:-

• Front:- Independent, MacPherson Strut, Anti-Roll Bar
• Rear:- Non-Independent, Torsion Beam Axle

Steering:-

• Type:- Rack and Pinion
• Type of Power Assist:- Electro-Hydraulic
• Turning Circle:- 10.4mm

Brakes:-

• Front:- Ventilated Discs
• Rear:- Drum
• Anti-Lock:- Yes

Performance:-

• 0-20:- 1.23
• 0-40:- 2.64
• 0-60:- 4.78
• 0-80:- 7.79
• 0-100:- 11.85
• 0-120:- 17.56
• 0-140:- 26.78

Economy:-

• City:- 11.8 KPL
• Highway:- 17 KPL
• Tank:- 50-Litres

Range at a Glance:-

• Petrol:- 1.6 Petrol, 102.5 BHP Rs 7.19-8.19 Lacs
• Diesel:- 1.5 Diesel, 84 BHP and 108.5 BHP Rs 9.99-11.29 Lacs.

VERDICT:-

The Duster is compact, yet offers the right road presence, its kerb weight is just about 1,300 kgs, has a turning radius of just 5.2 meters and is said to be capable of a rated mileage of about 18 km/pl (84 PS diesel variant). All of these are almost small car like and just the attributes that value conscious buyers will look for. Between the three engine versions there are a total of 8 variants and they are priced in the range of Rs 7.2 lakh to Rs 11.3 lakh (ex-showroom). That positions it squarely next to the existing SUVs like the Scorpio, XUV 5oo, Tata Safari and even sedans like the Hyundai Verna and the Honda City.

COURTESY:- AARUSH