Renault Duster Turbo vs Maruti Suzuki Victoris AWD: Which SUV returned better mileage in real-world test?
- I drove the Renault Duster Turbo and Maruti Suzuki Victoris AWD for over 100 km to see which SUV delivered better real-world mileage.
Official fuel efficiency figures look good on paper, but they rarely tell the complete story. That's why I decided to find out what kind of mileage the new Renault Duster 1.3-litre turbo petrol and the Maruti Suzuki Victoris 1.5-litre AWD mild-hybrid would deliver in the real world.
To keep things fair, I used the tank-to-tank method. Both SUVs were filled to the brim, their trip meters reset, and then driven on the same route before returning to the same fuel station for a refill. The route covered a little over 100 km on the Delhi-Jaipur Highway and included a mix of open stretches and traffic while entering Gurugram.
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What made this comparison interesting was that both SUVs approached things very differently. The Duster came with a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine and a six-speed manual gearbox, while the Victoris relied on a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol engine, mild-hybrid assistance and a six-speed automatic.
The Duster Still Feels Like A Duster
I spent the first half of the drive behind the wheel of the Duster, and the thing that stood out almost immediately was how effortless the engine felt. The turbo wakes up around 2,500 rpm, but even before that, the motor never feels caught off guard.
And once the turbo comes alive, there's enough shove to make overtakes feel easy. It's one of those engines that encourages you to push a little harder and enjoy the drive. The six-speed manual gearbox is smooth and easy to work with, while the clutch itself is surprisingly light. The only thing I noticed was that the pedal travel is rather long. Out on the highway, that isn't really a problem, but in stop-and-go traffic, you do end up stretching your left leg more than you would like.
The Duster felt most at home whenever the road surface stopped being perfect. Broken patches and expansion joints barely unsettled it, and even at highway speeds, it remained nicely planted. Big potholes could still be felt, but never to the point where I had to slow down dramatically.
The cabin itself is well insulated too. Road noise stays nicely outside, although some wind noise from the large mirrors starts making its presence felt once speeds climb past 80 kmph.
The Victoris Takes A Different Approach
At the turnaround point, I switched into the Victoris for the drive back towards Gurugram. And within the first few kilometres, the difference between the two became pretty clear. The Maruti feels calmer. It doesn't have the sudden surge of the turbocharged Renault, but it gathers speed smoothly and goes about its job in a relaxed manner. You never really feel short of power, but the urgency you get in the Duster simply isn't there.
Its six-speed automatic transmission suits the character of the SUV well. Gear changes happen smoothly, and you barely notice them. If you need a quick overtake, though, the gearbox takes a moment to react. The paddle shifters help, but this is clearly a powertrain that prefers smooth and relaxed driving.
Ride comfort is impressive, although I still felt that the Duster had a slight edge over rough sections. What I appreciated more in the Victoris, however, were the front seats. They felt better shaped and offered nicer under-thigh support. After spending time in the Duster, the Maruti simply felt easier to settle into. The difference in cabin insulation was noticeable too. Wind noise wasn't much of an issue, but tyre and traffic noise made their way inside more than they did in the Renault.
Time For The Numbers
As I approached Gurugram on the return leg, traffic started building up. That added a dose of reality to the test because nobody drives on an empty highway all the time. Once I reached the same fuel station and topped up both SUVs again, the receipts had the answers. The Maruti Suzuki Victoris covered 110.7 km and consumed 7.5 litres of petrol, translating to a real-world fuel efficiency of 14.7 kmpl. The Renault Duster, meanwhile, covered 107 km and used 11.42 litres, returning 9.4 kmpl.
Verdict
The Victoris covered 110.7 km and returned 14.7 kmpl, which is an impressive figure for an AWD petrol SUV. The mild-hybrid system and relaxed nature of the powertrain clearly work in its favour. Add to that the comfortable seats and smooth automatic gearbox, and it becomes a very easy SUV to live with.
The Duster, meanwhile, managed 9.4 kmpl over the same journey. That's a big gap, but fuel efficiency has never really been the Duster's strongest card. What it offers instead is a stronger engine, better ride quality and a driving experience that simply feels more involving.
At the end of the day, the answer depends on what matters more to you. If extracting more kilometres from every litre of fuel is the priority, the Victoris is the obvious pick. But if you're willing to sacrifice some efficiency in favour of performance and driving enjoyment, the Duster still makes a very strong case for itself. And after spending a day with both, I would say neither of them disappoints. They just appeal to two very different kinds of buyers.
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