RENAULT Duster

With all this competition, Renault has jumped into the market, banking on a legendary nameplate’s revival. The Renault Duster is back, and it is back with a bang. Priced competitively at ₹10.49 lakh (ex-showroom without R-Pass), it hits you with a dose of nostalgia, but with modern styling and amenities to make life so much more enjoyable. We drove the new Renault Duster, which is the company’s flagship product now, for a day, and this is our verdict of the Duster reborn:

Renault has really played its cards right with the Duster because it makes you want to look back at the car. We drove from Dehradun to Tehri Lake and back to Dehradun, and there was not a single person who chose to ignore this car. People came up to us, enquired about the SUV and even asked about its availability in the Indian market.

The exterior of the new Renault Duster boasts LED headlamps, LED DRLs and LED fog lamps placed on the lower part of the front grille. In addition to that, it gets a chunky lower bumper, which screams appeal and character, something which the Duster has plenty of. The SUV gets functional air dams on the edges of the front bumper. The cladding on the bumper receives a silver treatment, borrowing elements from the last-generation Duster sold in India.

The front bumper gets Duster badging instead of the Renault logo. Not only that, it gets a front-facing camera, which is part of the 360-degree camera setup. From the front, the car looks feisty and blows the competition away, especially if owners want an SUV that doesn’t look docile.

The side profile does get a proper SUV-like feel with the black cladding and roof rails. The roof rails are functional with a load capacity of 50 kg. In addition to that, the Renault Duster gets a ground clearance of 212 mm, second only to the Honda Elevate with 220 mm. Moreover, it gets a Duster Iconic badge on the front door, along with turn indicators integrated into the ORVMs and a shark fin antenna on the roof.

The rear section looks equally as rugged as the front, with a rear defogger, rear wiper and washer, connected LED taillamps, a reverse parking camera, four parking sensors and a chunky, heavily-cladded rear bumper, giving it that big SUV-like feel. The Renault Duster gets a powered tailgate, which means no extra effort in lifting and closing the tailgate after loading and unloading luggage. It gets a boot release button in the cabin, while it can also be operated from the button on the boot itself. The boot space, on offer on the new Renault Duster, is 518 litres, up to the parcel tray and without it, it can expand to upwards of 700 litres.

It definitely has to be one of the best interiors fitted in a car of this segment. The Duster not only makes a lot of noise from the outside but also on the inside. As soon as you enter the car, you can see that the new Renault Duster is no pushover. The dashboard of the Renault Duster gets a carbon fibre-like finish along with a leather-wrapped part, which elevates the cabin's look and feel.

The Renault Duster gets features, including 6-way power-adjustable driver and co-passenger seats, automatic climate control with physical buttons, a 10.1-inch digital infotainment system with Google Maps integrated into it and is angled towards the driver for operational use, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster with turn-by-turn navigation, ventilated front seats, a wireless charging pad, two USB-C type charging ports, and a 12V charging socket, among other features.

The leatherette seats are comfortable, offering bolstering and comfort to the driver and passenger. They are a little bit on the stiff side, which can make longer journeys a tad tiring.

The rear seats, though, are pretty comfortable with contouring, allowing rear seat passengers to have a snug accommodation. The knee room and head room are generous for someone who is under 6-feet, while it can get cramped up for taller individuals. While the rear seat passenger gets enough space to store their essentials with a compartmentalised pocket in the back of the front seat, the bottle holders are decently sized, and the armrest can hold your smartphone and two cups with ease. For added comfort, the Duster offers rear AC vents and two USB C-type charging ports.

The Renault Duster is currently available with two engine options: the TCe 100, which is a 1.0L turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 98 bhp and 166 Nm of torque, paired with a six-speed manual transmission, whereas the TCe 160 is a 1.3L turbocharged petrol engine option which churns out 160 bhp and 280 Nm of torque, paired with a six-speed manual and a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

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The Duster, much like its previous generation, is truly a marvel and a true enthusiast’s car. We honestly had a smile on our faces while driving this car. The driving dynamics of the car are phenomenal. We drove the car from Dehradun to Tehri Lake, a route which consists of narrow roads, extremely tight turns, including quite a few hairpins, and it felt in its element on this route. There was no excessive body roll in the car despite its size, and it took the corners pretty well.

The steering wheel was absolutely spot-on. The SUV went exactly where the steering was pointing, and we did not have to wrestle with it in corners. It was exactly the right weight for the driver to be sure where the car’s headed. The suspension is on the stiffer side, and we got to know after we encountered rough patches of roads on the hills. We quickly figured out what kind of throttle response the SUV would require to let us drive on the uphill and downhill sections of the road. However, we felt that the brakes could have been better, considering its price point. The brakes did not fill us with confidence, especially in the downhill section, wherein I was forced to rely on engine braking as a more effective method to reduce speed rather than using the brakes themselves.

The 1.3L makes all kinds of noises, which makes it a perfect enthusiast car, with turbo whistle noises. Honestly, I was driving the car just so that I could hear that therapeutic whistle, something which we have heard most on JDM cars. Overall, the Renault Duster is the perfect package for someone looking to buy a new car in the segment. It has the looks, the driveability and performance to back itself and go up against the best-of-the-best in the segment. Considering its starting ex-showroom price of ₹10.49 lakh, it can really carve out a place of its own in the segment. Renault might have a product on its hands which can be successful for years to come.