Renault to run 24-hour shift to meet Duster demand

At the launch of the new Renault Scala sedan, officials confirmed that the demand for the Duster has been quite overwhelming and Chennai facility will shortly operate all three-shifts for the compact SUV. In terms of numbers, the Duster has received about 15,000 bookings in two months, making it the most successful launch for the Renault-Nissan alliance in India.

The Renault Scala was to be rolled-out in October; however, the car maker decided to hasten the launch to take advantage of the hype created by the Duster. The Scala is basically Nissan Sunny in French clothing with premium features and better looks to compete in the C-segment. 

The Duster on the other hand is Renault product, developed by its low-cost brand Dacia for the European market. The Duster at the Oragadam facility near Chennai will also be exported to UK and South Africa by the end of this year. This also means that the company will have to further ramp up the production at the facility. 

Currently, there are no direct competitors of the Renault Duster – the Mahindra Quanto MUV, which will be launched on 20 September, will compete with the French car on pricing. The Ford EcoSport will the first proper competitor once launched in early 2013.

Our sources confirm that the Renault Duster currently has a waiting period of little over two months. However, the colour preference might further delay the delivery of the compact SUV.