Short term ownership review

Exterior It looks great from outside and has a deceptive feel of a larger car. A sure shot head turner, I have seen people on road turning around and taking photos on their phones and in office parkings.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Front seats provide great support, i have driven it for close to 900 kms now and did not face any pain in the back, it also feels like you are driving a much larger car. Boot space is excellent, I have installed a subwoofer and still have space for large baggages. Ride quality is super, I have driven over bumps and potholes and the car stays extremely stable and soaks up everything. Typical Duster ride quality in small form factor. Rear space is great too but they could have given more rear seat space by reducing the boot a little.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Engine is noisy at cold start but it settles down once warmed up, but once you are driving and all windows are closed, you really dont hear anything, so its not a problem at all. Renault service guys said it'll reduce even more after first 2 services. The engine and gearbox is much smoother now from day 1, gear changes are smooth and i can do it with 2 fingers. Gear lever does not vibrate like Eon. I have calcuated mileage twice using tankful to tankful method, on first time it gave 19kmpl and on next fill up it gave 21 kmpl. I have driven 60% in city and 40% in highways.

The car is extremely stable at higher triple digit speeds and feel much more comfortable than my old alto, but body roll is present when you turn at high speeds. Engine is smooth and pulls well unless you let the revs drop below 800 rpm. I have driven with 4 people and AC on and in 1st gear the car climbs up shopping mall ramps easily, you just need to make sure you are in 1st gear. It wont climb easily on 2nd being a 800cc. 

Ride Quality & Handling Ride quality is good, NVH levels inside are well controlled, and on steady cruise you dont hear the engine noise much. If you floor the paddle thats when you hear the engine crying. With high ground clearance it can cross bumps even with 4 passengers without scraping the bottom. 

Steering is very light, but after a U turn it does not auto center, so you need to manually do it. Apart from that it's easy to drive in city traffic.

Final Words I feel its a good car and well worth the money at this price. The medianav touchscreen is good too but the included speakers are crap. I upgraded to JBL speakers for rear, soundgate amp and Alpine subwoofer. Now it sounds rokcing. I also upgraded headlamp bulbs to Philips extremevision. The car even though being a hatchback feels like a much larger car you are driving due to its amazing ride quality and height. I am happy with the car as well as the renault sales team (so far). I booked on 17th September and got delivery on 31st October and it was a smooth delivery experience. I was also taken on a workshop tour and met the service manager there who said Renault is very serious about this car. Overall if your budget is less than 4.5 and can wait, go with this eyes closed. If you can extend your budget then you have other better options.

Areas of improvement The engine noise could have been reduced by using more damping materials, but its not a concern once you are inside the car with windows rolled up. Rear space could have been more by reducing boot space, 300L boot is nice to have but who needs it regularly?

Styling, ride quality, fuel efficiency, interiorsEngine noise at cold start