Renault Duster a Excellent Alternative for SU-V Lovers

Exterior If you will decide to buy a car from external looks, DUSTER will make you stop and think for sure. The nice looking rear with chrome DUSTER written, the classy wavy alloy wheels and the front grills, from all angles, DUSTER looks good, if not great. The only thing I didnt like is the door handles, which are silver in colour and feels cheap. Also, having driven some very well built european cars, the door thud wasnt impressive enough for me. However, overall, the build quality didnt look that bad, but I expected another 100-150 kgs of meat in the SUV. Very nice ground clearnace, great looking alloys and also the side view of the cars gives youa nice cute feel for this SUV. The rear view mirros are too small for a better view, could have been bigger.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Its  a let down. Suddenly, from a classy EUROPEAN, CUTE yet mean SUV from exterior, you sink into an average to say the least interior quality. Even the leather seats are a big compromise. Barring the centre console which houses the CD plater, USB port and radio, the overall dash borad is of cheap plastic. The power window switches are also just average. However, I liked the wood finish door handles and the chrome used in the interior. I am surprised to see the ORVM's control switch put just below the hand brakes, which are a big pain to operate when the hand brakes are down. The steering has no telescopic function. The driving position is GOOD, but the height adjustment of the driver's seat is very ODD, as you have to get up to adjust the height. There is no arm rest and the rear AC vent feels of very poor quality. The glove box has a light to fish things at night, but no cooler inside. Also the sun visors are just average. The rear seats have good space, and I felt its strictly for 4 adults and 1 child. This is because the centre passenger has a big discomfort of sitting in the centre, as not only the HUMP on the floor will bother him but also the rear AV vent unit is too much bulged into the rear passnger side. So centre passenger will have to keep one leg each side of the AC vent unit, which in my opinion is ODD. Boot space is good with a cover tray. The tail gate opens to the top and is intergrated to the central locking of the car. The Key unit is also pretty sleek with keyless entry option. Also, to menion, the central locking switch is oddly placed near the centre console but, its better placed than the ORVM mirror control switch. No climate control AC and no digital control. It should have been a MUST for a SUV which will cost 14 lacs on road Mumbai.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox The 110 horse DCi engine is refined. PERIOD. I even asked once to the guy taking me around, if this a DIESEL engine. The gear shift couldnt have been better. The gear ratios are fairly placed and doesnt feel rubbery at all. The steering response is very good. The seating postiion is also failry OK. The leather wrapped steering wheel feel is kind of OK. No steering control for any of the controls, but the head light controls are given like the paddle shift given in some of the automatic cars. The second grear, after few revvs, pulls and feels very refined. The engine is adequate in my opinion. Any more power is welcome and needed more for drag racers. At times, in the low revvs, the second gear feels suggish, till it gathers enough torque to pull. When it does, it does well. On low speed, the engnie behaves very well. Overall, I was fairly satisfied with the adequate engine.

Ride Quality & Handling The car's suspension is very well adjusted keeping Indian roads in mind. The care rode very well and drove like a small car. Even reversing and parking the car was very smooth. I took the car on some of the real pot holed laden roads of Mumbai and a strech of 500 meters. The SUV didnt give a feel of anything below the car being on the pot holed laden roads. It passed that test with flying colours. High ground clearnace and 215 profile tyres gives it a good ride quality. Overall, the handling was superb and the ride was quite good. Didnt see te high speed stability, as didnt get the channce to drive beyond 100kmph, but get a  feeling that, the car will behave fairly well.

Final Words Its a GOOD LOOKING SUV, which rides and handles very well. Its 2 X 4, hence its practical for city and highway drive. It has adequate power and if the claimed mileage is achieved, then its FUEL EFFICIENT as well. If you can live with the interiors and scaled down features like no climate control AC, no steering control and things like that, and dont want to spend beyond 14 lacs, this can be your first off roader.

Areas of improvement Give me 4 X 4 & 3rd Row Seats.

External Looks, Engine Power, Interior Space, Drive FeelGIve me 4 X 4 & 3rd Row Seats