Review written after 1 year of ownership

Exterior

1. Like the looks, beefy yet soft unlike the monsters like Fortuner, suv500, Endevorur.  

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

1. Uncomfortable bench seats, ugly upholstry that can get dirty in Indian Conditions. 
2. If you like the vehecle enough on all other aspects, spend ~50K to get customised leather upholstery with extra foam to prevent hamarroids.
3. Lacks storage space for essentials like glasses, bottled water (there is a cheap rubber band contraption that Renault has put to tick the box I suppose)
4. The interior fabric, Carpets are all cheap looking

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

1. Avoid the 110ps version (which I have).  You never can shift 6 gears in a city like Bangalore. 
2. Also for those of you who like to start rolling on 2nd gear, this is not the car for you.  Engine boggs down since the 2-gear ratio seems to be too liberal forsaking torque for fuel efficency. 
3. Clutch takes some time getting used to.  The long throw on the clutch pedal ~8" (Belive me, I measured) does a number on your knees. 
4. Also I have a blown clutch @ 22000kms, just after the 3rd service.

Ride Quality & Handling

1. Good Ride Quality, and Handling. 
2. However body roll in turns a little bit too much for a monocouqe (unit body) construction.. 
3. Sight line is too high, so watch out for the curbs, since any brush against the curb will scuff up your Mag Wheels.
4. Suspension feels soft, boat like when doing fairly medium speed lane changes. 
5. Suspension Noise (clicking, Dealership says that is how it is designed) cannot be fixed.
6. Engine noise will remind you as to when to send for service.  Idle noise is too much.
7. NVH is good, infact I would rate it high.  Engine troque roll is well contained, good engine mounts I suppose.

Final Words

1.  Build Quality needs a lot of improvement,  the vehicle is too DE-CONTENTED to be a luxury segment vehicle (Am I mistaken? is this not in the luxury segment) 
2. Storage space needs to be well thougt of in the next design iteration.
3. Base Coat of paint should match the final color, and Please Renault, an extra coat of paint would help with those nasty scratch marks.  Belive me this car scratches very easily.
4. The cheap CHINESE stero is abysmal, better buy the base model and get your own stereo.  The Blutooth has a mind of it's own, and the quality of sound is that of a cheap boom box.

Areas of improvement  

1. This Vehicle is ripe for an AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - Are you listening Renault??
2. Need a better paint job,  Paint is too thin and under layer is white for a black car.  Scratches easily and shows ugly white lines which cannot be covered up by those TV advertised scratch removers.
3. When you take 14.6 lakhs, atleast provide for better seats and interiors.  Also some plush carpet mats would help.
4. WHY DOES EVER CAR MAKER THINK THAT WE INDIANS ARE PUSHOVERS AND DON'T HAVE A IDEA ON WHAT A QUALITY CAR IS.  We are not Cheap, neither do we have Cheap Taste.  We INSIST on value for money.  Looks like these Car OEMs have a wrong perception about Indians, and want to dump DE-CONTENTED cars on us like the would do in a THIRD WORLD COUNTRY.

 

Exterior Styling. Like the clean European Design, adequatly beefy looks, yet soft like a cute Ute.Clutch, Clutch, Clutch. Thin paint easily scratches and expensive fix. interiors are too frugal