Renault Duster

• Photos

• Videos

view all photos

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

view all videos

• 
• 
• 

Akin to its name, Renault Duster is a characteristic SUV with aggressive looks and power. With Renault Duster the French auto major is looking forward to change its fate in the Indian auto industry, where the auto majors like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata touching five to six digit sales figures, Renault is just able to touch the initial four digits.  The Duster is the first compact SUV being developed by Dacia, the Romanian automaker which is a fully owned subsidiary of Renault since 1999. Duster SUV made its official appearance in the year 2009 and the SUV became available in the European market in March 2010. Duster is sold under Dacia badging in Europe, Algeria, Turkey, Morocco, Ukraine, Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon.

Built on Logan platform, Duster will have an overall length of 4.31 meters, just shorter than its big brother Renault Koleos, and a width of 1.82 meters. Considering its size and high ground clearance of 205 mm, Renault Duster is fit for city as well as the off roading and has the nature of a true 4x4 SUV, though India doesn’t have the 4x4 versions. Renault Duster’s front has a rugged and sturdy appearance. The front grille is clad in chrome. The side view in turn also enhances the SUV appearance of Renault Duster besides high ground clearance. Renault Dacia Duster is the one of the cheapest SUV. Dacia, a Romanian car maker happens to be a completely owned subsidiary of Renault.  The Renault Duster was tested aggressively in almost all the terrains round the globe before it was first launched in 2010. Together, they will form the most youthful line-up on the Indian market. The suspension system as well as the underside has been strengthened to handle any road including off-road. The low weight of the new Renault SUV as well as its compact size makes it agile on any piece of land.

Renault Duster made available in both petrol and diesel options. The petrol driven Renault houses a 1598cc I4 DOHC engine that produces 100.3bhp at 5850 rpm and a maximum torque of 145Nm at 3750 rpm . The diesel powered Renault Duster is powered by 1461cc Turbocharged Diesel I4 SOHC engine that is able to deliver two different power figures: 108.3bhp and 83.5bhp power and a torque of 248Nm and 200Nm respectively to the wheels. Duster has two transmission options- five-speed manual and another six-speed manual (108bhp).

Among the safety features Renault Duster comes equipped with engine immobilizer, door open warning lamp, central locking and engine protective under guard as standard features. Anti-lock Brake System, Emergency Brake Assist besides Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, stability control module, two front airbags and three-point seatbelt tensioners features are  incorporated as per the version.

Editor's take : The Duster diesel is a frugal engine and is one of the most tried and tested mills that are sold worldwide.

Renault Duster’s fuel efficiency in all likelihood is great since the SUV is lighter than other SUVs in India. The 1.5 diesel powered engine introduced with Duster in India is tuned to two different states putting out two different power outputs (83.8bhp and 108.5bhp).Renault Duster is capable to deliver 20.46kmpl for mileage for the 83.8bhp diesel engine and 19.01kmpl for the 108.5bhp powertrain. As it is apparent that the petrol variant of any car model offers a lesser mileage in comparison to the diesel ones; Duster’s case is no different as the petrol powered variants just ofRenault Duster Petrol RxL fers 13.24kmpl mileage in the thriving petrol price world.

Editor's take : The torque produced by the 85bhp Duster is good and we feel it is much better than the 110bhp’s torque atleast for city driving.

The diesel powered Renault Duster is powered by a 1461cc common rail direct injection dCi  SOHC engine that is able to deliver 83.8bhp and 108.5bhp power . The 1.5-litre diesel machine has been taken from Nissan Micra. The engine delivering 108.5bhp is the Step 4 version of K9K engine. Both these versions are said to provide for high torque figures i.e. 200Nm and 248Nm and would be highly spirited to drive. The petrol driven Renault houses a 1598cc, Multi-point fuel injection system that produces 100.5bhp at 5850rpm and a maximum torque of 145Nm at 3750 rpm .

These colors are available with all variants of Renault Duster

Editor's take : The acceleration of the Duster is good and it does pull cleanly, even when lugged into a higher cog.

Renault Duster SUV gives you a butter smooth drive in its comfort zone of 2000-4000rpm. However you need to wait for the engine to go up to the 2000rpm as there is a decent turbo lag. Duster no doubt will give a decent performance as the kerb weight is marked at 1308kg translating into the engine giving a better performance.

View Renault Duster Exterior Pictures

Renault Duster India looks like a perfect off-roader in appearance. Duster is based on Logan platform and falls under D segment of cars. Renault Duster is designed to grapple all types of roads and tracks. Wide wings and a tall stature reveal its personality.  The roof rails, chrome wide grille, the skid plate, antenna, high ground clearance and the alloy wheels render it a much sporty look. The rugged exteriors of Duster are marked by three slat grille which ingrains a big Renault badge in the centre. Although the engine of this off-roader is not-so-powerful to actually do a serious off-roading , still it has been given claddings all around to protect the vehicle’s body from any and every angle. Renault Duster horizontal grille is held by a pair of double optics headlamps. Renault Duster is quite lengthy according to the trend of crossover SUVs and do not qualify the sub-4 meter excise levy. A sleek body color bumper in the front gives way to black plastic cladding which houses round fog lamps on either side. A nudge bar holds the number plate in its centre. The bonnet is all flat with no curves however some characters lines are visible. Tinted large windshield gives way to the high roof. The roof antenna is an example of aerodynamic design and helps reduce wind noise and turbulence.

The side profile is the most interesting one with lot of contours. The beltline is very sharply cut. Body color door handles, wing mirrors, fuel lid can be seen. The two windows are followed by a quarter glass though no third row is present inside. The most noticeable part is the wheel arches which are very prominently seamed. Under the large wheel arches are the large 16 inch alloy wheels.

The rear side is marked by a curvy boot lid, skid plate, vertically placed tail lamps with D-Shaped curve alongside, high mount stop lamp, hexagonal windshield (having six sides) with a rear viper, Renault badge and reflectors. The boot lip opener has a Duster written plate over it. Just below it is the number plate. The rear bumper is also not very wide but is painted in body color.

Exterior Measurements

Renault Duster length exceeds 4 metre and thus could distance itself from the sub 4 metre contenders who do not have to pay heavy excise duty. The overall length of this SUV is 4.315 meters, just shorter than its big brother Renault Koleos, and a width of 1.822 meters. Considering its size and high ground clearance of 205 mm it looks an utter off-roader. The height of this SUV is 1695 mm. The total kerb weight of Duster is 1235 kg with a wheelbase of 2673 mm .

Editor's take : It is only the interiors of the Duster that failed to appeal us. The plastic quality isn’t up to the mark, even though the fit and finish is decent. The space in the Duster is just phenomenal, with large and supportive seats.

The interiors of Renault Duster are much inspired by Renault Logan. Though it is an SUV, it can seat only 5 passengers. All black-theme in the interiors take away the luxury quotient but renders a sporty look . The 3 spoke steering, which bears Renault’s logo, is electrically powered but can be a bit too heavy on turns. The dash is quite curvy and looks sporty. The AC vents on shiny brown central console and either sides of dashboard can be closed completely. The rear seat passengers can have individual AC vents outlined with shiny brown color for their comfort. The instrument console has large dials akin to SUV and is illuminated in red. A lot of interior equipments looks like borrowed from Logan. The same semi hooded instrument cluster cover with its chrome polished dials with a digital display in the center all comes from Logan. The gear lever is a bit stubborn like the steering. The glove box is quite big for storage.

Renault Duster’s flat seats will surely be comfortable in Indian car with the usage of high quality materials having a premium touch to it. Even the material used on the door sills is up-market. The music system is integrated well in the central console and looks modish with its Bluetooth and aux input functions. Front seats are two electrically programmable but without memory functions. Power window switches for the rear passengers are most likely to be on comfortable door pads. The shiny brown door handles will be large to hold while turns and jerk.

Interior Comfort

Duster has a large, comfortable interior. Interior comfort is provided by cushioned seats in the SUV. One will surely get good head room, leg room and shoulder room as added benefits. Renault Duster will have ample space at the rear for luggage so that the car will be perfect for long drives and touring. Manual Air conditioning with climate control is an expected feature. Practical and functional, its passenger compartment can hold 5 passengers and provides up to 475 litre of space in the boot (d -pending on version), easily providing enough space to carry all their luggage and leisure equipment. With the back seat folded down, the space available goes up to 1,636 litre . Folding the front passenger seat down enables objects as long as 2.65 meters to be carried in the passenger compartment. Because drivers and their families have different expectations, Duster offers equipment which concentrates on the essential without being superfluous.

Editor's take : Despite being a frugal engine, the K9K has good drivability and sufficient torque to potter around in the city. There is no turbo lag either and it does make its case for a good buy.

Renault Duster comes with 1.5 dCi diesel engine that has been taken from Nissan Micra and comes coupled with a five-speed manual gearbox in diesel variant RxE and 84bhp RxL and six speed manual gearbox in 108.5bhp RxL and RxZ. The 1461cc engine is tweaked in two different ways so as to produce two different power outputs: 83.8bhp and 108.5bhp. The one delivering 83.8bhp will churn out 200Nm of torque and the one with higher power sheds out 248Nm. Renault Duster is also be powered by a 1.6 litre petrol engine . The petrol driven Renault will house a 1598cc DOHC engine that produces 100.5bhp at 5850rpm and a maximum torque of 145Nm at 3750 rpm. The SUV comes with two wheel drive option. Moreover, the refinement would be on another level and going by how damped the engine is in both the Logan and Micra, one can expect the same levels of NVH (Noise Vibration and Harshness) factoring in the Renault Duster in India.

Renault Duster will be equipped with large size wheels that will give it a perfect SUV look. Thus 16 inch alloy/steel wheels are incorporated in Duster for better gripping and stability. The tyre size of Duster is universal in Renault Duster variants and figures is 215/65 R16 tubeless . The alloy wheels nut-cover comes with anti-theft key.

Editor's take : Being based on the Logan platform, the handling of the Duster is good and it can do around corners like any other car.

Renault giving safety a high priority have incorporated hydraulically operated diagonal split dual circuit braking in Duster SUV with  disc brakes in front and drum at the rear end . Disc brakes are very effective in application of emergency brakes. Renault Duster is fit for city as well as the off roading experiences SUV are built on an extended Logan platform. It applies a monocoque chassis and one which gets independent Macpherson strut with coil springs and anti-roll bar suspension in the front and there is a deflected torsion beam axle with coil springs and anti-roll bar at the rear. This setup is alike most hatchbacks and the advantage of the same is its simple construction and significant cost savings. But then weights have been bestowed on to deal with the more hefty SUV body. The Steering wheel in petrol variant is Hydraulic power assisted and in diesel ones is Electro Hydraulic power assisted .

Editor's take : The Duster comes with ABS and with two airbags in its top of the line versions.

Among the safety features Renault Duster comes titivated with Anti-lock Brake System, Emergency Brake Assist besides Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and a stability control module, impact sensing door unlock and engine protective under guard . Front fog lamps and rear de-fogger incorporated in Renault Duster helps you get a better vision of the road after dark and in cold temperatures; fog lamps also increases the conspicuity of the vehicle and gives the follow driver on road an information regarding the vehicles attendance, location, size, direction of traveling and speed.  It also comes with two front airbags (front driver and passenger) and three-point seatbelt pretensioners depending on the version. Its sturdy and reassuring appearance are a reflection of its equipment. An SUV is ought to have top-notch security and in its first SUV in India, Renault has paid special attention to safety in order to grab a niche.

Editor's take : The integrated music system in the Duster is decent, although we wish that the speakers could have been a tad better.

The music system will do it duty quite religiously in Duster SUV. It will also have Bluetooth and aux input support. Radio CD and MP3 player will be present with remote control .