Renault India will launch the Duster SUV in June 2012 and bookings for the SUV have already started. CarToq spoke to dealers who confirmed this news. The Duster is a 5-seater SUV is expected to be priced in the range of Rs. 7 lakh – 10 lakh.
The company, on its official website has mentioned some of the Duster’s features which we have listed in the table below:
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The booking amount for the Duster varies between Rs. 50,000 – Rs. 1 lakh depending on the dealer. Early booking will prioritize delivery and reduces the waiting period for the potential buyer.
CarToq member Nikhil mentioned that bookings had started in Bangalore and we then spoke to dealers across India who confirmed that bookings have started already. A Chennai dealer stated that they expecting the launch in June 2012.
Renault India unveiled the Duster at the Delhi Auto Expo in January 2012. The Duster has a simple yet robust design. It has traditional SUV looks with large headlamps and a simple horizontal grille. Its rear lacks visual appeal especially considering the small tail lamp cluster which doesn’t extend onto the boot door.
The Duster measures only 4.3 m in length, 1.8 m in width making it slightly larger than the Skoda Yeti in size. The Duster shares its platform with the Renault Logan (Mahindra Verito) sedan. It has a generous 210 mm ground clearance. The short overhang of 822 mm at the front and 800 mm at the rear will offer better clearance angles during off-road adventures.
High ground clearance, front and rear body cladding coupled with short overhangs hint that the Duster will likely find many off-road enthusiasts provided it comes with a 4×4 system.
Under the hood, expect the Duster to feature a 1.6-litre petrol motor that puts out 105 bhp of power returning a claimed fuel efficiency of 12.6 – 13.3 kmpl* (7.5 – 7.9 litres / 100 km). The Duster diesel will likely be powered by the 1.5-litre dCI motor that makes 85 bhp of power and has a claimed fuel efficiency of 18.8 – 19.6 kmpl* (5.1 – 5.3 litres / 100 km). We expect the performance of the Duster to be adequate and for it to be at par with the Skoda Yeti, 5-seater SUV.
The Duster will lock horns with the Ford EcoSport and will also have to compete with the Skoda Yeti. Skoda offers the Yeti 5-seater SUV, in a price range of Rs.13.46 lakh – 17.24 lakh. However, if Renault launches the Duster in the expected price range of Rs. 7 lakh – 10 lakh, it will have an advantage over the Yeti and will appeal to a wider band of buyers.
Do you think the Duster has enough potential to outsell the Ford EcoSport and the Skoda Yeti?
*Fuel efficiency figures mentioned are for the Duster sold in foreign markets
