The Renault Duster compact SUV had a lot going for it from the start and had roped in 6,000 bookings within five days of its launch. Now it has been reported that the Duster which is a five seater is available with two jumps seats as an add on accessory making it a seven seater!
The Duster starts at a lucrative price of Rs.7.19 lakh for the base petrol variant, Rs.7.99 lakh for the base diesel variant and Rs. 11.29 lakh for the top of the line 110 bhp diesel variant. The Duster has no direct competition as of now. However it does fall in a price range that allows people to compare it to the Mahindra Scorpio, Mahindra XUV500 and the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. Read more: Renault Duster bookings hit the 6000 units mark
So far one sore point for the Duster was the fact that it was limited to being a five seater compact SUV, while all the other SUVs/MPVs buyers were comparing it with were seven seaters. The option of installing jump seats on the Duster makes it even more attractive for people with large families.
However in terms of luggage space the Duster with jump seats will have nothing to offer and will be much like the Ertiga which loses out of most of its boot space if all seven seats are in use. Also read: Renault Duster variants and specifications explained!
Renault has addressed the issue of seating space in the Duster but there are some other obstacles in its way. The lack of dealerships and service centers too has to be addressed. Renault has 55 dealerships in India at present and is in process of opening many more.
By October 2012 the company will have 70 dealerships and this number will go up to 100 by the end of the year. Do you think the addition of jump seats has made the Duster even more attractive? Share your views in the comments section below.
