Ever since its launch the Duster has been a
bumper hit, establishing the Renault brand in India. It’s keen pricing, solid
SUV looks and frugal diesel engines were strengths. With muscular styling,
flared wheel arches and a solid front end with the chrome grill, the Duster
oozes of street presence. It went on to become a best-seller and you could see
one even in the far flung areas of the country.
The
Renault Duster looks smart, comes with a comfortable and spacious-enough cabin
and is well-built too
What to look out for
The driver seat of the Duster tends to
oscillate under a sudden braking situation. The movement is minimum but it is
present, so the very first thing to look out for is the driver’s perch. Give it
a solid tug when you are inspecting the model at the dealership or wherever you
are buying from.
The
interiors of the Duster might not be luxuriously appointed but they age well.
The plastic parts tend to rattle over time though
Next, look out for rattling while taking a
test drive. The plastic bits are not top notch exactly and tend to rattle over
time, the doors included. For example, the faux wood finish might get loosened
up after a few thousand kilometres.
The
column mounted controls take time getting used but are ergonomic once you get a
hang of it
One of the consistent complaints from
Duster owners is that the MRF Wanderer tyres tend to wear out quite early, at
8,000-10,000km. So keep an eye out for tyre wear on the Duster that you might
want to purchase. Yet another criticism that the Duster came in for, was lack
of space. It quite doesn’t have the space inside as much as it looks big from
the outside.
The
Duster variant gets a six speed manual gearbox which is a joy to use. No
hiccups here
The rear AC vent eats into the knee room
for the person sitting in the middle. The audio output doesn’t quite cut it as
well. The sound reproduction can be garbled at times and the radio reception is
a tad disappointing. The steering column mounted stereo controls might be a
little difficult to get used to. Also, in some cases, it has been known to
falter after six to seven months of usage. The Duster comes a little low on
features as well.
The
door panels on the Duster tend to become loose and start rattling. Be sure to
check them before purchase
Where the Duster scores is on it ride
quality and performance. The 110PS diesel, in particular, does decently well
and has pot loads of torque and is decently fuel efficient. The 85PS diesel
also does not lack in power delivery. The 200mm of ground clearance is good
enough for even the worst terrain that our country has to offer, but the Duster
does not have 4x4 option.
The
1.5-litre engine is a good performer. It packs in punch and comes good on fuel
efficiency as well
Also, the Duster has one of most sorted
ride quality amongst four wheelers in the country. Bumps, potholes, broken
roads the Duster irons out almost everything rather easily. If you manage to
find one, then do not let go of a good used example of the Duster. It’s worth
it.
