Renault Duster is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated cars soon going to be launched in India. There is a lot of anticipation regarding the launch of Duster SUV which will not end until the car maker barges it in the domestic market. Just a few days ago the car maker confirmed that Renault Duster launch in India will happen in the month of July instead of September or October as speculated before, however, still there is no date as to when the SUV will land in India. Renault dealers too started accepting bookings for the compact SUV just a few days ago. The excitement among the customers can be seen by the number of booking dealers have received so far. As per Renault India, Duster has garnered as many as 1000 bookings since the time the company opened pre launch bookings for the SUV across the Renault Dealerships with a booking amount of Rs 1 lakh.
Considering the response Duster has received so far despite a whopping booking amount of Rs 1 lakh is commendable. This actually shows that people are willing to spend money on this car acand in the coming time this would definitely stand among those cars that make their mark in their respective segments. Still Renault is hoping for the best and has kept its fingers crossed. As far as the engine options for Duster SUV is concerned, it is expected to come in three engine options across the three variants-Renault Duster RxE, Renault Duster RxL and Renault Duster RxZ. The base model and the mid variants Renault Duster RxE and Renault Duster RxL will be equipped with a 1.6 litre petrol engine that has the capacity to generate maximum power of 102 PS and a peak torque of 145 Nm. This was about the petrol version, while the diesel version could get a 1.5 litre diesel mill that can engender a peak power of 85 PS and a maximum torque of 200 Nm.
However, the top end version will be powered with the top notch quality 1.5 litre dCi diesel engine that can generate 110 PS of power and around 250 Nm of torque. This engine is derived from the recently launched Renault Fluence E4-D and will also be mated to a six speed manual transmission. However, the other engines will be synchronized to a five speed manual transmission and a front wheel drive mechanism. Rumour mill suggest that the all wheel drive variant will not be proffered initially however things may be completely different which we will get to know during the launch of the SUV. However lack of a wheel drive option for a SUV could be a little disappointing for the vehicle. On the other hand the two wheel drive option ensures better fuel efficiency and improved driving dynamics along with lighter steering for city manoeuvring. Presence of two wheel drive also indicates that the Renault Duster price in India will be placed competitively. Speculations are rife that the Duster price could start at Rs 7 lakh and go up to Rs 12 lakh.
Renault Duster’s interiors have been changed a little for the Indian car market depending on the needs and preferences of the Indian buyers. The air conditioning and the suspension set up too has been tweaked a little suiting the Indian driving conditions. The design of the interiors somehow remains unchanged as it can be seen in the model on sale in the global car souks.The wait for this SUV will be over in the month of July when the car maker will launch Duster in India by then. The compact SUV is expected to break covers in the first week of July. The SUV will be juxtaposed to other SUVs present in the SUV segment like Mahindra Scorpio, Tata Safari and the new compact SUV to be launched from the clan of Ford, EcoSport.
10 Jan, 2025