Renault Duster: Journey from unveiling at Auto Expo 2012 till now

Auto Expo is undoubtedly the biggest motor event in Asia, which is held once in every two years. The auto show provides a podium for several car companies to showcase their present and future line-up of products. During the 2012 event, major car companies from different parts of the world marked their presence. One such company was Renault, which grabbed the attention of Indian buyers because of its compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) named Duster. Owing to its masculine appearance and power packed engine, Duster was deemed as the perfect compact SUV for the Indian car market. Since its launch, the car has been able to live up to its reputation and has fared exceptionally well in the country. Considering the fact that in the first 6 days of its introduction, Duster managed to get 6000 bookings, it must be said that the compact SUV has contributed a lot in reviving the fortunes of Renault in India.

At present, Renault Duster is available in both petrol and diesel engine options that have entirely different specifications. The petrol version of Duster is powered by a 1.6-litre K4M engine that produces 102 bhp of power and generates 145 Nm of torque. On the other hand, the 1.5-litre DCi K9K diesel powertrain is offered in differently tuned options of 83 bhp and 108 bhp that gives away respective torque figures of 200 Nm and 248 Nm, respectively. Duster has been offered in manual 5-speed and 6-speed transmission options.

The compact SUV of Renault is provided with the best-in-class safety and security features like Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD). In addition, the car gets a brake assist feature so as to offer additional safety for the passengers. Furthermore, the car has dual front airbags that protects the driver and co-passenger from getting hurt by any object, in case of mishaps. In terms of providing comfort and convenience to passengers, Renault Duster is equipped with all all essential functionalities. It has got rear air conditioning vents, 8-way adjustable driver seat, steering mounted audio controls and adjustable steering wheel, amid other features.

Talking about the price, it has been one of the major reasons for Duster doing so well in the Indian car market. Renault has adopted an aggressive pricing strategy for Duster in order to lure price sensitive Indian buyers and till now it has worked quite well for them. Currently, Renault Duster carries an ex-showroom price of Rs. 7.9 lakh in Delhi while for the top model it goes up till Rs. 12.18 lakh. Also to mention, Duster gives exceptional mileage statistics for a compact SUV with the company claiming a figure of 20.45 kmpl with the diesel variant and 13.24 for the petrol version.