Rear AC unit omitted from Duster RxZ 110

Renault India has stopped outfitting the Duster RxZ 110 variant with the Rear AC unit. The Duster RxZ 110 variant is powered by a 1.5 liter K9K turbo diesel engine that outputs 108 Bhp of peak power and 248 Nm of peak torque. This diesel engine is mated to a 6 speed manual gearbox as standard.

The Duster is also available with two other engine options: the 1.5 liter K9K turbo diesel engine in 85 Bhp-200 Nm state of tune and the 1.6 liter petrol engine. Both these engines get a 5 speed manual gearbox as standard. The Duster sold in the country is front wheel driven although Renault India does export a four wheel drive version of the SUV to international markets.

Meanwhile, Team-BHP got in touch with a Renault India dealer in Bangalore and here are a few details we managed to gather, 

• The Rear AC unit has been omitted from the Duster RxZ 110 variant. This change is reflected on the official Renault India website.
• The Duster RxZ 110 (Option Pack) without the rear AC unit is priced at 15.10 lakh rupees, on-road Bangalore. 
• Estimated time of delivery in Bangalore is 2 weeks. (Ford EcoSport effect?)
• Renault dealers do have left over stock of the Duster RxZ 110 (Option Pack) with the rear AC unit. This SUV is priced at 15.16 lakh rupees, on-road Bangalore. Therefore, the omission of the rear AC unit reduces the price of the Duster 110 RxZ (Option Pack) by 6 thousand rupees. 
• The reason behind the omission of the rear AC unit in the Duster RxZ 110 SUV is to improve leg room at the rear. 
• With the arrival of the Ford EcoSport, Renault dealers have been instructed to pitch the Duster as a genuine five seat alternative to the smaller Ford EcoSport. 
• Renault dealers have already begun highlighting the bigger dimensions of the Duster in comparison with those of the Ecosport. 
• It remains unclear as to whether the rear AC vents will be available on the Duster 110 RxZ (Option Pack) once existing stocks get depleted. 

In the coming months, a badge engineered version of the Renault Duster, dubbed the Nissan Terrano will hit Indian roads. The Terrano will be the latest addition to the Indian SUV market even as the segment continues to be an out performer in a slow car market. Variants of the Terrano are expected to be priced about 50,000 rupees higher than equivalent variants of the Duster.

The Nissan Terrano SUV will be unveiled on the 20th of August, 2013. The official launch is expected to take place in the next couple of months, in time for the Indian festive season. The pricing announcement and exact variant details of the Nissan Terrano will be available with the official launch of the SUV.