My first car was a Hyundai Santro Xing 2009, bought on 29-Nov-2009, and has served me well for 8 years and 97K kms. And I really loved it due to fact that it was my first vehicle, and also has never ever let me down. Though I have always been particular about getting it serviced regularly at H.A.S.S.
Come Mar 2017, I relocated from Delhi to Bangalore, and since we were new to the place and did not want to invest in a new car immediately, as our beloved Santro was doing great, we took the decision of taking it along. As my relocation expenses were paid by my company, it didn't hurt either to tranport it via Agarwal Packers safely to Bangalore. We had decided to keep it for another year or two, so initiated the RTO formalities of paying the LTT for Karnataka. But at the back of my mind was this constant itch to upgrade and I started the plans by taking with my family on the same. Since our hometown is Kerala, there will regular travels of 1200+ kms and family was also convinced on getting a better vehicle in terms of safety and space.
The search begins:
With a budget of 12 lacs, we started our search and narrowed in only on crossovers, as I do not like sedans, and SUVs were out of reach. Shortlisted S-Cross, Brezza, Duster and Creta. Dropped Ecosport altogether as somehow I didnt the overall looks and size, though my wife was very much interested in this.
Took test drive of S-Cross first and we were impressed with the overall space and comfort. But we both didn't like the looks at all.
Then came in the Brezza. Though the test drive was almost similar to the S-Cross in terms of power, the wife liked the looks and overall package. We were looking at the ZDI+ variant with all the bells and whistles which came to 12.8 lacs for the dual tone RED+BLACK variant (ridiculous that the dual tone variant commands 80K additinal just for the colour theme). But the biggest let down was the waiting period. Every other dealer in Bangalore was quoting 4-5 months of waiting period. Then I got a call from Kataria Automobiles and they commit 1.5 months. I clearly told them that I am going ahead with the booking only because I want the vehicle by mid of June as I will be travelling to Kerala on 1-July. They were very confident and assured me that the vehicle will be delivered by mid of June. So, on
28-Apr-2017, I went to Kataria showroom and booked the Brezza ZDI+ Red-Black by paying the booking amount of 21K.
Now the wait begins, and I was constantly in touch with the SA, though there was no proactive communication from their side. By first week of June, I still don't have any information of allotment. I started checking every alternalte day, but everytime I get one reason or other, but no information of the car.
In between, we took a look at the Duster and Creta. Creta was ruled out due to the following:
- Firstly it was out of budget
- Still I tried to strech a bit more as I really liked the looks, but even the top-end model didn't have cruise control which is a must have for me as I will doing regular drives to Kerala which is 600+ kms one side.
Then came in the Duster. Eventhough I heard bad reviews about the bland interiors, somehow for me they were not such a big deal. As soon as we took the test drive, I just forgot about any other bad reviews. I just fell for the ride quality. And the family was impressed with the space and comfort too. We decided to check on the deal and then finalize.
Had some discussions with my SA (Thushar) and came to know that Renault was offering close to 1.1 lacs discount on the Duster (in terms of Insurance - 45K, Exchange bonus - 35K, Cash discount - 15K and some carnival discount). But since I already went ahead with the exchange of my Santro with the True Value people at Kataria, I could not avail the exchange bonus part. So, the final quote came out to be 14.25 lacs OTR for 85PS RXZ MT model.
Finally after lots of discussion with family, went to Renault Silk Board, and booked the Duster 85PS RXZ in Slate Grey on 11-Jun-2017, with a promised delivery of 19-Jun-2017. On the 15-Jun-2017, went to Kataria and cancelled the booking for Brezza and got the full refund within a week.
Delivery:
As promised, got the delivery of my new Dusty on
19-Jun-2017.
Now, coming to my thoughts about the vehicle after taking delivery Interior design & quality
As stated earlier, the interiors are not much to talk about, but serves my purpose. Somehow, I ;have started liking the dual tone Black+Brown colour combintaion, though I initial wanted all black
Interior space & comfort
Duster offers plenty of space in the front seats. The rear seats are supremely comfortable as well. But the seat are not up to the mark. They could have done a better job here.
Driving position, ergonomics, controls & MID
The driving position is definitely commanding and give a good feeling while behind the wheel. I am still getting used to the control stalk layout, as its the opposite in Hyundai.
Air conditioner cooling & effectiveness
Since the RXZ model has ACC, its quite powerful. Cools the cabin in no time even in the hot climate which I experienced in TN during my trip to Kerala.
Audio system & sound quality
The built in Media-Nav system is quite good and has everything which one would need. Though I still wish if it could have Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. The rear camera quality is also very crisp and clear
Interior storage, practicality & boot space
The one big complaint on the pre-facelift model was that the Duster did not have enough spaces for knick-knacks which has been unfortunately carried over to the 2016 facelift. It simply cannot hold any bottles in convenient locations. For that matter, it doesn’t have any bottle holders on the doors. The only bottle holder present is in between the front two seats which is covered anyways by the aftermarket hand rests that people put up anyways.
Boot space
If you need a car/SUV for boot space, Duster is your answer. It can gulp huge loads of luggage even with the parcel tray in position.
Engine performance & Driveability
85ps K9K is known for its low speed drivability. If it is city runabout with occasional highway trips and you are a sedate driver, I would happily recommend the 85ps. Saying that the 110ps is much more comfortable at highway speeds and also it does have a 6th gear for a smoother cruising at highway speeds with lower rpms. 85ps would obviously do highways speeds but it isn’t at its smoothest best at those speeds.
Gearshift & clutch
The 5-speed Gearshift on the 85ps version Dusters has sort of a mid-ranged throw and you could probably call it notchy. The clutch is much lighter on 2016 Facelifted Dusters now. You wont have to do a leg workout in stop-go traffic.
Overall NVH levels
Pre-facelift had below average NVH insulation and the same unfortunately seems to be the case with the 2016 facelifted version. That wind noice is present >110kmph and the engine is fairly audible inside the cabin at anything above 2000rpm.
Fuel efficiency: City and Highway
I have so far completed 2500 kms and currently getting aroung 15 kmpl in City and around 18kmpl in Highway.
Suspension & ride quality
Well, suspension and ride quality is what makes a Duster what it is and how many it sold. It is extremely comfortable and pliant both in the front seats and rear seats. Nothing comes even close to beating it. You can nonchalantly dismiss road irregularities.
Handling, on-road behaviour, grip levels, stability, body roll & turning radius
Duster inspite of its tall boy SUV looks has tremendously low body roll. Handles and turns pretty good. Turning radius also I believe is slightly lower than the Ecosport. My Duster came shod with Apollo Apterras, but I am satisfied with the grip levels.
Visibility & size of mirrors
The ORVMs are decently sized and offer a good view of the rear but a size bigger would have definitely helped as well. The IRVM has a clip on display in my Duster for the aftermarket rear view camera. It is pretty wide and offers the view of the entire rear windshield. I wouldn’t be able to comment on the OEM IRVM’s view as I have never used it. The visibility outside is great due to the large window area. There is slight blind spot due to the A pillar but it isn't as bad as the Ecosport.
Steering
The facelifted Duster does not seem to have the aggressive turn back of the steering that the pre-facelifted Duster seems to have had. I remember holding on pretty tight when going through the Chickmagalur ghats on the pre-facelifted Duster. Steering feedback from road undulations has also reduced a bit which is good. Duster’s steering has always been a little on the heavier side which is good and this seems to be the same with the facelift as well. Parallel parking sure does take a little more effort than say a Creta or Ecosport.
Braking
I have no complaints on the braking capability on the Duster. It has enough bite and the pedal has a nice feel.
Ground clearance
You get 205mm on the regular and 210mm on the AWD which remains the same in the 2016 facelift versions. That is more than enough for any road in my view.