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I think this is because of steering control more than anything else, If the auto mode is on, there is a possibility of any wheel getting traction which can alter the course of the vehicle, in FWD cars, if they raise the front side using a winch, the back wheels cannot turn, so it will make sense. But in this case any wheels can turn any time, hence the precaution i guess.

In that case if 2WD mode is activated then the car can be towed with rear wheels touching the ground. But the manual doesn't allow that.

Regards,

Pawan

Thanks for confirming this. My car does not seem to release this lock or at least the display does not go off and Renault seems to suggest thats absolutely ok. Wanted to confirm this independently.

Hi Pawan, That is correct, I would say it is more of a caution rather than an absolute requirement. Any one who towed their dusters can probably comment on this. While on that topic, I have never seen a duster towed away before. Solid good cars they are :)

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/90409-pics-how-flatbed-tow-trucks-would-run-out-business-without-german-cars-33.html

Found this picture in flatbed tow thread. There is no way to make out whether this is a 2wd or awd. That brings up another interesting topic, whether 2wd duster is also expected to be towed using a flatbed?

For the first part of your question- It's probably be a 2wd. Easy, just take a look at the head lamps, they're not smoked.

Secondly, you don't necessarily need a flatbed truck to tow your 2wd vehicle.

If your engine dies, how will you tow without flat bed?
You will lose brake assist, and therefore there is a good chance of hitting the vehicle towing in case of emergency braking.
When the safari broke down, we had to get a flat bed because without brake assist its very difficult!

I've been living with a brand new Amazon Green AWD for the last 20 days or so. This also happens to be my first car. My dad already drives a White 110 RxZ(O) bought in November 2011 which has done 65,000 km till date. So it was not such an exciting happening to have bought basically the same car the second time round.

It does come with a lot of new stuff which has already been elaborated here but the things that stand out for me (in this order..):

• The Colour
• ESP
• Cruise Control
• All Wheel Drive
• Maps

Subtle things which are different on the AWD duster which I noticed:

• Turn signals cancel closer to the center position than the non AWD model
• The washer spray nozzles seem to be different from the older model and have a better spread over the windshield
• The rear wiper starts automatically if the front wipers are on and you engage reverse gear
• They've given a service reminder
• Outside temp gauge has a good 4-5 degrees error on really hot days.
• Headlamp-On reminder
• Seatbelt Reminder (Driver)
• No Ash-tray (cost cutting)
• Engine sump guard plate
• Mine came with a bit of underbody coat

The boot space is reduced but the foam surround for the spare wheel in the boot under the floor can take up a lot of things. I've put my DC powered Air Pump in the cavity of the spare wheel and have put tools like allen key sets and a screw driver set in one of the cavities of the moulding. It can easily take up some liquor bottles if someone is looking for safe and noise free transportation of the same.

The all black interiors give a feeling of a small and dingy cabin. The beige colored cabin of my dad's duster looks much more premium and airy. It also takes lesser time to cool A) due to the lighter shade absorbing lesser heat and B)due to added cooling from the rear AC vent.

The increased CG was not noticeable because that spec had vanished in some corner of my mind, but the first person to point it out was my mom when she sat in it for the first time two days after we got the car home. clap:

A word of caution for people who do not know about the speed limiter. The accelerator pedal, at the end of its travel comes and rests against a switch. This switch when pressed by further pressing the pedal cancels the speed limiter and accelerates the car further than the speed at which you have set the limiter. So its not like the valet at car-parks cannot have a joyride in your car. But more importantly one needs to know this as the unexpected acceleration can be contrary to the expected behavior of the vehicle when the speed limiter is engaged.

I also felt in the limited experimentation that I have done that the Hill Hold feature will only activate if you're in 1st or 2nd gear (didn't try 3,4,5,6) on an uphill slope (front of the car raised higher than the rear) and in Reverse gear if you're on a downhill slope (Rear of the car raised higher than the front). I was reversing from a ramp (village car wash, very steep variety) and was halfway off the ramp with Reverse gear engaged and the hill hold thing didn't work.

My usage pattern will mostly be 30% light city and 70% highway as I've bought the car mainly to travel by road. Good riddance to tatkal bookings on late running trains and non-AC slimy sleeper connectivity to tier 3 cities.

In the last 20 Days I've done 1,500 km and the FE I'm getting is 14.2kmpl on the MID. The highest I got was 16kmpl on my way from Jaipur to Auraiya maintaining 90-100 kmph. I don't see myself exceeding 100kmph as there's really no point in doing so, either from safety or from time saving point of view.

The engine is opening up and feels a bit slow in the responsiveness part compared to my dad's car. But this engine has a history of opening up gradually. And once it does it gives the car a new feel. This happens close to the 6-7.5k mark and I can't wait to let that happen.

There are two Issues that I am facing One which I'm sure Renault Jaipur will have fixed on my next visit and for the second one I need fellow forum-ers' help:

• The paint on all the exterior panels has a matt finish to it. I mean not matt but a rough feel to it when you touch it. The paint has gloss but still feels rough. Rougher than the paint on the door sills. This was reported to Renault customer care and they arranged for an inspection and rectification (probably a full body buffing) when I go for the first service.
• I need to know which kind of Medianav system does the AWD Duster come with? The Naviextras website asks me to choose the type of system for which I would like to receive updates and I am confused whether it is Medianav Evolution or Medianav.

I have been following the Hyundai Creta thread quiet closely and observed that the weight of the car has been a closely guarded secret!
That got me wondering, What about the duster?? Are the international & Indian model same ?
So I went to Renault India site & Dacia UK site to compare the weights
and what i found is this
Dacia Duster UK, DcI 110 4X4 weight 1875 kg
Renault duster AWD RxZ India 1874KG.

Infact the weights of most variants of Renaault Duster are same as similar variants of Dacia Duster

So the Indian &UK versions are identical, Not stripped down as some other manufacturers do in India clap:

So our duster is genuinely rated at 3* by Euro NCAP ( primarily because of poor pedestrian safety , Lack of ESP as standard & lack of spped limiter)
If Euro NCAP were to test RxZ AWD, probably it would rate higher as 2 of 3 points for negative score are corrected in it.

P.S. Renault seems to have quietly deleted ESP from RxL AWD !!

Are you sure the RxL AWD version is still on sale. As per my latest talks with the Renault Dealerships & Helpline, the RxL AWD has been discontinued & only the RxZ AWD is available.

I saw it in the product brochure which was present in Renault website.
https://www.cdn.renault.com/content/...usterNewBI.pdf

Also if you see in prices section, AWD RxL is very much listed

Please check here https://www.renault.co.in/vehicles/p...er/prices.html

Wouldn't put much reliance on their site. Notoriously inaccurate!

+1. Do not believe everything on the site. It is better to call the toll free helpline or ask some dealers.

Friends, took the delivery of RXZ AWD Silver Duster on Sunday. Pune OTR was 15.7 with extended warranty. Yesterday visited 3M car care at Baner for underbody and paint treatment.
The driving experience so far has been excellent. Will share photos and additional details shortly.

congrats on your purchase
can you please share what discounts you got on the car?