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Renault Duster Turbo-Petrol vs Hyundai Creta vs Kia Seltos

20th October 2020, 15:12 by Chirag Moro

Renault Duster vs competition

What you'll like:

A Duster on steroids! 154 BHP motor has transformed its personality
Very fast & loads of fun on the open road. Punchy mid-range will leave you grinning
Turbo-petrol's refinement levels are terrific, including at high rpm
Smooth CVT automatic available. It's quick too
Mature ride quality & sorted dynamics
The Duster is still a good-looking crossover. Exterior styling has aged well
Robust, abuse-friendly build & construction
Practical boot (475 - 1064 liters of cargo capacity)
Fair pricing for a 154 BHP crossover. Lakhs cheaper than the Creta / Seltos 1.4 Turbos
ESP is a crucial safety feature in a fast car, while Hill Hold is very useful with a laggy engine
205 mm of ground clearance. Dismisses broken roads with aplomb

What you won't:

1.3L turbo-petrol suffers lag at low revs. It's very easy to stall too
Duster's terribly old & outdated interiors are the biggest deal-breaker
Feature list is basic by current times (no sunroof or keyless entry & go, just 2 airbags...)
Ride quality is good, but retuned suspension & 17" rims have taken the "magic" away
Price premium of ~2 lakhs for the turbo-petrol & 1.6 lakhs for the CVT is way too high
Red highlights all over the car look extremely garish; we'd get them removed
The next-gen Duster is already on sale globally, but Renault won't bring it here
Workhorse 1.5L diesel & competent AWD are gone!!!
Mediocre rear seat legroom. More like C1 segment sedans than C2
Road & wind noise are prominent at high speed
Renault's after-sales service quality is inconsistent

What you'll like:

A superbly engineered all-rounder that delivers a premium experience
We find the Hyundai Creta to be well-priced for what it offers
User-friendly interiors with sufficient space & good quality parts
Loved the 1.4L turbo-petrol & 1.5L diesel. These are fantastic engines
Smooth & competent automatic gearboxes available. With the useful "auto-hold" feature too
Sorted road manners & handling for a Hyundai, including on the highway. You will be surprised!
The Creta's safety package includes 6 airbags, ESP, all-wheel disc brakes, TPMS etc.
Impressive kit (panoramic sunroof, paddle shifters, Bose sound system, cooled seats, cabin air purifier & loads more)
Hyundai's competent after-sales service, fuss-free ownership & upto 5-years standard warranty

What you won't:

Oddball love it or hate it styling. We find the Creta's exterior design to be too weird & futuristic
Firmer suspension isn't as cushy as the 1st-gen Creta. It is more comfortable than the Seltos though
Back seat's width makes it better for 2 adults and a kid, rather than 3 adults
Some misses (no auto wipers, 360-degree camera, illuminated window buttons, full-size spare tyre on top trims)
Dual-clutch ATs (like the Hyundai Creta Petrol DCT) have a history of poor reliability in India
Diesel’s 113 BHP & 250 Nm – [I]although adequate[/I] – are the lowest in the segment. Old 1.6L CRDi was superior
No manual transmission available with the fast 1.4L Petrol (Seltos offers this combo)
The stiffer Seltos has an edge in the handling department. IMHO, the Kia is better looking too
You get bigger SUVs & Crossovers for the same money (e.g. Hector, Harrier, XUV500)

What you'll like:

A superbly engineered all-rounder that delivers a premium experience
Handsome, contemporary styling. Looks very sharp
We find the Seltos to be well-priced for what it offers
Nice, user-friendly interiors with sufficient space & good quality
Loved the 1.4L turbo-petrol & 1.5L diesel. They are BS6 compliant too
Both the automatics - Diesel AT & Petrol DCT - are simply fantastic!
Mature on-road behavior, including at highway speeds. A+ brakes as well
Unusually wide variant offering. Seems there is something for everyone
Top safety package includes 6 airbags, ESP, all-wheel disc brakes, blind spot monitor, TPMS etc.
Impressive kit (360 degree camera, HUD, front parking sensors, Bose sound system, cooled seats, cabin air purifier & loads more)

What you won't:

Firm suspension. Liveable, but bad roads will bother you (especially on 17" wheel variants)
Back seat's width makes it better for 2 adults and a kid, rather than 3 adults
Niggles are being reported by owners (details here)
Some misses (no paddle shifters or illuminated window buttons, thinner spare tyre on top trims, no dual-tone option on GTX+ / HTX+)
Dual-clutch ATs (like the Petrol DCT) have a history of poor reliability in India
Diesel’s 113 BHP & 250 Nm – although adequate – are the lowest in the segment
Extremely confusing & complicated variant spread. We still haven’t gotten the hang of it!
Kia's after-sales service quality is an unknown. We await details in our ownership reports
Waiting periods are already a couple of months long for some trims
You get bigger SUVs & Crossovers for the same money (e.g. Hector, Harrier, XUV500)

What you'll like:

Big size & lots of bling for the money! We find the Hector to be well-priced
A spacious cabin that can easily seat 5 adults. Massive 587 litre boot too
Fiat-sourced 2.0L diesel is simply fantastic
Compliant ride quality. Suspension is tuned for comfort
Lots of kit (panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera, electric seats & tailgate etc.)
‘Connected’ Tablet ICE with an embedded SIM & lovely sound quality
5-year / unlimited km warranty with roadside assistance
Top safety equipment includes 6 airbags, ESP, HSA, all-wheel disc brakes, TPMS & more

What you won't:

Awkward styling on the side & rear profiles. Looks weird from some angles
Sloppy high-speed handling, noticeable body roll & easy understeer
The petrol engine is “adequate” at best. Its guzzling Automatic variant is unimpressive
No Diesel AT (Creta, Seltos, XUV500, Hexa offer this combination, which we love)
Some annoyances like the ~6 meter turning radius, no auto-dimming IRVM, strange rpm meter…
Small after-sales network. Service quality & long-term reliability are big unknowns
Waiting period runs into a couple of months
Don’t get blinded by the British branding. This is a Chinese car

What you’ll like:

What you won’t:

This 1.5L petrol motor is uninvolving to drive. Enthusiasts, look elsewhere
4-speed Automatic gearbox feels old & outdated. No manual mode or paddle shifters either
No diesel option! Maruti’s BS6 1.5L diesel engine is still some time away
AT option has a steep Rs. 1.24 lakh ex-showroom premium (will be more on-the-road)
Unappealing styling. Looks like a big hatchback (not a crossover / SUV). Is quite old too
Missing features by 2020 standards (6 airbags, sunroof, wireless phone charging etc.)
353 liter boot - though well shaped - is small for a car of this size & positioning

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