Renault Duster : The SUV That Made Rugged Affordable. The Renault Duster has helped in building the compact SUV market in our country.
Introduced as a game-changer in 2012, the Duster offered robust design, sheer performance and off-road capacity in an era when such qualities were largely the purview of premium SUV options.
After a few years, the Duster still has a loyal fan following with its no-nonsense looks, functionality-focused design and bang sound engineering.
Here’s a more detailed look at what made the Duster so appealing in its class.
Design and Presence
The Duster has a wide and aggressive posture, which screams burly and rugged. With high ground clearance, flared wheel arches, and upright proportions,
it appears ready to take on the city and the off-road. The large grille, projector headlamps and the sculpted bonnet, all make it look more butch.
It may not boast of the stylish looks of today’s crossovers, but Duster design is functional. The tough proportions, thanks to a long stance combined with short overhangs,
mean it looks like a proper SUV — rarity in a segment increasingly packed with soft-roaders. The roof rails and skid plates also add to its adventure vehicle personality.
Interior and Comfort
Hop into the Renault Duster and you’re surrounded by a sensible layout. The dash is clean and functional, with usability trumping aesthetics.
Upper variants are offered with goodies such as a touchscreen infotainment system, rear parking camera, cruise control, and automatic climate control and steering-mounted controls.
The seats are supportive with good comfort for the longer trips. The available cabin room is ample for both front and rear occupants, while boot space is one of the largest for this segment.
But the interior materials and overall fit and finish as a whole may seem old next to some newer competitors.
Performance and Powertrain Options
The Duster has been available with various engines and fuels.
The most popular engine in this model has been the 1.5l K9K diesel engine, which has been made available at 85 PS and 110 PS variants.
With its torquey powerband and fuel economy, the engine was perfect for city and highway modes.
Or their true power avatar is this badass in my Indian market before it was discontinued for the next Duster generation ended with the 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine (156 PS and 254Nm) which was the most powerful available in its class.
With a choice of being mated to either a 6-speed manual or automatic CVT gearbox, this powertrain was endowed with some serious grunt.
The Duster also had diesel AWD which made it one of the handful true SUVs in the segment.
Ride and Handling
The ride is one of the Duster’s strong suits. The suspension is set up to take bad roads and potholes, which makes it ideal for Indian driving conditions.
The Duster is awesome to drive on road or off the road as incredibly stable and comfortable.
The steering feels well-weighted, more so at higher speeds, and the ground clearance (205 mm) gives you the freedom to take it off-road without a second thought.
Its AWD model can do light-to-moderate off-roading that many front-wheel-drive crossovers can’t.
Pros:
Sturdy Construction: It is strong and is build to last for rough use in India.
Smooth Ride: Great ride for rough and highway.
Strong Engine List: Particularly the 1.3L turbo petrol and proven diesel motors.
Large Cabin & Boot: Enough space for passengers and luggage.
True SUV DNA: Available AWD and ground clearance that encourage adventure.
Cons:
Old-Fashioned Cabin: The cabin is short on modernity and features according to newer rivals.
No Diesel in Final Iteration: The diesel was already pulled out even before BS6 era.
No High-End Tech Features: No top-tier tech like wireless charging, ventilated front-row seats and ADAS.
Turbo Petrol Mileage: The 1.3-litre engine is fun to drive but drinks more fuel.
Renault Duster: Conclusion
Though sales of the Renault Duster may be discontinued in India now, it’s still a legend when it comes to tough, practical and VFM SUVs.
It pitched a perfectly judged blend of tough-guy looks, strong engines and comfortable dynamics — enough to make it popular with both enthusiasts and families.
With Renault prepping up for a worldwide launch of the next-gen Duster, fans are excited to welcome the rebirth of this iconic nameplate,
With contemporary features but still preserving that very first go-anywhere appeal.