Mumbai

Atiqueul Islam

•3d

I have read the recent comments about the Duster on your website, and I am impressed by the overall rating of the Duster. I am planning to purchase the 1L turbo manual version of Duster and seeking advice on the power delivery and torque. Is it sufficient for city drives and, very occasionally, driving on highways?

Autocar India

•31m

For your requirement, the 1.0-litre turbo petrol Renault Duster should be adequate for your usage, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Although we haven’t driven this engine in the Duster yet, we have experienced it in cars like the Renault Kiger and Nissan Magnite. In those cars, the engine feels peppy and responsive, especially in city conditions.

Now, the Duster is a larger and heavier car, so performance will take a slight hit compared to those smaller SUVs. However, for city driving, it should feel more than sufficient, and thanks to the turbo, it will still offer good low-end torque, making it easy to drive in traffic. On the highway, it should be able to keep up with fast-moving traffic comfortably, and overtaking should not feel stressful.

That said, we strongly recommend that you test drive the 1.0-litre version before deciding. Since it is a 3-cylinder engine, you may notice some vibration at idle and hard acceleration, something we have experienced in the Kiger and Magnite.

If your priority is smoothness and refinement, you can also consider options like the Tata Sierra, Hyundai Creta or Kia Seltos, which offer more refined petrol engines. However, in terms of outright punch and torque feel, the turbo Duster will still feel stronger.

Explore cars mentioned

Renault

Kiger

from ₹6.81 Lakh

Renault

Duster

from ₹12.43 Lakh

Nissan

Magnite

from ₹6.64 Lakh

Kia

Seltos

from ₹13.01 Lakh

Hyundai

Creta

from ₹12.78 Lakh

Tata

Sierra

from ₹13.60 Lakh

Atiqueul Islam

•16m

Tata Sierra is on my list, though 1.5L NA Revotron engine, can you comment if this engine decision is right given the weight of the car, what is the city and highway performance with DCT gearbox

More questions on similar cars

Sathyamurthy G

•3d

I am strongly considering the Kia Seltos 1.5T iMT HTE(O). It fits my budget, offers good performance, and the features are reasonable. I am choosing iMT as my usage is 70% city driving in Bangalore and 30% highway.

Autocar India

•2h

Go for the Kia Seltos 1.5T iMT HTE(O). For 70% Bangalore city use and 30% highway runs, it blends strong turbo performance with clutchless convenience, 6 airbags, and practical space.With 70/30 city-highway, the 6‑speed iMT suits Bengaluru traffic by removing the clutch while keeping manual control for open‑road stretches, and the turbo’s strong mid‑range helps quick gaps and overtakes, especially on the highway and open stretches. You do need to get used to the iMT, of course, and remember that it's not a very quick shifter, so you can't rush through shifts. That aside, it works very well, especially in normal, relaxed driving conditions.The one thing you give up is a true automatic. You still shift gears yourself, which can feel tiring in prolonged 5-10 kph bumper‑to‑bumper crawls. Thus, if you want a fully automatic car, without the hassle of even shifting gears, consider the naturally aspirated 1.5-litre Seltos that's coupled to a CVT or IVT in Kia speak.The engine and gearbox combo is quite smooth, and for everyday driving, it does really well. You will give up some power compared to the turbo engine, but your real-world efficiency could be higher as a turbo-petrol's efficiency is very sensitive to driving style.

Kia Seltos

Jagan Rama Mohan

•1w

Can you please help me choose between the Kia Seltos automatic petrol and the Creta automatic petrol? My usage is hardly below 10,000 km per year in city and highway. Please guide me.

Autocar India

•4h

The Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta are closely related models and share much under the skin, such as engines, gearboxes and other key components. However, the new Seltos launched in 2026 is built on a new-gen platform, while the Hyundai Creta (that has been on sale since 2020) continues on the older platform.The Seltos' new platform comes with the promise of enhanced refinement, improved comfort and more tech. Further, the new Seltos is also larger than the Hyundai Creta and offers more space on the inside. Add it all up, and the Kia Seltos offers a more future-proof and complete package for similar money. Do note that the all-new Creta, built on the same new-gen platform as the Seltos, comes in early 2027.

Kia Seltos

Hyundai Creta

Praneeth

•4d

I need some help in choosing my first car. I live in Hyderabad, in the IT area. My usage might be 60:40 city and highway. I’m looking for a top petrol automatic variant. I have evaluated the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, and Tata Sierra, and narrowed it down to the Kia Seltos GTX(A) DCT variant. Recently, I saw the new Renault Duster and Skoda Kushaq as well. Can you suggest what I should do?

Autocar India

•6h

Since you have evaluated the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta and the Tata Sierra, it would be wise to check out the others in your shortlist too, namely the Renault Duster and the Skoda Kushaq. Checking out your options is always wise, especially when the purchase is of high value.If interior space and features are a key criterion, then the Duster and Kushaq aren't really better off than the Seltos. However, where the Duster and the Kushaq are really good is if you enjoy driving, as both SUVs have responsive engines and provide an entertaining handling feel with good road grip and body control around corners.

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