Some things are worth the wait. Take mangoes, for instance. The wait through winter and spring is long, but that first bite is enough to remind us why it’s known as the king of fruits. Fittingly, this mango season also marks the return of the new Renault Duster after a long hiatus. The perfect opportunity then to gather a Gang of Dusters and hit the Mango Trails.
Our convoy of Dusters – both old and new – would drive from Mumbai to Dapoli in the Ratnagiri district for a weekend of adventure. But first, we assembled bright and early at Autocar India HQ for breakfast and a briefing on convoy etiquette. Participants included new as well as long-time owners and fans of the OG first-gen model. This was their first opportunity to mingle and get to know the folks they’d soon be sharing tarmac with.
With drivers and passengers strapped in, the convoy was flagged off and made its way onto the Atal Setu before settling into a cruise. It’s quite a sight in the crisp morning light, the cool sea breeze keeping the heat at bay – for now. From here, we merged onto NH66, which would take us all the way to Khed. The convoy stretched like the opening bellows of an accordion, and we picked up the pace while traffic was light. With 160hp on tap, speed is effortless in the new Duster and actually requires a fair bit of restraint from the drivers. The OG Dusters are no slouches either, reminding us why the K9K diesel is such a great mile-muncher.
NH66 has some superb stretches – smooth, wide lanes, exciting ghat sections, and superb scenery – but it’s also incomplete in places. Construction and diversions around Mangaon slowed the convoy to a crawl. The heat outside was intense, but inside the Duster it was rather serene – the dual-zone AC and ventilated seats working like a charm. Suddenly, Google Maps chimed in – an alternate route was available through the villages surrounding us. Usually, these are best avoided because they can get quite bumpy, but no reason to shy away in a Duster.
The suspension dealt with the rough patches deftly as the convoy made its way through narrow lanes. As new Duster owner, Dhamar Mainkar, said: “I felt it was a magic carpet ride.” Back on the highway, the worst of the jams were behind us, but the weather had changed suddenly. Dark storm clouds and a brief but intense spell of rain brought some respite from the heat as we turned off at Khed and onto the lovely B-roads leading to The Fern Samali Resort – our halt for the night. The twisties let everyone revel in the Duster’s handling, and it’s safe to say they came away impressed. “It handles wonderfully,” Jahangir Cooper remarked, adding, “the steering is very, very accurate, with a lot of feedback.”
After some R&R at the hotel, we headed to the organic mango orchard literally in its backyard. Some 42 varieties of mangoes are grown here, and a tour showed us how each one differs from another. But it wasn’t just show and tell – participants got to hand-pluck from the trees and enjoy a full spread of some of the best varieties from this region. The night wound down back at the hotel with a lavish dinner and traditional folk performances. Families shared stories from the drive, and new friendships were formed. Sanket and Akshita Sinha said, “It was fantastic being with such an enthusiastic bunch of people,” adding, “we’ll be back for another edition.”
At the crack of dawn the next morning, the Dusters headed down to Murud Beach for a dolphin safari. These incredible creatures certainly aren’t shy, happily swimming alongside the boats and thrilling the young kids in particular. With that, it was time to make the long drive back to Mumbai. The city welcomed us with the familiar sight of traffic, but as Rustom Vesavevala put it, “You could be driving this car for hours on end and you don’t get tired.” It also helped that we had a boot full of mangoes to relish until the king of fruits returns next season. And much like that, the return of the Renault Duster proved that some things really are worth waiting for.
