Third report: It’s become the de facto long-distance car in our long-term fleet. But when it’s off the road, things aren’t as rosy.
I did have to work the gears a fair bit on the slopes to keep the engine in the meat of its powerband – 2000rpm to 4000rpm. There is a bit of a lag and steep slopes only make it worse.
A grouse my parents did have was with the space at the rear. Maybe Renault could have sacrificed a bit of the boot to increase space in the cabin. But then, this is a small niggle in an otherwise comfortable cabin. Also, most people prefer steering-mounted controls, but I really liked the audio controls on the stalks. Once you get used to them, you realise they are quite ergonomic. You never have to worry about pushing them accidentally. Finally, after a five-hour drive, I couldn’t believe I still had almost half a tank left. On a full 50-litre tank of diesel, the Duster’s capable of covering 720km, perfect for long stints.
Back at home base, however, our experience with the Duster – or rather, Renault’s service centre – has not been as rosy. A little over a month ago, the air-con compressor packed up, out of the blue. We duly marched the car to the Renault workshop for repairs. However, we didn’t see it again for another 25 days – a part had to be sourced from Delhi, which caused the delay. Still, 25 days seems like awful long. What’s more, the dashboard had to be dismantled to carry out the repairs, and when we got the car back, it didn’t appear to have been screwed back together properly – there were creaks and rattles coming from every corner. There was even a rattle from the engine bay that wasn’t there before, the source of which we still haven’t quite been able to pin-point.
Above: Audio controls; once you get used to the stalks, you realise just how ergonomic they are.