Renault Duster

The Renault Duster has been around since 2012 and received its latest update in August 2019. While past its prime, the Duster still comes across as an honest SUV. Price revisions of the model over the years also imply that it costs reasonable money today. The Duster is available in petrol-manual, petrol-CVT, diesel-manual and diesel-AMT forms; and there’s also an all-wheel drive version. Sadly, the second generation Duster is not India-bound.

The Renault Duster looks tough and rugged, and SUV buyers will like it for that. Unfortunately, even the updated cabin just doesn’t have the sense of occasion seen in its newer rivals. Passenger space is good while the 475-litre (410-litre on the AWD) boot is well-shaped and accommodating.
The Renault Duster’s 106hp, 1.5-litre petrol engine delivers humdrum performance but the CVT auto does add convenience to the package. The 85hp, 1.5-litre diesel is smooth in its build of power while the 110hp, 1.5-litre diesel adds in more punch which comes handy on highway excursions. Notably, shorter gearing does make the 1.5-litre AWD version feel more alert at all speeds. Gearshifts on the diesel AMT are largely timely but the system can get caught out under hard acceleration.
Confident as the Renault Duster feels, it doesn’t have the lightest steering and there is also some kickback on bad patches of road. However, the suspension does a brilliant job of flattening poor surfaces, more so the AWD, which gets an independent rear suspension. The AWD is also surprisingly capable off the road.

The petrols are fairly priced but the engine’s character is not in tune with the SUV. Of the diesels, the 85PS is a sensible and reasonably-priced pick. The 110hp manual is fine and the diesel AMT is a good option too though it isn’t the best diesel-auto SUV around. However, you experience the best of the Duster in AWD form. Exemplary ride and brisk performance aside, the Duster AWD’s off-road ability give it a real edge over all other mid-sized SUVs.