WHEN: Early 2012
HOW MUCH: Rs 7-8 lakh
ENGINES: 1.5-litre 105 PS diesel, 2WD and 4WD
COMPETITION: Forthcoming 'mini-Xylo', Maruti Gypsy
The Duster will be Renault's third offering in India, after the Fluence sedan and Koleos SUV. The Duster is built around the same B-platform which does duty under the skin of the Logan, nee Mahindra Verito. In the Duster, this engine is tuned to produce 105 PS, same as the Fluence. However, the Duster uses a different gearbox, with a short first gear which gives it good traction at slow speeds on slippery surfaces. The Duster will be available in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions, with the price difference being about a lakh of rupees. as such, we expect the Duster to retail for between Rs 7-8 lakhs, ex-showroom.
The Renault Duster you see in these images is the recently facelifted model, launched in South America a few weeks ago. The Duster will be assembled at the Renault-Nissan Alliance plant at Oragadam, near Chennai. Te Duster boasts of a high 210 mm ground clearance. The four-wheel-drive system has been jointly developed with Nissan, acknowledged as one of the best off-road vehicle systems manufacturers in the world. The Duster is a no-nonsense SUV, aimed at that market segment looking for a practical, reliable and value-for-money offering. It has all the right ingredients to be a success, but more importantly, will be creating a new segment as such, one without too much competition.
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