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Creating a new segment?

While there are obvious advantages to being the first mover in a new segment, there are pitfalls as well.

Rugged and macho, the Duster looks every bit a proper SUV

While there are obvious advantages to being the first mover in a new segment, there are pitfalls as well. Get things wrong and rivals will seize the lead and any previous gains will be lost. Renault is in such a position. It is all set to become the first major player to enter the small SUV segment with the soon-to-be-launched Duster. Premier with its Rio is still only a marginal player and other rivals like the Ford EcoSport and Maruti XA Alpha are still some time away. We drove the Duster to see if it has what it takes to take advantage of being the first one off the blocks.

To appeal to the demanding Indian customer, an SUV has to look the part and the Duster doesn?t disappoint. It has a characteristically rugged appearance and the stance is typical SUV. Other SUV traits like front and rear scuff plates, roof rails, running boards and blacked-out lower halves on the bumpers all add to the Duster?s appeal.

The front end is dominated by the big chrome grille, which will surely find favour with image-conscious buyers. The squarish headlamps that sit on either side of it also give the Duster its own unique appearance. Flared wheel arches give the overall design some muscle and a thick D-pillar is also in line with the brawny looks. The doors, however, are devoid of any details whatsoever and the only saving grace is the silver door handles. But even these are of the ?lift-type? design and don?t really feel upmarket. At the rear, you can?t miss the chrome plate above the number plate with the Duster name boldly spelled out.

The Duster is closely related to the Logan saloon, now being sold as the Verito by Mahindra. While that car had basic interiors, Renault has done some work to spruce up the Duster?s cabin. The dashboard is a little generic in its design, but is actually quite functional.

When it goes on sale, the Duster will offer the choice of a 1.6-litre petrol or the 1.5-litre diesel engine that we know from the Pulse and the Fluence. The latter will be available in two states of tune?one producing 84bhp and the other 108.5bhp of power. It goes without saying that the diesels will be the ones in hot demand. In its more powerful form, the engine feels a little lacklustre at low revs, and one has to wait for it to gather speed. Once it does, there is enough pulling power on offer and the performance is quite brisk.

In the lower, 84bhp form, the engine doesn?t feel lacking for power at lower speeds and this is helpful in the stop-go conditions of urban traffic. The gearbox here is a five-speed unit and again it?s not the most precise when slotting in gears, but it extracts power from the engine quite well. In both forms the engine is reasonably refined and has no unnecessary vibrations.

The Duster?s trump card, however, is its ride quality. There is nothing that our roads can dish out that the Duster can?t tackle. In fact, we would go as far as saying that it has the best ride quality of any car at this price. And thanks to its wide footprint and relatively low height, it also remains quite stable at high speeds. Its car-like construction means that, around corners too, it feels composed without any of the body motion that one would expect from an SUV.

The Duster can seat five people, and quite comfortably. Both the front seats and the rear bench appear quite flat, but are actually very supportive, and the rear passengers will also be happy with the amount of room on offer. Then there?s the useable 475-litre boot?it?s well shaped, doesn?t have many intrusions and boasts a flat floor.

Even the cabin gets useful storage like four cup holders, and the glove box in the dashboard is quite deep. There are some quirks though?for example, the odd position of the electric rear-view mirror adjuster below the handbrake lever. Then there are the steering-column-mounted audio system controls, which are placed behind the wheel and hard to reach.

We expect Renault to price the Duster from R7.2 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base RxE petrol, going up all the way to R12 lakh for the RxZ diesel, and the variants seem to be decently equipped too. While the Duster may not feel premium, there is little else to complain about. It looks distinctive, is as functional as you would expect an SUV to be, and comes with diesels that are more than up to the job. If Renault prices it well, the Duster could very well be the car that gives the French manufacturer its first big hit in India.

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First published on: 14-07-2012 at 03:35 IST
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