Opinion National Interest PoV 50-Word Edit

ThePrint On Camera Videos In Pictures

Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

More Judiciary Education YourTurn Work With Us Campus Voice

Opinion National Interest PoV 50-Word Edit

ThePrint On Camera Videos In Pictures

Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

More Judiciary Education YourTurn Work With Us Campus Voice

Duster is back and brilliant on the road, but Renault has ground to make up in India

I drove the top-end ‘Iconic’ edition with the more powerful engine mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. This variant costs Rs 18.49 lakh and has all the toys.

It is rare for a manufacturer to chart a nearly 200 kilometre drive through narrow and twisty mountain roads. To do so is brave because putting a new vehicle through its paces on mountain roads in India is a very good test of the dynamics of a vehicle. So, first and foremost, kudos to Renault India for charting out a route between Dehradun and the Tehri reservoir on the media drive of the new Renault Duster.

While there were enough sections on the route where the road had caved in and recent landslides — I even got stuck in one —  it was a very good drive in a very good SUV. And it became apparent that Renault had charted out this route to showcase just how capable the Duster is. Because this vehicle is crucial for the French carmaker in India.

The original Duster, launched in 2012, could be considered the progenitor of the CSUV segment: vehicles with an SUV bodystyle, between 4.2 and 4.5 metres in length. Before sales ended in 2022, the Duster had sold over 200,000 units. The Duster was essentially a vehicle from Renault’s Romanian brand Dacia, and some of you might recall the Logan sedan as well. But Renault never brought the second-generation Duster to India. Renault global management had been blindsided by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as Russia was a vital market for them, and India was put in a sort of holding pattern as the manufacturer got its act together globally.

Now,........

© ThePrint