Renault Duster: Competition Check

Renault India has launched the Duster at a very aggressive price point. Slotted between Rs 7.19 to 11.29 lakh, the Duster spans a wide market range and with its three engine offerings, it caters to different audiences as well. Call it strategy, call it smart marketing, the bottom line remains that an international manufacturer has stepped in to a segment that is driven by price point over brand value and has had the ability to usher in a change that is bound to be dynamic. More importantly, the advent of the Duster in the Indian market is the ultimate wake up call for Indian firms, for their price advantage is under threat and with the stellar pricing on the Duster the Indian car makers can now no longer justify their low cost strengths but will have to add more technology, value and quality in order to cope with the new-age competition.

Pitted against the Force Motors Force One, Mahindra Scorpio and XUV 500 and the Tata Safari; the Duster doesn’t really have it easy, however, as mentioned earlier, it packs enough to upset the scales in a big way. As a product, the Duster is a typical urban SUV that offers the quintessential butch looks, imposing stance, spacious interiors and a quality fit and finish. Set your eyes on the Duster and you are bound to be hooked. It’s a striking looking SUV that boasts of clean lines and dimensions that are perfect for the urban environment.

While Renault has a lot riding on the Duster, the vehicle itself has a lot of merit. It features a modern monocoque construction, smart technology, quality interiors and offers a fuel efficiency that is comparable to some high end hatchbacks! The competition doesn’t quite measure up on most accounts. While the XUV 500 is a monocoque shell as well, the Scorpio, Force One and Safari feature a more archaic body on ladder frame construction.

Due to this, the Duster benefits in terms of kerb weight as it is almost 40 per cent lighter than its direct competition and this has an immediate impact on performance as well as fuel efficiency. In both departments, the competition has a lot of catching up to do.

Despite the Safari, Scorpio, XUV500 and Force One being a size or two larger than the Duster, it manages to offer a rather decent amount of space in terms of both luggage and passenger carrying capacity. Smart packaging, efficient allocation to fitments, a solid level of kit as well as the best fit and finish in its class work in the Duster’s favour and it does hold its own against the competition. The Duster does lose out on absolute passenger carrying ability and while the competition can pack in seven or eight adults, the absolute functionality of the rear jump seats can be questioned by a large segment of owners.

In fact the Scorpio is a prime example of a vehicle that would have been better off as a five seater with ample rear bench space rather than a congested seven seater. Incidentally, the Duster is wider than the Scorpio and this extra width also plays its role in offering passengers more shoulder room on the inside.

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In terms of performance, the Scorpio, XUV 500, Force One and Safari come across as a league apart compared to the Duster. Firstly, all these vehicles boast of 2.2 litre engines that are capable of churning out anywhere between 120-140PS and 270-320Nm of torque. The top diesel variant of the Duster incidentally only makes 110PS and 248Nm of torque and boasts of being a small 1.5 litre unit. While the Duster may seem outclassed on paper, it’s important to understand that it weighs anywhere between 40-45 per cent lighter than the competition! Do the math; calculate the power to weight ratio and you will see a different story unfold.

The top diesel Duster measures up to the competition with élan and the refined mill is capable of taking the Duster to three digit speeds rather quickly. The added benefit of all this is fuel efficiency. With a lightweight body and smaller engine, the Duster achieves a significant difference in mileage as compared to the competition.

From the looks of it, it seems like Renault did their homework rather well. While one might argue that the Duster isn’t offered as a 4x4, the truth is that the market for 4x4 SUVs is rather limited in terms of absolute numbers. Having said that, the Renault hasn’t denied the possibility of introducing such a variant in the near future. What the company has done, is show their mettle in manufacturing a value for money product that literally outshines the competition and is set to usher in a paradigm shift in the affordable SUV segment.

All it has taken is smart engineering, new technology, value and quality. Brand value has not played a major role in this affair and while the Renault Duster might walk away with the laurel wreath right now, its time for the Indian manufacturers to capitalize on their strengths of cost effective development and work towards creating a product that outshines the Duster.