Renault Duster 2020 Review - Prices, Specs, Variants, Features and Mileage

In how many variants is the Renault Duster available in?

Renault Duster is offered in three trims and nine variants which is a handful! There are three petrol-powered which basically take on the lower end of this spectrum. The dominating ones are diesel-powered and available in two power options- 85 PS and 110 PS. The top-end also houses an AWD variant which showcased some pretty neat off-roading skills.

2020 sees a host of aesthetic modifications for the Duster and it has managed to breathe a pinch of fresh air into the ageing line-up. The line-up has also been updated with a host of modern tech features to hold up to its modern competition line-up.

Which variant should you opt for?

We would recommend  RXS trim as it is priced aggressively and available with hefty features. It fits best for buyers looking for consolidated Renault Duster price. For Rs. 9.19 Lakh, the RXS gets good looking Ice Blue Graphic instrument cluster with a Multi-information display.

March 2020 Offers on Renault Duster

As the French carmaker makes a transition into the BS6 era, the prices of diesel variants of the Duster facelift have been slashed. Also, the popular K9K diesel powermill will be discontinued in April 2020. So, this would be the apt timing to get a diesel Duster. The Duster AWD models now retail at Rs. 10.99 lakh. 

Notably, there are no discount offers active presently as BS4 stock has been sold out and we are in time for the BS66 transition.

Also Read,

How is the Renault Duster different from its Japanese twin?

Can the Duster take on India's best selling Ford?

Hyundai has an all-rounder on its hands. Can the humble Renault hold up to it?

What are the powertrain options on offer for 2020 Renault Duster?

The Duster is available with both petrol and diesel powertrain options. Petrol engine is a 1.5-litre unit that makes 106PS of power and 142Nm torque. It can be paired with a 5-speed MT and a CVT. The diesel engine is a 1.5-litre unit, too, and is available in two tuned states. One delivers  85PS/200Nm paired with a 5-speed MT only. The other one makes 110PS/245Nm and paired with a 6-speed MT or AMT. It also offers AWD (all-wheel-drive system) option.

The diesel engine is mediocre in terms of performance for the current line-up of competitors, but it still has juice left in it and that is evident in the AWD variant which pumps out 110 PS of power. The questionable part of this powerplant is that Renault is yet to come up with a BS6 iteration and by the turn of events, the current diesel offering is likely to be shelved after April 2020.

The Duster has impressive cruising potential and that is partially due to the smooth-revving duo of motors at hand but the gearbox tends to dampen the experience, wish Renault had rectified its sluggish gearbox setup. The AMT is satisfactory and weighs in on ease of usage.

Performance remains notable as the diesel powerplants are surprisingly silent at lower revs and have a strong mid-range punch which makes it a flexible character on as well as off roads. Ford EcoSport has the most muscle of this lot and that's courtesy of the pompous 1.5L TDCi engine and the slick 5-Speed manual gearbox. Nissan Terrano is the Duster's doppelganger and Hyundai Creta crawls into EcoSport's radar with its energetic performance.

How quick is this potent SUV from 0-100?

Cruising through the city with the new Renault Duster is exciting and becomes more enjoyable, as the power-led performance is enhanced by its X-Tronic CVT gearshift, engineered to avoid shift-shock while delivering responsive acceleration.

The new Duster takes 13.9 seconds to sprint to 100 kmph from halt. Acceleration is commendable taking into consideration, its size and weight and the puny engine it has to counter this. The CVT gearbox is a life-saver as there s no unnecessary shift-lag and that adds up to a polished driving experience.

Hyundai scores here due to its strict diet and that helps in swifter acceleration figures. Ford EcoSport is not far behind as its turbo spools up faster and so, a meaty low-end. Duster and Terrano share the same performance figures as vary only in looks.

How flexible is the Duster's driving dynamics?

Like before, Renault also offers CVT transmission for its petrol variant and a 6-speed AMT gearbox for the diesel variant. The engine dives forward after 1800 RPM mark.  The gearbox feels responsive even in first gear. Notably, it is the only SUV to offer optional AWD setup in the segment. All of these features help provide us with a very under-rated SUV which can put some full-sized SUVs to shame.

The balanced suspension setup ensures good ride quality and joyful driving, be it on the trails or the wide-open roads. Raised ground clearance is also a boon when it comes to Indian driving conditions and added under-body protection helps you stray onto the roads less travelled without a hunch. However, most of its competitors already offer torque converter and dual-clutch transmission. None of its competitors come close to challenging the Duster in terms of flexible driving dynamics, expect the Terrano, of course!

How sure-footed are the brakes on Renault Duster?

The Duster stops rather quickly for a car of the calibre without much effort. In our test ride, the brake anchors dropped at 30 kmph and it was great to see how the SUV brought itself to half with the bulky bodywork and taller ride height. Seeing the Duster fly quickly and stop at a fraction of second is the best thing. Even with the drum brakes at the rear, the ABS setup is smooth and works effortlessly.

With a light chassis and kerb weight of 1236 kg, the Duster quickly decelerates on braking and takes merely 13 feet to become stagnant. The ABS unit works flawlessly and doesn't show unwanted intervention. The top trims, however, could have been a better proposition with disc brakes all around as the asking price surely can afford it.

Renault has engineered the Duster well, as the lower kerb weight deeply helps the SUV to excel both on and off-roads and this is a feat which its competitors struggle to achieve. Hyundai Creta and Ford EcoSport weigh in on the higher end of this spectrum and that surely helps it stay put in high-speed runs but has a toll on its braking setup.

How does the mileage figures hold up for Renault Duster?

Renault Duster mileage ranges from 13.9 kmpl to 19.87 kmpl. The claimed ARAI mileage of Petrol Manual is reported at 13.9 kmpl and for the Diesel Manual is 19.87 kmpl. In automatic variants, the claimed ARAI mileage of Duster Petrol is 13.9 kmpl and for the Duster Diesel is 19.87 kmpl.

The impressive part of these figures is that they are vaguely the same in both transmission setups and that gives a consumer to not be choosy and lose out on the fun bit due to mileage figures. Renault has done this in a rather smart way of coupling manual gearboxes to the subtle engines and the more powerful ones get either an AMT or a CVT.

The competition is, however, consistent and way ahead when it comes to efficiency and that is many because of frequent updation of powertrain options which the Duster lacks. EcoSport is the most vibrant of them all when it comes to balancing performance and efficiency. Hyundai Creta follows closely and surprisingly the very similar Terrano gives better figures.

How gracefully has the muscular design aged for Duster?

The front fascia features a new tri-wing chrome grille and newly designed headlamp clusters with projector lamps integrated with new patterns for the LED DRLs. The front bumper gets tuned updates as well. So, the Renault duster front gets a renewed appeal, especially when the Duster is witnessed in Caspian Blue, one of the latest colours alongside two more colours on offer.  The bonnet itself gets a few tweaks that give it a bold stance and chiselled look. It has been raised too, preferably to meet the pedestrian safety norms. The top-spec model, RXZ, also offers newly designed Everest diamond-cut alloy wheels, upscaling the premium quotient of the SUV.

On the other hand, the rear remains the same, more or less. It does get black plastic cladding close to the tail-lamps. So, yes! allover, there's something new with the Renault Duster this time and it gives a fresh appeal, thanks to the updated front fascia and the new alloys.

The car has a very good road presence, thanks to the masculine look it offers. However, it has started to look dated, and cars like Ecosport and Creta have caught up since they have received regular updates by their respective manufacturers. But the Duster has surely aged like fine wine.

Exterior Features:

• New Tri-winged Full Chrome Grille
• New Dual Tone Body Colour Front Bumper 
• New Projector Headlamps 
• New LED DRL 
• New Mae Black Tailgate Embellisher 
• New R16 Everest Diamond Cut Alloy Wheels
• Front Fog Lamps 
• Waterfall LED Tail Lamps 
• Full Wheel Cover 
• Chrome Exhaust Pipe Finisher 
• Black Kayak Roof Rails
• Black Door Side Sill 
• Black/Body Coloured Outside Door Handle Finish 
• Black/Body Coloured Outside Rear View Mirrors 
• Turn Indicators on ORVMs 

How comfortably spacious is the cabin of Duster?

Those who know the old Duster will notice nice-to-hold new steering, neat new fonts for the instrument console and, the reworked dashboard. The centre console is completely revised and now features rectangular vents instead of older circular units, though the touchscreen infotainment system and climate control dials remain at the same place.

New to the Duster is a second cooled glove box that is located on the left side of the dashboard. An exterior body-coloured embellishment on the dashboard adds some colour to the cabin and the embossed patterns on the seats are appealing too.

However, the cabin appeal is still not at par with present-day SUVs in the market. To be honest, there is extensive use of hard plastic in the cabin and fit and finish is based on basic standards. The driver's seat with a height-adjust lever did not give an impression as well. The ergonomics have been better if the touchscreen is placed at a good height as it takes off your concentration while functioning. However, the standard feature on the Duster facelift from the mid-spec RXS trim upwards; as are the steering-mounted audio controls.

Interior Features:

• Midnight Black Interior Colour Harmony
• Renault Steering Wheel 
• Black Seat Fabric 
• Black Inside Door Handle Finish 
• Manual/Automatic Air Conditioner with Heater 
• Remote Keyless Entry & Central Locking 
• Tilt Adjustable Power Steering 
• New Ice Blue Graphic Instrument Cluster with Multi-information Display
• Front and Rear Power Windows with Illuminated Switches 
• One-touch Turn Indicator 
• Rear Parcel Tray 
• Passenger Vanity Mirror
• Reading Lamps 

What are the various infotainment features on offer?

Renault Duster infotainment comprises of a 17.64cm Touchscreen that comes integrated with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Excluding the base trim, the MediaNAV infotainment will be offered on all other trims. 

A bummer in the infotainment department is the awkward positioning of the touchscreen display which is way down on the centre control stack which makes it hard for both the driver and passenger to control it. The EcoGuide feature is interesting as it scores the driver based on their driving. The infotainment features are listed below.

• New 17.64cm Touchscreen MediaNAV Evolution 
• Radio 
• Bluetooth (audio and telephone control) 
• USB and AUX-In 
• New Android AutoTM & Apple CarPlay 
• New EcoGuide 
• Voice Recognition 
• 4 Speakers 
• New Front Tweeters (2 nos.)
• Steering Mounted Audio and Phone Controls 

How much cargo can this potent off-roader carry?

In terms of comfort, there's nothing new to speak. You get a nice seating height, the flat seats are more supportive than ever and there is reasonable room inside too. As always, the 475-litre boot is large enough to accommodate large luggage and weekend family trail trips.

The tall and wide opening for cargo compartment makes loading and unloading tall and wide cargo much easier. The steep wheel arches also add cargo volume and the spare tyre is neatly tucked below the flat floor along with emergency toolkit which makes optimum use of the limited space.

Duster scores here far and wide as it leaves its competition behind by a huge margin. The credit goes to its wider design language which is absent in its competitors except, of course, the Nissan Terrano!

How good is the safety and reliability outlook of Duster?

2017 Renault Duster failed the NCAP crash tests badly. This hit the automaker hard and so, they brought a facelift and somehow this model secured a 4-star rating in the crash tests. Renault showed us that they can improve drastically on certain aspects and that gives up hope on the automaker's future in India.

Safety features are plentiful with a host of off-road specific ones as well to help you cross trails with ease. The Duster has one of the most comprehensive safety features bundle for the price point.

Safety Features:

• Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
• Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
• with Brake Assist (BA)
• Rapid Deceleration Warning 
• Engine Immobiliser 
• Driver and Passenger Airbags
• Driver and Passenger Seat Belt Reminder
• Reverse Parking Sensors 
• Speed-Sensitive Door Locking 
• Impact Sensing Door Unlock 
• Rear Defogger 
• Electronic Stability Program (ESP) 
• Hill-Start Assist 
• Reverse Parking Camera with Guidelines 
• Rear Wiper and Washer 

How does Renault Duster fare against its potent competitors?

Renault Duster vs Hyundai Creta

Hyundai Creta was a late entrant into this segment, and nobody expected it to become a hit within a few months. While the Terrano was already struggling due to the Renault Duster, Creta’s arrivals dusted the hope of its revival. And why not? The Creta offers a more punchy engine, more variants (which gives more flexibility to the buyer’s), more upscale interior and strong reliability that’s associated with Hyundai’s.

Renault Duster vs Ford Ecosport

This may sound like an Apple to Oranges comparison, however, the Ecosport and Duster have a lot in common. Duster was one of the first cars in its segment, and Ecosport too gave birth to an all-new segment of crossovers. Moreover, both of the cars falling in the same price bracket is a testimony to the fact that they are similar in more ways than one. With the Ecosport, you get a punchy diesel engine and a more upmarket cabin. Moreover, the Sync3 infotainment system available in this Ford is one of the best in the business. What tilts the matter in Duster's favour is its brilliant ride quality.

Renault Duster vs Nissan Terrano

Well, siblings in different clothing! The Terrano’s failure can become a case study for management students, for how even a brilliant vehicle can fail if not priced or marketed well. When Duster came, it took the market by storm, and Terrano had a similar chance too. However, atrocious pricing and lack of aspirational (badge) value made the Terrano fail big time, so much that it’s on the verge of discontinuation. Choosing the Duster between the two is a no-brainer!

Does the 2020 Renault Duster stand relevant, still?

The Renault Duster might have not worked in the market as it was supposed to. With the recent facelifts, the company believes to bring more updates inside-out. With a price bracket of Rs. 7.99 to 12.49 Lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi), the Duster is a complete value for money if the features are to be considered strictly. The 4.3 m long SUV is improving in the crash tests as well. A bummer is the discontinuation of the diesel engine which was a powerhouse but the petrol motor can also work wonders!