Renault India is continuously testing and validating the Duster in India to iron out every niggle before its introduction prior to Diwali this year. Renault will manufacture the Duster and offer it as an aspirational vehicle in the affordable segment. Renault is betting big on the Duster, if the Renault brand needs , it all comes down to how well the Duster is received.
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Once the Duster is done and dusted, Renault can move to the Sunny-based sedan in the final months of 2013. This is another important as the Sunny helped Nissan India get a new face. Renault can hope that the redesigned Sunny will lend them a helping hand and shift more Renault cars into the market.
Indian Autos Blog reader Shriram N came to us with an image of the Renault Duster testing in Chennai last week. These Duster mules have been like public transport buses – there isn’t a route they haven’t traversed!
After Ford’s unveiling of the EcoSport, Renault must be telling their guys to speed up the formalities so that the car can get a head start. The Mahindra mini Xylo is the other SUV that’s testing in Chennai with the objective of pipping the other two to the finish line.
Romanian car manufacturer and Renault group brand Dacia announced a few days ago that sales of the Duster have surpassed 3 lakh units worldwide.
The Duster started life as an aspirational SUV for the European markets where the so called “status SUV” was an import beyond the means of the middle class.
After Ford India released more details on its mini SUV EcoSport through its official website following the Beijing debut, the battle lines have clearly been drawn here in India.
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Though Renault displayed the Duster at the Auto Expo, it has not explicitly described the vehicle. The French company believes the Duster can change the perceptions and feelings people associate with Renault India. There are a few mini SUV models in India, and competing in a less populated segment gives them a better chance of establishing their brand.
IndianAutosBlog.com reader Shehzad Raaz has spotted a convoy of Renault Dusters in Chennai, out testing for a variety of reasons. Our hunch is not all the test mules use the same powertrain.
As we’ve written before, Renault is yet to get an original car in the sub-10 lakh segments where over 80% of the cars are bought in India. The Pulse a Micra behind a mask, even though the effort is valiant by the Indian designers to give it a different personality. The sheet metal panels and side profiles match and this has earned the Pulse not a lot of applause.
In our last article dealing with the Renault Duster, we familiarized you with all the details on the Dacia Duster, a rebadged Duster that launches in the UK in January 2013.
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Both Dacia and Renault versions of the Duster will be manufactured at the Renault-Nissan alliance plant at Oragadam, Chennai, from where it will be exported to the UK. The UK prices, in ballpark terms, are already revealed (check them out here) and we would like Renault India to price it identically here as well.
As India awaits the launch of Renault Duster, Dacia is all set to unveil it in the United Kingdom. The company has already started its pre-launch marketing activities in UK. Dacia is accepting a deposit of just GBP 100 (INR 8,200) to pre-book the Duster.
The Romanian budget brand will launch both 4X2 and 4×4 versions of the Duster in UK meaning both will be manufactured in India at the Renault-Nissan alliance plant in Oragadam, Chennai, from where it is exported.
‘Cut-Price’ seems to be the mantra for success in the Indian Auto market. A lot of manufacturers are introducing cheaper variants of their existing lineup to attract a wider audience. A cheaper variant not only makes the product more attractive when comparing it with rival propositions but it also make the product an aspirational upgrade.
So Renault has decided to test this mantra by launching a limited edition cheaper Fluence variant called Advantage Edition. The Renault Advantage Edition is yours for 11.99 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi that’s a whole 1.64 lakhs cheaper than the Diesel E2. Considering this is a limited edition, we think that this is a stock clearance sale.
