Dhurandhar means being a top gun in your field, which the original Duster was from 2012-15. Then, it ran into the undisputed Animal of the SUV market – the Creta. This ‘alpha male’ has been hunting every other SUV ever since, and be it a Maruti or a Toyota or even a Kia or a Tata, the Creta has decimated the competition.
The Duster – discontinued in 2022 – is now back. We drove it in the Himalayas, and realised that it’s not just a successor to the original, but has refined its rugged DNA and polished its physique to challenge the Alpha.
Duster in brief
Pricing starts at Rs 10.49 lakh, but if you book before March 31 – under the R-Pass scheme – you get Rs 20,000 off on entry variants and Rs 40,000 off on top variants. Engines are turbocharged petrol – 999 cc (100 PS, 166 Nm, 6-speed MT), and 1,333 cc (163 PS, 280 Nm, 6-speed MT/DCT). A strong hybrid variant will be launched on Diwali.
It has 212-mm ground clearance and boot space of 518 litres (till parcel shelf) and 700 litres (till roof). The tech-forward cabin features Google built-in (Maps, Assistant, Play), 17 ADAS features, panoramic sunroof, and ventilated seats.
Ownership is supported by a 7-year Renault Forever warranty. It has a butch styling, in the same league as a Seltos or a Sierra – and when you shut the doors, the build quality appears robust.
Drive in brief
We picked the 1,333-cc MT for this review, and tested it on riverbeds, mountains, traffic, and highways.
Seats: Both front and rear seats are bolstered, and comfortable for long drives.
Space: The cabin is large, and even though the rear seating area has a tall central tunnel, three adults can be comfortable.
Ride: Peak 280 Nm torque is available as low as 2,000 rpm, when the turbo kicks in, and the Duster just takes off from there. Overtaking long trucks on a highway happens in a matter of seconds, and while driving uphill, there is no apparent lack of power. The MT shifts smoothly, and on highways in sixth gear it returned more than 20 km/litre.
In a mix of urban driving, hilly roads, and highways, it returned 15 km/litre. In traffic, however, the engine tends to stall at times in the auto start-stop mode.
Off the road: It’s not a four-wheel-drive SUV, but its tall ground clearance ensured we were able to drive it over a dry riverbed fairly easily.
