Renault Duster is in the talks since it is launched in India, but we need something to prove that ‘it is going very well in the Indian blood’, and now we have the evidence to prove our mettle.
Claiming itself the best SUV on Indian shores, Duster had yielded sales of more than 6,300 units against the 4,700 units of Mahindra Scorpio in March 2013. Will complete a full year after the India launch in July, the Indian king had seen a good amount of blow from the world’s cheapest SUV brand, and it’s true, they are doing well in other countries also.
For more than a decade, Scorpio had been ruling the Indian SUV fraternity, with its dirt defying looks and power, the makers had cashed a lot on this brand, and similarly the true and only off-roader Thar is also made available in India. Lest, in spite of such exclamations and the premium pricing of Rs. Rs 8.94 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai), Duster managed to make way deeper in our roots, which Mahindra was asking its product for a cheaper tag of Rs. 7.54 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai), both prices slated in the diesel and entry level variant.
As learnt, M&M is not going easy in the way of losing market grip, and will launch new Scorpio in the next couple of years i.e. by 2015.
Commenting on the achievement, Sumit Sawhney, executive director, marketing and sales, Renault India, said, “The Duster is a very well accepted product in the market. This gives us the confidence for a better performance. We have made additions to the product which has helped us achieve incremental volumes”.
Lastly, Renault shares the Chennai facility of Nissan for producing Duster here, which earlier the French carmaker also shared a joint venture with Mahindra till 2010. Also taking the pitches in its stride, Nissan too will launch the duster based SUV in October this year.