Duster has been Renault’s one of the best sellers in its international market, especially India. Talking about India, Duster has been responsible for keeping the company sailing in India. Renault has launched various variants of Duster. The RxZ 110 PS Diesel is the top end variant of Duster. Now, Duster has made a minor but vital change in its top end variant to increase its acceptability among the masses. This change has been made after the company received a feedback regarding this car. The car, after modification, is still the same RxZ 110 PS Diesel variant but has been deprived of the AC unit for the back row seat.
Dacia Duster was launched by the company in the year 2010. In India it is sold as Renault Duster. Duster has been the backbone of Renault in India. The car was received with open arms by the Indian masses. The car was launched with a starting price of Rs 7.99 lacs. In just 1 year after its launch the car sold around 60,000 units of Duster in the country. Since its launch the company was selling on an average 5000 units of Duster monthly. Mr. Sumit Sawhney, the executive director of marketing and sales at Renault India, Mr. Sumit Sawhney, expressing the value of Duster in its line-up “Duster has played a crucial part not just in Renault’s success in India, but also in spearheading the changing landscape of the Indian automotive industry. We are confident that Duster’s unbeatable roominess, performance and innovation will continue driving its competitiveness in the market.”
Mr. Marc Nassif, Managing Director of Renault India said that “Renault has had a very eventful two years in India, achieving sales volumes, network reach and brand visibility comparable to players who have been present in the industry for more than a decade,” .
But the car is facing a lot of problem in this year. At the time of its launch, Duster was the only SUV in the market. But now the SUV segment is the hottest segment in the automobile markets. Almost all the leading car manufacturers have their representatives in this segment. As a result Duster is facing ever growing competition which can be seen in its sales. In the month of June 2013, the company sold only 4,583 units of Duster. In the month of July, the sales dropped down even lower with only 3,058 units sold. In just one month the company saw a fall of 31% in its Duster’s sales. Therefore the company has been trying desperately to increase the sales.
Duster is available in various variants of which the RxZ 110 PS Diesel is the top end variant. It is powered by the renowned K9K diesel engine having a capacity of 1.5 liter which offers a displacement of 1461 cc. This engine is capable of giving an output of 108.5 bhp at 3900 rpm and a torque of 248 Nm at 2250 rpm.
The car has a 5 speed manual transmission and offers a front wheel drive. This top end variant has a mileage of 16.8 kmpl on city roads and a mileage of 19.01 kmpl of highways. The car has an air conditioning system. The manual AC vent for the back row seat was problematic. People who have purchased the RxZ 110 PS Diesel variant complained of not having sufficient space in the back row due to the AC Vent. The company had received feedback from these customers through their dealerships. The centrally placed AC vent did not leave any legroom for the middle passenger. As a result in spite of being a 5-seater, the car was accommodating only 4 passengers. Thus Renault launched this variant, RxZ Plus which is similar to the RxZ 110 PS Diesel in every way except for the AC vent which has been removed. We don’t know although, where the new AC vent has been positioned for the back row seats?
The RxZ 110 PS Diesel variant will cost you Rs 12.13 lacs which is Rs 5000 less than the standard market price of RxZ 110 PS Diesel variant with an option of navigation system. This is the costliest Duster variant offered at a price of Rs 12.18 lacs.
