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Crumbling Sales Figures!! If you can look at the data below you can easily understand that the Monthly average sales of 2012 was 3956 which further went on to increase to 4284 in 2013. However, in 2014 the sales average went down by 1000 nos. to 3317 cars/mth. Why? Terrano was cannibalizing the siblings sale. In Year 2015 too, though a brief rise was seen in the numbers (Jan~Mar’15 Avg. 3435 nos/mth); the launch of Hyundai’s Creta made the Renault taste dust!
Renault Duster – Sales Volumes, mentioned below for a quick reference.
New Refresh – Duster, Will it help?
Renault Duster haven’t been refreshed since it was first launched though an AWD version was introduced in September 2014. The bland interiors was again a sore point for the SUV.
The New Refresh 2016 Renault Duster was launched yesterday. The New Duster get a Manual & AMT Variant alongside with Petrol & Diesel Variants. AWD is retained. There are some updates both on the exterior design front and on the mechanical side. There is also a new interior.
On the exterior front, the new Duster gets new headlights, new tail lamps and a new grille. You also get a new set of wheels, which could have looked a little better than they do. The new Duster also get updated front and rear bumpers with new skid plates that have been finished in silver and a new orange paint shade which in our opinion looks quite stunning.
On the interior front, the new Renault Duster facelift gets an updated dashboard with a new centre console and updated instrument binnacles in a new instrument cluster surround. The new Duster will also get an updated touchscreen infotainment system that comes with inbuilt navigation. The new Duster also gets cruise control for the first time along with climate control which is also a new addition to the compact SUV.
Mechanically, the Duster gets two engine options, a petrol and a diesel. The 1.5-litre petrol makes 102PS of peak power and 145Nm of peak torque. The 1.5-liter diesel on the other hand gets two states of tune, a 85Ps and a 110PS. The 110PS makes 245Nm of peak torque and is also the only engine option to get the AMT gearbox option. The 110PS version also gets a top of the line variant with all-wheel-drive.
Visually the New Renault is appealing to the eye.
Will it relive the glory days and help Renault build sustainable numbers?
We all know Renault would want it to be the Next K(w)id on the block, but with very minor changes to the exteriors & interiors volumes should stabilize at 1500 odd units every month. Also expect the Terrano sales to plummet even further making the gain in numbers negligible.
Our Opinion:
The changes are minuscule and we doubt if it could stand tall in front of the in-demand Hyundai Creta! We also await the launch of Honda BR-V which will make the segment even more interesting.