All-New Renault Duster That’s India-Bound: What It Drives Like [Video]
The new generation Renault Duster, which is sold as the Dacia Duster in international markets, has already gone on sale. However, the Indian car market is yet to officially see the Duster in the country. Now, before it makes it to the Indian subcontinent, a number of reviews of this upcoming mid-size SUV have been shared online. Recently, we came across a real driving impressions video of the new Duster and we thought you should have a look at it.
New Renault Duster
This video of the new 2024 Renault Duster driving impressions has been shared on YouTube by Marek Drives in English. In this review, the host first starts by showing all of the generations of the Dacia and Renault Dusters. Following this, he talks about the dimensions of the new Duster.
He highlights that this time around, the Dacia or Renault Duster has been made a lot bigger due to the new CMF-B platform that underpins various models globally. It is a massive upgrade from the B0 platform that underpinned the last Duster.
Following this, the host then starts showing the exterior details of the new Duster, like the LED headlights and DRLs. He also talks about the butch styling and the road presence of the new Duster. He mentions that it looks a lot more aggressive and futuristic than before.
Next up, he moves to the interior of the car. He states that this particular model comes equipped with a 7-inch screen for driver information and a 10.1-inch touchscreen for infotainment functions. Below the centre AC vents, there is a horizontal panel that houses various buttons for controlling the HVAC system.
Renault Duster Driving Impressions
Next up, he starts driving the Renault Duster and the first thing the presenter talks about is the sound quality of the Duster’s cabin. He states that Renault/Dacia have managed to add a ton of sound-deadening material in order to make the cabin a lot quieter than before.
After this, he talks about the ergonomics of the safety system buttons. He mentions that buttons have been placed in the right place and are easy to use. After this, he talks about the engine options. He states that the Duster comes with a number of different drivetrain options.
There are 3-cylinder 1-litre and 1.2-litre engines that make 100 bhp and 130 bhp, respectively. Then, there is also a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine which is a full hybrid engine, also seen in the Renault Clio in international markets. Both 3-cylinder engines come mated to a manual transmission, and the four-cylinder gets an automatic transmission.
Next up, he talks about the driving impressions of this 1.2-litre three-cylinder car with 130 bhp. He states that the gearbox feels a little disconnected and there are some unpleasant jerks. The presenter then mentions that the handling of the Duster has improved but it does not feel like a monocoque crossover; rather, it feels like a body-on-frame SUV which has more body roll.
In the off-road tests, the vlogger claims that there is a lack of communication between the engine and the transmission. He mentioned that the car struggles in off-road conditions. However, because of different modes, it manages to come out of the obstacles. Overall, he mentions that it is better than before but not the best in the segment.