Interiors – The dashboard of the Renault Duster consists of a two-tone black and beige arrangement. Fit and finish is good with no irregular panel gaps anywhere. However, the interiors clearly signify that the Renault Duster is built to a price. The plastics are average and could have been a step better. Renault has worked very hard to slot the Duster in a competitive price bracket and these are just the few bits they had to let go. The doors get a dash of wood to break the black and beige continuity. The front door gets map pockets where a one-litre bottle just about fits. There are two 12V charging points, one at the front and the second behind the left rear seat, a convenient option for those you need to charge their devices on the go. The front seats are comfortable with sufficient back and thigh support.
The rear seats are comfortable and there is enough legroom and headroom behind for tall passengers with average thigh support. The top end RxZ variant gets artificial leather seats while the lower variants get fabric seats, which are pretty good too.
The glove box is average in size and is backlit at night.
There is no rubber beading on the doors and rear doors do not have map pockets at all.
The drivers seat gets 8-way adjustment feature including lumbar support. The height adjustment lever is placed at the front and is a bit flimsy.
The steering wheel feels good to hold but could have been slightly smaller. The footwell is average in size with the dead pedal being conspicuous by its absence. Notice the round dial on the right side, it is the headlamp level adjuster. The AC cools quickly and efficiently and Renault is not offering automatic climate control, not even on the top variant. The rear passenger of the Renault Duster get an individual blower placed between the front seats. This is operated independently and has 2 speed setting. Unlike the Nissan Sunny, it not a mere blower but a proper air conditioning unit. It is however too noisy on fan speed 2.
The Audio system comprises of 4-speakers and supports USB/AUX connectivity with average sound quality. The system also allows you to stream music from your phone via Bluetooth. The best part is that you can go to the next song by hitting the next button on the system rather than doing it from the phone. Calls can be made and answered though the phone menu. Unlike regular cars, the volume cannot be increased from the dial, there are volume increase/decrease buttons meant for the job and take time getting used to.
Similar to the Fluence, audio controls have been provided behind the steering wheel.
The instrument cluster reminds you of the Logan and is easy to read. The is only one trip meter instead of the usual two.
The Renault Duster offers a very big boot measuring 475-liters and you can fold up the rear seats to stretch it up to 1064-liters. Renault is also offering an option to attach 2 jump seats for the kids in the boot. This will be available as an accessory at their dealerships and will be good option for those who want 7-seater practicality.
The spare wheel is mounted underneath contributing to the rear space. The fifth wheel is an alloy with the same specification tire.
Head over to the next page to read about the driving dynamics of the Renault Duster.