Two important models have now entered India’s competitive mid-size SUV space- the third-generation Renault Duster and the Skoda Kushaq facelift. Renault launched the Duster on March 17th, with a starting ex-showroom price of Rs 10.49 lakh, while the Kushaq facelift was introduced days later, priced from Rs 10.69 lakh. Let’s now see how the two compare on various fronts.
The facelifted Kushaq measures 4,229 mm in length, 1,760 mm in width, and 1,612 mm in height. It has a wheelbase of 2651 mm. It also has an unladen ground clearance of 188mm. The new Duster is 4,346 mm long, 1,815 mm wide and 1,703 mm tall. The wheelbase here is 2,657 mm. The ground clearance here is 212mm- significantly more than that of the Skoda.
Talking of boot space, the Duster has 518 litres on offer, measured up to the parcel tray. 700 litres measured up to the roof. The Kushaq facelift, on the other hand, offers 491 litres of boot space. The Duster has a clear edge in these.
The facelifted Kushaq looks more European than its predecessor. It looks much more premium and comes with a new, larger grille, with an illuminated light band, full LED lighting, sequential turn indicators, 17-inch wheels (16-inchers on lower trim), connected LED tail lamps and illuminated Skoda lettering at the rear. Not much has changed in the silhouette. The facelift comes in eight shades, including three new ones.
The new Duster, on the other hand, has a more rugged and upright design. Renault has made notable design changes on the India-spec model, although it shares much of its silhouette with the European-spec. It gets sleek, eyebrow-like LED DRLs, ‘DUSTER’ spelled out on the grille section, LED headlamps, 18-inch alloy wheels, bold body cladding, connected LED tail lamps, C-pillar mounted rear door handles, and an integrated rear spoiler. It comes in six colour options.
The cabins of both SUVs look premium and are well laid-out. Both the Kushaq and Duster come with good equipment levels as well.
The Kushaq gets a panoramic sunroof, massage function for the rear seat, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster (virtual cockpit), ambient lighting, 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless charger, front parking sensors, electric and ventilated front seats, six-way adjustment for driver’s seat, cruise control, rear view camera, cooled glove box, connected car features, climate control, auto-dimming IRVM and more. Notably, features like a 360-degree camera, powered tailgate, an electronic parking brake and ADAS are missing even on the facelift.
The top-spec Duster’s feature list consists of a panoramic sunroof (absent on the European spec), powered tailgate, electronic parking brake, 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, six-speaker Arkamys audio, wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, powered and ventilated front seats, 360-degree camera, 48-colour ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, wireless charging bay, level 2 ADAS, and more.
Most importantly, the Duster comes with built-in Google integration that makes more of the vehicle functions software-driven. The Duster seems to have a slight edge even on the equipment front.
Both SUVs come well-equipped with safety features- the Kushaq facelift gets 40+ safety features including six standard airbags, rain-sensing wipers, ABS, electronic stability system, rear wiper and defogger, auto-dimming IRVM, and more. Even the Duster gets six airbags as standard. Here, however, higher variants come equipped with ADAS. Disc brakes are also offered on all four wheels, while the Kushaq gets discs at the front and drums at the rear.
The Kushaq already has a five-star Bharat NCAP safety rating while the Duster’s results haven’t been published yet.
Skoda offers a 4-year/100,000 km warranty on the facelifted Kushaq. Additionally, four years of roadside assistance, and four labour-free services can also be availed, as part of the ‘Skoda Super Care’ package. Renault, on the other hand, offers a more comprehensive warranty coverage- seven years or 1.5 lakh km! This is in fact, an industry-first, and will in the larger picture, help the company regain customer confidence.
Both the Duster and Kushaq facelift are petrol-only models. The Kushaq facelift comes with two engine options- 1.0L turbocharged petrol and 1.5 turbocharged petrol. The former makes 113 hp and 178Nm while the latter has an output of 148hp and 250Nm. The 1.0L engine comes with a manual and a new 8-speed torque converter automatic transmission. The bigger engine is now only available with the 7-speed DSG automatic box.
The Duster comes with two engine options at launch: 1.0L turbocharged petrol making 98hp and 160Nm and 1.3L turbocharged petrol producing 160hp and 280Nm. The smaller engine is only available with a manual transmission while the other can be had with a six-speed AISIN-sourced wet-clutch DCT as well. A strong hybrid variant is expected to join the lineup around the festive season.
As for the prices, the Duster starts at Rs 10.49 lakh and goes up to Rs 18.49 lakh, both ex-showroom. The Kushaq has a slightly higher starting price of Rs 10. 69 lakh, ex-showroom. The range-topping variant of this SUV costs Rs 18.99 lakh, ex-showroom. Both SUVs are available in five broad trims each- Classic+, Signature, Sportline, Prestige, and Monte Carlo on the Kushaq and Authentic, Evolution, Techno, Techno+ and Iconic on the Duster.
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