Renault Duster bookings cross 6,000 in five days

Just five days into its launch, the Renault Duster has already bagged over 6,000 bookings. The response isn’t surprising considering the compact SUV’s enticing pricing – the Duster starts at Rs 7.19 lakh for the base petrol variant and Rs 7.99 lakh for the base diesel spec. The top-of-the-line RxZ diesel variant with all the bells and whistles is offered at Rs 11.29 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom Delhi).  

Though the initial response to the Duster has been encouraging, Renault knows that it’s still too soon to pop the bubbly. Its challenges include enhancing brand image and delivering cars to owners in time. According to some reports, the waiting period on the Duster already extends to two months. To address these issues, Renault has announced plans to ramp up its dealer and service network from 55 currently to 100 by the end of 2012. The company is also mulling expanding production capacity at its Chennai plant, which currently stands at 4 lakh units and is nearing saturation. Related: Renault Duster Variant Highlights

Renault wants to sell 30,000 cars this year – almost a 20-fold jump from last year – with the Duster accounting for a major chunk of those sales. The company is also betting on another mid-sized sedan, rumoured Scala, which is likely to see a Diwali launch. The Scala will essentially be a rebadged Sunny with added features which may see it being priced at a slight premium than its cousin from Nissan. According to a PTI report, Renault is also focusing on bringing in smaller cars that cost below Rs 4.5 lakh though details such as model names and launch dates have not been revealed. 

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