Of all-wheel drive vehicles that have passed Autoreview’s life tests, Chevrolet Niva stood out for the most inexpensive maintenance, Lada 4x4 for the ridiculous cost of restoring after an “insurance” crash test, and UAZ Patriot for its immodest fuel appetite and expensive “post-impact” repairs with frame replacement. Did the Renault Duster stand out in any way? And how!
Renault Duster spent the current season of accelerated life tests in the Chevy Niva company, whose achievements we talked about quite recently. In pairs, cars rolled thousands of kilometers, in pairs they were salted in a corrosion chamber and froze together in a climate chamber. By the way, let us recall: like the Chevrolet Niva, the Duster with a sixteen-valve 1.6 took a worthy “starting” line of 33 degrees of frost, while warming up the interior better, and also gave up at minus 36 ° C.
But the main thing is that both Duster and Niva under their own power reached the finish line of the same route that Lada 4x4 and UAZ Patriot were the first to run in two years ago. A mileage of 28,100 kilometers simulates 100,000 kilometers of normal driving for an average car. But the usual - for SUVs!
The total mileage was 28,100 kilometers. It was divided into ten stages, five of which cars pass light, and five - with almost full and full load.
Compared to the program of accelerated life tests of passenger cars (32,000 km long), the total mileage has been reduced - there are fewer speed exercises. But this does not mean at all that we indulge SUVs - on the contrary, the load has become greater! Firstly, the mountain route is complicated, supplemented by overcoming steep climbs, and even with stops in the middle of the slope. And secondly, the mileage on various soils has been increased more than six times, including the so-called heavy soils - at times you feel like a participant in a trophy raid on them.
And here are the first surprises.
After the usual field primer, it was just right to rename the Duster from “dusty” to “vacuum cleaner” - it instantly, and up to its ears, is covered with dust and dirt from puddles, while especially generous layers fall on the wide hips of the rear arches, hefty sills and settle in the engine compartment , devoid of a seal in conjunction with the hood cover, and the wipers leave uncleaned zones on the glass of epic proportions. Not a car, but a dream of car wash owners!
Instead of limit switches, there are plugs in the rear door opening, so when the doors are opened, the interior light does not turn on, and the locking system does not understand that the door is open
Sharp protruding corners of the backrest folding mechanism made holes in the rear seat upholstery
Door seals, thank God, did not allow suffocation from the dust in the cabin, but their durability caused us doubts: the rubber adheres intensively to the adjacent parts of the doors, which is why ulcers grow on the seals themselves. Strange: similar problems were once on the early Logans, after which they changed the material of the seals, and now - the same rake.
There are questions about the seats. Dropping three 70-kilogram water-filled mannequins out of the passenger compartment (with them and another 50 kg of ballast in the trunk half of the tests pass), we noticed two symmetrical holes on the upholstery of the rear seat back, and under them there were sharp corners of the metal frame of the back folding mechanism that broke through the thin upholstery !
Surprisingly, the vulnerablely routed oxygen sensor wiring with careless insulation was not damaged at all.
The spare wheel bracket that fell off in both places of spot welding was hastily fastened with bolts
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We tried ourselves instead of mannequins to drive off-road with passengers in the back seat - and were unpleasantly surprised that the frame is sometimes felt on the bumps by the back! As it turned out, we are far from the only ones who have encountered holes, and off-road buildup is not at all necessary for their appearance: the same ones were noticed in the upholstery of the same unified seats on the Renault Sandero, which, after completing last year's tests, remained with one of the editorial staff. Renault has recognized the problem and is now looking for ways to improve the design - in the new generation Logan family, it will definitely be different, but for now, the upholstery can be changed under warranty. And Renault employees promised to solve another, this time a curious question. The fact is that the modified power window control units (on Dusters for Russia they moved from the center console to their usual places on the doors) in the dark can only be found by touch: they are not highlighted. But at the same time, there are light bulbs inside the blocks! It doesn't matter anymore who exactly forgot to tick the terms of reference when developing new door panels, the main thing is - let there be light! That is, in the near future the wiring of the Duster will be finalized.
In the rut of “heavy soils”, we must admit, at first we moved out with caution - under the supervision of Chevy Niva and with a cable at the ready. Still, the Duster is more of a crossover than a full-fledged SUV with downshifts and differential locks. They were afraid in vain: the cable did not have to be unwound even once!
Internal plastic door handles are painted - the coating is not difficult to damage
Nonsense - in the power window units, one wiring was missing to connect the light bulb already installed in them (shown by an arrow). The factory should fix it soon
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Let not as bravo as Niva, but Duster drove everywhere. True, due to the wider track and long wheelbase, he earned scars on the bottom and on the protection of the engine compartment, which lost several mounting bolts from the effort, and along the way parted with the protection screens of the silent blocks of the front levers. It turned out that in such conditions, even the “ultra-short” first gear is not able to save the clutch without a reduction gear: off-road and when starting off with a load on steep climbs, it “burned out” and began to work with noticeable twitches when closing.
But the body turned out to be the weakest point - more precisely, its insufficient rigidity. From distortions on the windshield under the seal, there was a small crack, and along the back of both roof drains, the paint cracked as much as 10 centimeters in length!
We turned to Renault in bewilderment - and again we were heard. To increase the rigidity of the body, the plant decided to change the technology of its manufacture - and in July the connection of the sidewall and the roof was strengthened: the external weld in the opening of the tailgate was doubled! By the way, now this is one of the true signs, according to which Dusters, which are now descending from the Avtoframos assembly line, can be distinguished from their Romanian counterparts.
We and the cars would have a rest from off-road, but these tests are called accelerated for a reason: in between “heavy soils”, cobbled roads were waiting for us. This is an equally, if not more, tougher part of the test - primarily for drivers. To say that driving on the “cobbles” was almost a joy, before we could only talk about the UAZ Patriot. And now about the Duster! No wonder we praised Duster two years ago, climbing mountains on it during an expedition to Georgia! Unlike the Chevy Niva and Lada 4x4, the Duster is almost not shaky and noisy, as far as possible when there are stones under the wheels.
But, recall, UAZ paid for the comfort on the cobblestone with wear on the rear shock absorber mounts, Panhard rod joints in the front suspension and tie rod ends, on the Lada 4x4 we updated all four shock absorbers, and on the Chevy Niva we completely went over the rear suspension and, every now and then changing and front and rear shock absorbers, collected their collection of as many as ten pieces.
The handbrake cables rubbed against the bracket (shown by the arrow), but since July, the shape of the hole in the bracket and its position on the lever have changed (pictured right)
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What about Duster? For the first time in the history of our life tests, the suspension did not require the replacement of a single element!
But, alas, we cannot call Duster's suspension impeccable. The fact that just after 4000 km it scared us with a strong roar is not a problem - Uncle Vanya has not forgotten the skills of the after-sales broach of the undercarriage grafted by "our brands", he quickly figured out and tightened the nut that was loose at the factory for fastening the silent block of the front arm. Then it seemed to us that the rear suspension had already rumbled. But the alarm turned out to be false - in the niche of the trunk on the bumps, the spare wheel, which had gained freedom, was jumping: both points of welding with the body were destroyed at the bracket of its attachment. Probably, the same shaking could not stand it and the rubber stop-limiter glued to the hinge of the gas tank hatch fell off, which is why the open hatch began to hit the wing, chipping off the paint.
But the saddest thing is that our tests lasted a little longer - and the suspension would actually rumble. By the end of the run, the shock absorbers retained 65-70% of their resource, but mostly changed together with expensive levers, all the silent blocks of both the front and rear suspensions began to “get tired” before our eyes, and at maximum suspension travels, the eyelets of the levers increasingly reached their brackets. mounts. Recall that with the wear of the rear silent blocks, Renault Sandero also completed life tests a year ago. Not the best lineage.
The ends of the door seals are not fastened and barely hold on to the threshold - they are easy to knock down with your foot when disembarking
To increase the rigidity of the body, the outer seam of the junction of the sidewall and the roof (shown by the arrow) has been doubled since July: from 20 mm to 40 mm
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By the way, there is one more reason to replace the rear trailing arms of the Duster: at the very beginning of the tests, in May, we noticed that the sheath of the handbrake cables was rubbed against their own brackets welded to the levers. We reported this to the plant - and already in July, new levers with a modified and otherwise fixed bracket went to the conveyor. Commendable promptness!
And how does the sixteen-valve K4M 1.6-liter engine feel? Recall that his eight-valve relative on Renault Sandero pleased with enviable health, which was agreed by the experts of the French laboratory ANAC, where we send engine oil samples through the Moscow office of Total, which we take from “resource” cars every three thousand kilometers. In Sandero oil, the content of wear products did not exceed the norm, and the wear coefficient, which shows how much more intensively the motor "aged" compared to normal operation, was 1.44.
For the sixteen-valve Duster, the picture is not so rosy. Remember the dirt in the engine bay? In samples of well-used oil (those that we took on the eve of maintenance), the content of silicon went off scale, or, to put it simply, road dirt and dust. The air filter stopped doing its job, and dirty air found its way into the engine in a roundabout way. As a result, there is a high content of iron and aluminum in the oil, which means abrasive wear of the cylinders and the surface of the pistons and rings.
By the end of the tests, compression had not yet gone out of the norm, but oil consumption had risen to 0.3-0.4 liters per 1000 km, and after exercises involving movement at maximum speed, oil splashed in the air filter housing, which is a sign of gas breakthrough in crankcase past the piston rings.
Having lost the rubber stop-limiter (the place where it was glued is shown by the arrow), the gas tank hatch began to beat on the wing
Fragile door seals do not wipe the paint in the openings, like the Chevy Niva, but wear out themselves (black marks around the perimeter of the door are stuck particles of the sealant)
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As a result, the maximum wear coefficient was 1.74 - we have not seen such a high figure for the entire time of our tests. The motor needs better protection from dirt, and for those Duster owners who often and quickly drive on dusty roads, we advise you to change the air filter more often, without waiting for the next MOT.
By the way, we, as always, reduced the interservice runs by 20% (in the case of the Duster - up to 12,000 km), and the consumables purchased from the dealer amounted to 7660 rubles - in addition to the obligatory change of the air filter at each MOT, it is supposed to change the cabin filter, and through times - candles. Duster is far from the record holder, which was the Hyundai Solaris sedan with its modest 4320 rubles for maintenance, but in terms of scheduled maintenance costs it is comparable to Togliatti SUVs - it cost less than for Lada 4x4 (8300 rubles), and only slightly more expensive than for Chevy Niva (6760 rubles). And we can reckon among the repair costs only the expenses for the front brake pads and a plentiful topping up of oil by the end of the run. In total, 5170 rubles came out, and this ...
This is a new absolute record of our resource tests, which has moved the Volkswagen Polo to the second position! Even if we add the cost of not the cheapest scheduled maintenance, Duster still remains in the lead: each of the 28,100 km of life tests cost us only 46 kopecks (now the “silver” Polo has 49 kopecks / km) - this is 2, 5 times less than Lada 4x4 and Chevy Niva. Not burdensome!
Silent blocks in both suspensions have not yet fallen apart, but are almost completely worn out
The body of the only spark plug (second cylinder) from the kit installed at the factory turned out to be unstable to corrosion - the workmanship “floats”
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But if we add the price of expensive tires (the “evil” Dunlop Grandtrek off-road tires alone cost us 21940 rubles) and 3740 liters of 92nd gasoline (the consumption of 13.3 l / 100 km is not modest - exactly like Frets 4x4 and Volga Cyber), then according to the final results for the entire run, Duster drops to seventh place in the “absolute”. Although among the "rogues" it continues to take the prize, the second place, losing only 12 kopecks per kilometer to the Lada 4x4, which retained its leadership only thanks to cheap tires.
All external panels are made of high-quality galvanized steel (the gray protective coating is visible in the area without paint), therefore there is no trace of corrosion in the calibrated cuts
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Yes, I almost forgot to tell you about the results of 60-hour tests with an open hood in a warm, wet and salty corrosion chamber - this is because Duster has almost no such results, that is, corrosion! As was the case with the Sandero, rust can only be observed on some parts under the hood (among which, alas, there was a cylinder block) and door lock mates, and the main difference is that the Indian steel wheels “Steel” were early “tinted” with corrosion both outside and inside. Strip Wheels. But the calibrated notches on all body panels of the Duster were only covered with a light white coating of oxidized zinc. And after several weeks under the open sky, there were no signs of corrosion even on a large deformed area of \u200b\u200bthe hood that had lost paint.
Why was the hood crushed? Because that's how it's meant to be! As always, our life tests ended with a blow to the RCAR methodology, the results of which can be read on the next page.
| Measurement results Autoreview Renault Duster | ||||
| measurements | Start of testing | Mid test | Completion of tests | |
| Maximum speed, km/h | 153,3 | 158,8 | 153,3 | |
| Accelerating dynamics | 0-50 km/h | 4,6 | 4,5 | 4,3 |
| 0-100 km/h | 15,3 | 15,3 | 15,1 | |
| At a distance of 400 m | 19,5 | 19,6 | 19,3 | |
| At a distance of 1000 m | 36,6 | 36,5 | 36,2 | |
| Elasticity | 60-100 km/h, (4) | 9,2 | 10,3 | 10,7 |
| 60-100 km/h, (5) | 14,1 | 13,5 | 14,3 | |
| 80-120 km/h (6) | 22,0 | 23,1 | 25,5 | |
| Overrun | 50-0 km/h, m | 547 | 765 | 667 |
| 130-80 km/h, m | 801 | 952 | 841 | |
| Braking 100-0 km/h | Braking distance, m | 45,9 | 46,2 | 46,9 |
| Deceleration, m/s2 | 8,75 | 8,82 | 8,95 | |
Ivan Shadrichev
Thanks, Duster did not bother with failures, no matter how hard they tried to kill him (within the framework of the methodology, of course). Even the pendants fell into disrepair exactly at the end of the "resource" - an accurate calculation, however! The air filter area was also subtly calculated: not a single extra corrugation. A spare seems to be needed. As long as the curtain is pristine, the intake vacuum is normal. But even with its slight pollution, the delicate balance is disturbed. I agree that the mode of long-term movement at the "maximum speed" is not typical for normal operation, but it still allows you to identify weak points in the structure, in particular, the ventilation system. In addition to the labyrinth, is it not just right to make a mesh in it in order to limit oil consumption? Unfortunately, on our car there was a superposition of the mentioned unfavorable factors, which led to the extraordinary filling of the receiver of the intake system with oil. I would be very happy if this case remains unique. By the way, the permissible oil consumption - half a liter per thousand kilometers - is indecently large for an unforced engine: with this, the oil does not need to be changed!
And on the Duster it is better not to get into even light accidents. In addition to the usual bouquet of destruction in such cases, the subframe suffers, which is very bad. But even worse, the platform under the left hinge of the hood was deformed, pulling the windshield frame behind it, which is why it collapsed. This has never happened with any other car during “insurance” strikes!
To be honest, I'm not particularly surprised: I see this as a consequence of the marginal savings characteristic of the company when developing the design. And because the desire to own Duster somehow came to naught.
Petr Gribachev
Frankly, from the very beginning of the resource test, I had not only professional, but also personal interest in Duster - I was thinking about buying it. A crossover for that kind of money - isn't it a dream of a city dweller who occasionally travels to the primer?
But time passed, the car wound resource kilometers, and I doubted more and more.
The first call is paint cracks in the gutters of the roof. This is not a trifle, slightly spoiling the appearance: if the paint cracks on a fresh car, will the welds “go” in a few years?
The “eating” of oil by the engine was even more alarming. Most likely, if we only drove on asphalt, there would be no problems. But the Duster is a crossover, and must endure dirt roads. And he, although he is called "anther", in fact, does not tolerate dust well.
But what finally shattered my old dreams was the cost of restoring after a "small" crash test - consider a third of the price of a new car!
Head@s of the people
Messages from the internet forums renault-duster.com and dusterclubs.ru
Today, the 4WD LOCK mode was spontaneously turned off twice in first and second gears: during maneuvering when parking and when driving at a speed of 20 km on a snowy track. To re-enable the all-wheel drive mode, it was necessary to turn off the car, start and turn on this mode again.
Recently, a crack appeared on the windshield near the mirror, the length is already 40 centimeters and is growing. I'm shocked.
Today I removed the cardan to get to the drain hole of the air conditioner, and the outboard bearing bolts were unscrewed by hand.
After buying my Duster, the cardan bolts, the outboard bearing and the tie rod ends tightened up.
On bumps, when the car is rocking, the spring in the back of the driver's seat creaks very disgustingly.
In one place on the passenger door, a rubber seal comes off (thick, which goes along the body), by the way, it also sags a little on top. I push it back, but when the door is opened, it gradually crawls out of the groove again and has already begun to rub in one area.
A couple of days after the purchase, the front door seal came out at the junction, you hook it with your feet during landing and disembarkation.
Heredity
In terms of current repair costs, Renault Duster turned out to be the best among all cars that have passed Autoreview's life tests. But won't a body repair ruin the owner, for example, after an accident, which is modeled by a crash test according to the RCAR method?
The most unpleasant consequences of the impact are the deformation of the spar (the largest fold is shown by the arrow) and the subframe of the power unit
A front end impact with a 40% overlap on a rigid barrier located at an angle of 80 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle is carried out at a speed of 15 km/h. This is an imitation of a "passing" accident, that is, a collision with a car in front. And if the car is not insured under CASCO, its owner will have to repair it at his own expense. Moreover, this bill can be only two or three tens of thousands of rubles, as in the case of the almost uninjured Lada 4x4, or it can be measured in hundreds of thousands - this is already about the UAZ Patriot with its officially unrepairable frame.
Next up is the Renault Duster. A short takeoff run is interrupted by a barrier - and a heap of dry leaves flies out from under the rearing hood. The sight of a torn bumper, a shattered grille and a broken headlight after such a blow is not new to us, but the windshield has suffered only the second time in the entire history of our tests. But if at Fiat Albea a mannequin “flew” into the glass, which, due to an oversight of the operators conducting the experiment, was not fastened with a seat belt, then the Duster’s glass was finished off by the opening that “played” at the moment of impact - insufficient body rigidity again appeared!
The driver's door began to touch on the left front fender that had shifted back. Having bent the hinges of its attachment, the warped hood ran into the right wing, and that, in turn, shifted outward in relation to the plane of the sidewall. Such a shift on the right side, which was not directly impacted, alerted, and later, already on the lift in the Autoreview technical center, the fears were confirmed: the subframe was deformed, and the front of the left side member began to resemble the letter “S”. The cross member connecting the spars was bent so much that, having crushed the air guide casing “along the way”, it hit both radiators - they went like a screw, and not only the lower mount cracked at the radiator of the cooling system, but also the fan mount extension. The upper cross member and the left mudguard of the engine compartment were dented, the towing eye was bent in the opposite direction, and the pinched power steering tubes completed the bleak picture.
First, we went to the Mosrentservis dealership on Krasnobogatyrskaya Street. A rare case, but they didn’t take money for a detailed inspection on the lift, although it took a long time to look. Only three dozen new parts were counted, almost 120 thousand rubles! Of the damaged elements, only the right wing hit by the hood could be saved, and everything else could be replaced, including the expensive air conditioner condenser (19,100 rubles) and a cracked cooling fan bracket, and together with the fan itself (9,650 rubles). The work was estimated at 65 thousand rubles: in addition to removing the engine and gearbox, before installing it on the slipway, a “grinder” and welding would be needed, because the connections of the power elements in Renault are made one-piece in the old fashioned way (unlike, for example, the more modern and technological design of the Volkswagen sedan Polo). Total for the repair - an impressive 185 thousand rubles!
Specialists from the workshops on Bukhvostova Street offered exactly the same services, but they valued their efforts more - as much as 70 thousand rubles. With the same list of spare parts for 60 thousand rubles, 130 thousand came out for a circle.
In the service on Narimanovskaya Street, they offered to change the spar (although they were ready to take on its repair), estimating all the work at 45 thousand rubles, that is, all together it would cost 110 thousand rubles.
It turns out that even if you use any chance not to replace the parts, but to restore them, bringing the Duster into a divine form will be very expensive - only Fiat Albea and Geely MK demanded large sums for repairs in universal services after the same "accident" with exorbitant costs for spare parts, but Renault Sandero can be repaired twice for the same money!
If you go the "official" way, then repairing Sandero will cost almost one and a half times cheaper. The record high prices for the restoration of Fiat Albea and Geely MK are unattainable here, but by adding only 19 thousand rubles to the amount for the Duster repair, you can repair the UAZ Patriot with a frame replacement at dealers!
Sad result. And this is a reason to seriously think about CASCO insurance, which, depending on the insurance company and conditions, costs from 40 to 80 thousand rubles. Anything is cheaper than fixing a Duster even after a minor urban accident!
On the territory of the Russian Federation, the Renault Duster car has been operating for more than 5 years. During this time, the car has won two of the most prestigious titles: the SUV No. 1 in Russia and the car of 2015. The car of French manufacturers is not available in all countries, although the model has been put on the conveyor since 2009. Abroad, Duster received an update in 2013, but in Russia such a car was announced in car dealerships only from.
h2> What has changed in Duster?
The external differences of the car from the previous version are immediately noticeable. This is a new grille and a new shape of the bumpers, which have become more embossed. The SUV now has a different, better optics, lights, rear-view mirror housings, roof rails and a new wheel design. Body color options available.
One of the most important changes implemented in Renault Duster 2015 concerns the engine. In the basic, cheapest configuration, the engine has become more powerful by 12 horsepower with the same volume of 1.6 liters. 114 against the previous 102. And with a volume of 1.5 liters, instead of 90 horsepower, it began to have 109 hp.
The overall dimensions have not changed: the length is 4 meters and 31.5 centimeters. The clearance height is 21 centimeters, the wheelbase is 2 meters and 67.3 centimeters. .
Of the pluses, one can note the high cross-country ability and maneuverability, with rather small cars. only that the body is not strong enough, deforms over time, and also dust strongly adheres to it.
In conclusion, we repeat that Renault Duster is a decent car for a low price.
source:
Armored Renault Duster on tracks and an ambulance at the Army-2017 forum 
How to remove the seats on the Renault Duster 
Renault Duster: price and equipment 2015 
The Germans tuned the Frenchman Renault Duster 
Renault accelerates Duster to 200 km/h 
Renault Duster Dakar collectible model released 
The new Renault Duster received even more powerful engines 
Renault Duster will be offered in convertible and coupe from 2019 
Renault Duster remains the leader in 2016 in the SUV segment
The start of sales of Pylnik in Russia took place in March 2012, and now, after half a year, you can review and talk about the nuances of operation, first impressions, advantages, disadvantages and problems associated with Renault Duster 2012-2013.
The budget crossover Renault Duster is built on a global platform, B0 familiar to Russians from Logan, Sandero and even used for Lada Largus. The body of the car does not shine with design delights, but it cannot be called faceless either. Rather, masculinely serious and self-confident.
Body - dimensions and clearance
The front of the car is with large blocks of headlights, between them there is a large radiator grille with three crossbars under Renault's "chrome" and "rhombus". Powerful bumper - with an additional air intake framed by a protective bar, the lower part of the fairing is also covered with a protection made of unpainted plastic, in the center there is a “chrome-plated “ski”. Round fog lights nestled along the lower edges of the bumper closer to the roadway (the problem is that they get dirty very quickly). 
When viewed from the side, the crossover “plays” with the muscles of the wheel arches, their huge size catches the eye and creates a problem - the rear fenders of the car become dirty even when driving on a dry road. 
Against the backdrop of masculine arches, the doors seem miniature. The Renault Duster looks like the Sandero hatchback has been abusing steroids - built muscle and grown back.
- Dimensions crossover body c: 4315mm - length, 1822mm - width (with mirrors 2000mm), 1625mm - height, 1695mm - height with roof rails, 2673mm - wheelbase.
- Ground clearance above the canvas ( clearance) - 205 mm for 4x2 versions and 210 mm for all-wheel drive Renault Duster.
- The curb weight varies from 1280 kg to 1450 kg and depends on the transmission and engine used.
- Wheel and tire sizes: tires 215/65 R16 are installed on iron or alloy wheels R16. As alternative rubber options, according to the owners, it is possible to install 215/75 R15, 235/75 R15, 205/80R16, 215 65/R16, 215/75 R16, 235/70R16.
- You can choose the shade of body color Renault Duster from eight proposed options colors: white ice (basic), for all others surcharge 8000 rubles - black pearl, blue mineral, gray platinum, red bullfighter, brown walnut, blue electra, light basalt.
crossover Renault Duster with dirty sills and fenders
The body of the budget Renault Duster after six months of operation shows a number of problems. Flaws:
- - really a “dust boot” - a very large dirt (mud collects especially strongly on the wings and thresholds),
- - sick windage of the body (crosswind just blows the car off the road),
- - insufficient rigidity of the body, especially when moving off-road (the body "plays", the doors warp in the openings),
- - the wheel arches must be covered with plastic protection yourself.
Now for the benefits:
- - the body of the crossover is strong,
- - made of sufficiently high quality galvanized metal,
- - high ground clearance
- - small overhangs,
- - under the bottom, all the details are raised as much as possible (with geometric cross-country ability, everything is in perfect order).
Budget interior assembly, trunk volume
The budget interior in the Renault Duster crossover migrated from the Sandero hatchback. A familiar steering wheel with three spokes and a large central part, simple and informative instruments with an on-board computer screen, smooth surfaces of the dashboard and center console.
The front row seats are comfortable only for urban use (not designed for a long time driving), on long trips, the lack of lateral support and lumbar support tire the driver's back.
Seats in the front row with a margin in all directions. Passengers of the second row will be given enough legroom and overhead, there are ventilation deflectors, and three can comfortably fit on a flat sofa. 
Trunk The all-wheel drive version of the Renault Duster in the stowed state is able to accommodate 408 liters, folding the second row seat will provide access to 1570 liters of the cargo compartment. The front-wheel drive crossover has a slightly larger useful volume of the cargo compartment - an impressive 475-1636 liters. 
Now oh interior flaws, there are a lot of them:
- - poor basic equipment,
- - inconvenient location of controls,
- - cheap materials
- - uncomfortable seats
- - poor noise and sound insulation.
Torsional rigidity of the body or zhK / c is a value that characterizes the strength features of the automobile skeleton, its durability and safety. This value has a strong influence on the controllability of the car. That is why the world's famous supercars, equipped with carbon fiber and soft lightweight body panels, are distinguished by the highest values of this very parameter. Let's consider the indicators of LCD / c of well-known domestic models, compare them with the indicators of foreign cars.
Indicators of the Lada Kalina model
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The car skeleton of Kalina was designed taking into account the most important canons of industrial safety. Approximately twelve percent of the body elements on this domestic car are made of high-strength steel. More than half of the iron is covered with zinc. For comparison, for example, on the popular "top ten" only 33 percent of iron was galvanized.
As for the LC / c, Kalina's indicator is as much as twenty percent higher than that of the same “ten”. The PB of the Lada Kalina sedan, even without the use of pillows, has 3 out of 5 stars according to the Euro crash test system.
Despite the large amount of criticism against Kalina, designers and engineers of the domestic automobile plant regularly make improvements. In particular, if we take a closer look at Kalina of the second generation, we will see important points.
For example, what a successful exterior is worth - more solid, aggressive and, of course, attractive. All this was achieved with simple tricks: slightly raised the hood, added more chrome lining and improved the appearance of the optics.
Now, as for the management itself. On the former Kalina, it was worth turning the steering wheel to the right and left, as the car began to roll over, although it retained the straightness of movement. It is not known whether anyone dared to experiment with the steering wheel on bad roads, because it threatened almost with a "changeling".
The new Kalina will definitely not give such a reason, since in addition to increasing the value of ZhK / c, a clear steering adjustment was carried out. As a result, it has become easier to go around road bumps, bumps and pits.
Interesting. Sharp steering helped to make the following settings. The “short” rack technology mastered on foreign cars was used, and instead of four turns of the steering wheel, only three were left. And another change concerned more rigid fasteners.
One more fact is noteworthy. Previously, the fixation of the steering was carried out by means of rubber bushings. The technology is proven, but clearly outdated. And at AvtoVAZ they decided to try, however, only on the left rail support a more rigid method of fastening. This immediately paid off, the stiffness of the steering system increased by as much as 25 percent!
AvtoVAZ engineers did a good job adding a new rear suspension compression buffer as well. The part has advanced characteristics that reduce rolls by several times. Coupled with the increased rates of liquid / c, this gives a powerful effect, and more and more Kalina began to resemble Grant with her confident “taxiing” and smooth suspension operation.
Lada Priora
The next domestic model produced at the Volga Automobile Plant is the Lada Priora. Today it is produced in 4 body variations. Priora Coupe is also present in the line of models - it has not won, however, any other popularity among Russians.
An important parameter of the body of the Priora, again, is the value of zhK / c. It is noteworthy that for Priora this figure is 12,000 Nm / deg in the sedan version. For other variations, except for the coupe, it is one row lower.
Despite this, there are general indicators for all 3 models, implying body dimensions. So, the wheelbase, ground clearance and width are the same for all body types (except for the coupe). As for the length, we recall that the sedan indicators are 4350 mm, the hatchback ones are 4210 mm, and the universal ones are 4340 mm. The body height is also different: sedan - 1420 mm, hatchback - 1435 mm, and station wagon - 1508 mm.
Initially, the roof, hood and trunk were considered the weak areas of Priora bodies. It is for this reason that experts insist on the mandatory treatment by the owner of the car of all internal surfaces of problem areas with anticorrosive.
Priora body protection against corrosion is given for 6 years. In practice, this period is determined by: zinc coating of thresholds, bottoms and arches, as well as the use of low-alloy steel.
Indeed, practical experience has proven that the body of the Priora is incredibly resistant to corrosion. If problems begin, then bumpers fall into the risk group first of all, then bubbles form on the paintwork in the winter season, the paint peels off.
12,000 Nm / deg on the Priory sedan is not a big value. Even the VAZ-21106, not to mention foreign cars, this figure is higher. Thus, it would be good for Priora owners who prefer active driving to strengthen the car frame. In particular, reinforcement should include the installation of strut braces and the modernization of the STC on the axle at the rear.
Lada Granta
Grant's liftback is a 3-volume body, which implies a successful combination of a luggage cover with a rear window. It is noteworthy that in the era of the USSR, liftbacks as such did not exist. There was such a model - IZH-2125 Kombi, but it only embodied some liftback ideas. In fact, such a word was not legalized in the CAS, although there were such concepts as fastback, phaeton and even bregam.
Thus, the Lada Granta Liftback restores historical justice, because in addition to the new name, the car was produced just at the IAP, now referred to as the OAG.
Note. Today, the Izhevsk Automobile Plant is more of a branch of the Togliatti enterprise, which does not engage in its own developments.
Liftback is not just a word. So, this type of body looks good in terms of LCD performance. This figure has become twice as high as that of hatchbacks, although less than that of sedans due to design features.
In particular, the difference in design features between the liftback and the sedan lies primarily in the “rear cross member”. The liftback does not have this part at all, it is not provided for, and for sedans it passes behind the back of the rear sofa.
Note. In principle, the crossbar could be put on the liftback, but in this case all the convenience associated with loading into the trunk would disappear. The car would have lost half its practicality, which is unacceptable under any circumstances, even for the sake of the performance of the LCD.
Trying to somehow compensate for the loss in the housing complex, the engineers went to the following. They added amplifiers in some places, thus increasing the figure significantly, and only slightly falling short of the sedan's result.
In addition, due to the introduction of amplifiers, the liftback became 15 kg heavier, and this, in turn, had a negative effect on the torsion indicator.
Car body stiffness table
| car model | Rigidity, Nm/deg |
| Alfa Romeo 147 3d | 18800 |
| Alfa Romeo 147 5d | 16250 |
| Alfa Romeo 156 | 18800 |
| Alfa Romeo 159 | 31400 |
| Alfa Romeo 166 | 24400 |
| Alfa Romeo | 17650 |
| Aston Martin DB9 Convertible | 15500 |
| Aston Martin DB9 Coupe | 27000 |
| Aston Martin Vanquish | 28500 |
| Audi A2 | 11900 |
| Audi A8 D2 | 25000 |
| Audi A8 D3 | 36000 |
| Audi A8 D4 | 45000 |
| Audi R8 | 40000 |
| Audi TT Coupe mk1 | 19000 |
| Audi TT Roadster mk1 | 10000 |
| Audi TT Roadster mk2 | 22000 |
| Bentley Azure | 18000 |
| Bentley Continental Supersports | 24000 |
| Bentley Flying Spur mk2 | 36500 |
| BMW 7 series E65 | 31200 |
| BMW 7 series F01 | 37500 |
| BMW E34 | 17200 |
| BMW E36 Touring | 10900 |
| BMW E39 | 24000 |
| BMW E46 Convertible | 10500 |
| BMW E46 Coupe | 12500 |
| BMW E46 Sedan | 13000 |
| BMW E46 Wagon | 14000 |
| BMW E60 | 24000 |
| BMW E90 | 22500 |
| BMW F10 | 37500 |
| BMW F30 | 25000 |
| BMW X5 E53 | 23100 |
| BMW X5 E70 | 28000 |
| BMW Z3 mk1 | 5600 |
| BMW Z4 Coupé mk1 | 32000 |
| BMW Z4 Roadster mk1 | 14500 |
| BMW Z8 | 40000 |
| Bugatti EB110 | 19000 |
| Bugatti Veyron | 50000 |
| Chevrolet Corvette C5 | 9100 |
| Chrysler Crossfire | 20140 |
| Citroen Picasso mk1 | 17000 |
| Daewoo Lanos 3d 1997 | 10500 |
| Daewoo Nubira 1997 | 14500 |
| Dodge Durango mk1 | 6800 |
| Dodge Viper Coupe mk2 | 7600 |
| Ferrari 360 Spider | 8500 |
| Ferrari 575M Maranello | 14700 |
| Ferrari F50 | 34600 |
| Fiat Brava | 9100 |
| Fiat Bravo | 10600 |
| Fiat Punto 3d | 19700 |
| Fiat Tempra | 6700 |
| Ford Fiesta 3d 1995 | 6500 |
| Ford Focus 3d mk1 | 19600 |
| Ford Focus 5d mk1 | 17900 |
| Ford GT | 27100 |
| Ford GT40 MkI | 17000 |
| Ford Maverick 5d 1995 | 4400 |
| Ford Mustang 2003 | 16000 |
| Ford Mustang 2005 | 21000 |
| Ford Mustang Convertible (2003) | 4800 |
| Ford Mustang Convertible (2005) | 9500 |
| Jaguar XK mk2 | 16000 |
| Jaguar X-Type Estate | 16300 |
| Jaguar X-Type Sedan | 22000 |
| Koenigsegg Agera | 58000 |
| Koenigsegg Agera R | 65000 |
| Koenigsegg CC-8 | 28100 |
| Lamborghini Aventador | 35000 |
| Lamborghini Gallardo | 23000 |
| Lamborghini Murciélago | 20000 |
| Lancia Kappa Coupe | 27350 |
| Land Rover Freelander 2 | 28000 |
| Lexus LFA | 39130 |
| Lotus Elan | 7900 |
| Lotus Elise S2/Exige (2004) | 10500 |
| Lotus Esprit SE Turbo | 5850 |
| Maserati Quattroporte 2008 | 18000 |
| Mazda CX-5 | 27000 |
| Mazda CX-7 | 23700 |
| Mazda Rx-7FD | 15000 |
| Mazda Rx-8 | 30000 |
| McLaren F1 | 13500 |
| Mercedes SL R230 | 16400 |
| Mercedes SL R231 | 19400 |
| Mercedes SLS Roadster | 18000 |
| Mercedes E-Class W212 | 29920 |
| Mercedes S-Class W221 | 27500 |
| Mercedes S-Class W222 | 40500 |
| Mini (2003) | 24500 |
| Nissan Micra 1995 | 4000 |
| Nissan Prairie 4x4 5d 1995 | 7500 |
| Nissan Sunny 3d 1995 | 8200 |
| Opel Astra 3d 1998 | 10500 |
| Opel Astra 4d 1998 | 11900 |
| Opel Astra 5d 1998 | 11700 |
| Opel Combo 1999 | 18500 |
| Opel Corsa 3d 1995 | 6500 |
| Opel Corsa 3d 1999 | 8000 |
| Opel Omega 1999 | 13000 |
| Opel Vectra 4d 1999 | 8800 |
| Pagani Zonda C12S | 26300 |
| Pagani Zonda F | 27000 |
| Pagani Zonda Roadster | 18000 |
| Peugeot 206CC | 8000 |
| Peugeot 407 | 22700 |
| Porsche 911 Carrera S 991 | 30400 |
| Porsche 911 Turbo 993 | 13500 |
| Porsche 911 Turbo 996 | 27000 |
| Porsche 911 Turbo 996 Convertible | 11600 |
| Porsche 911 Turbo 997 | 34000 |
| Porsche 959 | 12900 |
| Porsche Carrera GT | 26000 |
| Porsche Cayman 981 | 42000 |
| Porsche Panamera | 25000 |
| Range Rover mk3 | 32500 |
| Renault Sport Spider | 10000 |
| Renault Twingo 1995 | 14200 |
| Rolls-Royce Phantom | 40500 |
| Saab 9-3 Cabriolet mk2 | 11500 |
| Saab 9-3 Sedan mk2 | 22000 |
| Saab 9-3 Sportcombi mk2 | 21000 |
| Seat Leon 2005 | 23800 |
| Toyota Corolla 3d 1995 | 10500 |
| Toyota Prius 2001 | 22700 |
| Toyota Starlet 5d 1995 | 7600 |
| Volkswagen Fox 2007 | 17900 |
| Volvo S60 mk1 | 20000 |
| Volvo S80 mk1 | 18600 |
| VW Golf V GTI | 25000 |
| VW Passat B6 | 32400 |
| VW Phaeton | 37000 |
| VAZ-1111E Oka | 7000 |
| VAZ-21043 | 6300 |
| VAZ-2105 | 7300 |
| VAZ-2106 | 6500 |
| VAZ-2107 | 7200 |
| VAZ-21083 | 8200 |
| VAZ-21093 | 6800 |
| VAZ-21099 | 5500 |
| VAZ-2110 | 8000 |
| VAZ-21102 | 8400 |
| VAZ-21106 | 12200 |
| VAZ-21106 (racing) | 51800 |
| VAZ-21108 Premier | 10500 |
| VAZ-21109 Consul | 14300 |
| VAZ-2111 | 7400 |
| VAZ-2112 | 8100 |
| VAZ-2115 | 5500 |
| VAZ-2120 Hope | 10000 |
| VAZ-21213 Niva | 8900 |
| VAZ-2123 Chevy-Niva | 12000 |
| VAZ-2131 Niva | 7400 |
| GAZ-M20 Pobeda | 4600 |
| MZMA-400 Moskvich | 2500 |
Of course, the torsional rigidity of the body is one of the most important indicators of a modern car. Let's hope that over time, our engineers will come up with more efficient schemes and refine the design so that domestic cars occupied the top lines in the ranking of the best autocars in the world for this indicator.
Many Renault Duster owners have already experienced damage to the cross member when driving on rough roads and off-road. The crossbar is also a bracket for mounting the exhaust system, in particular the catalyst. Since the cross member is made of thin material, it is easy to bend or twist, the edges are sharp and the effect of an excavator bucket is obtained when the cross member in this position begins to collect snow or dirt on off-road. Catalyst mounting pad bends, a metallic clanging sound appears. The clearance of the Duster also decreases and there is a risk of further damage to the exhaust system.
Standard cross member for Duster (Renault or Dacia)
Renault original codes
- 544C48645R, 544696002R, 544690004R. Vehicle serial number< 110407, Привод = 4x4
— 544C48645R, 544696002R, Vehicle fabrication number >= 120426 and Vehicle fabrication number< 120912, Привод = 4x2; Заводской номер автомобиля >= 110407 and Vehicle serial number< 120912, Привод = 4x4
— 544C48645R Vehicle serial number >< 130123, Привод = 4x2; Заводской номер автомобиля >= 120912 and vehicle serial number< 130123, Привод = 4x4
— 544C48921R Vehicle fabrication number >= 130123, Drive = 4x2; Vehicle fabrication number >= 130123, Drive = 4x4
On the diagram - No. 8, the average cost is 1000 - 1200 rubles.
A new cross member costs around 1000 rubles, the price does not go off scale, but it is obvious that replacing a structurally ill-conceived part is not our method.
Here are some photos of the stock cross member. Owners who have at least once ridden off-road rides will surely understand what is at stake.
Photo of the removed standard Duster cross member. In this case, the code is: 544C48645R
The material is really not the most durable.
Self-manufacturing of the reinforcing cross member of the body
Entrepreneurial Renault Duster owners get out of the situation by manually manufacturing a reinforced subframe cross member from St30X sheet metal with a thickness of 8 millimeters.
Obvious advantages of this design:
- the cross member is flat and rises above the level of engine protection
- the cross member is more powerful and heavier than the standard one, the weight increases by 5-6 kg
- the exhaust system rises from ground level by about 20 mm
In addition to making the crossbar, you will need the following materials and tools:
- WD-40
— anaerobic bolt sealant
— high temperature paint for exhaust systems
- drill 6.5 mm and 3 mm
— bolts M6 25mm blue
Several photos of the manufacturing process and the installed homemade cross member on the Duster
The exhaust system mounting cushion can be lifted by placing spacers.
