Believe it or not, there was a time when the Renault Duster was the king of compact SUV space in India. Those days, however, are long gone. Today it is the Captur that fights Renault’s case in that segment, whereas the Duster tries to attract buyers away from subcompact SUVs. Yesterday, we saw the introduction of the all-new Hyundai Creta, which has an introductory price list starting at Rs 9.99 lakh. How times have changed for the Duster, which once was a fierce rival for the Creta. In its BS6 (Bharat Stage 6) avatar, the Renault ends where the Creta starts. Here’s the complete price list:

• RXE: Rs 8.49 Lakh
• RXS: Rs 9.29 Lakh
• RXZ: Rs 9.99 Lakh

Earlier, the petrol-powered Duster wasn’t available in the RXZ trim. As for the RXE and RXS, their prices have shot up by Rs 49,000 and Rs 9,000, respectively. As promised, Renault has ditched the diesel engine and along with it the AMT (Automated Manual Transmission). It has also gone ahead and taken away the option of the CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). What all those exclusions mean is that for now, the Duster BS6 is available with just one engine-transmission combination. That comprises of a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine, which produces 105bhp/142Nm, and a 5-speed manual gearbox.

Over its similarly-priced competitors, the Duster has size on its side. As far as the standard features list goes, it includes ABS with EBD and BA, dual airbags, rear parking sensors, tilt-adjustable power steering, remote keyless entry, projector headlamps and all-four power windows. The mid-tier trim level ropes in gizmos like a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, rear defogger, cooled storage, LED DRLs, a multi-function steering wheel and electrically-adjustable ORVMs. Go for the range-topper, and you’d get more creature comforts such as a rear-view camera, rear wiper with washer, automatic climate control, electrically-foldable ORVMs, front fog lamps and cruise control.

Later in the year, Renault will add another engine to the Duster’s line-up. That would be a 1.3-litre, turbo-petrol pumping out around 155bhp/250Nm. In all probability, we’ll get the option of a CVT with that mill as well. In our book, the Renault Duster is an excellent buy for someone who puts space, comfort and a good ride quality above everything else. As mentioned above, the Duster is a rival for the Creta, Seltos and the Kicks in terms of size. However, in terms of price, it competes with the Hyundai Venue, Ford EcoSport, Mahindra XUV300, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and the Tata Nexon. Would you choose the Duster over the sub-4 metre SUVs?