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The steering is one-finger light at slow speeds, but pick up the pace and you find yourself wishing for more feedback. The air dam is also larger than before and while the LED tail lights look fantastic, the highlight for me would have to be the newly-designed gunmetal 16-inch alloy wheels.The Duster has now received extensive updates and Hyundai has launched new variants of the Creta too, making the game all the more competitive.Price difference of nearly Rs 2 lakh vs the Duster is hard to justify. Then I came across two of India's most popular compact SUVs, which made me realise that my preference is not a rule but an exception.Fire up the engine and it settles into a refined burble. In the automatic, the seatbelts aren’t height-adjustable, the MID isn’t as detailed as the one you get in the top-end manual variant and while the considerably cheaper Elite i20 gets auto-headlamps, a cooled glovebox and a reach-adjustable steering, the Creta doesn’t.Safety features (Dual Airbags, ABS with EBD, Hill Start Assist, ESP). It’s modern, has the typical amount of edgy design elements you’d expect from an Asian carmaker, and is quite fashionable.The additional ground clearance offered by compact SUVs comes in handy for the Indian roads. With the Koleos, Fluence and Pulse being a rarer sight than an honest politician, the Duster got the French marquee laughing all the way to the bank.66 to 1. For those who want an urban runabout, it is the safer bet, but rest assured, if you want an involving driving experience, the Renault is the way to go.Renault Duster AutomaticWhat We LikeImpeccable ride quality and ability to deal with bad roads.Ergonomics could have been better. Problems Well, there are a few odd omissions.6-litre CRDi engine more refined, the engine is more rev happy and the gearbox is more intuitive as well.Well-matched engine and gearbox combination that’s easy to use. Highlights include swept back headlamp clusters with projector lights, LED light guides, 17-inch alloy wheels and faux skid plates. The primary issue with the Duster’s cabin would be the awkward ergonomics. The Duster is all about durability and dealing with the rough stuff, while offering some creature comforts along the way.92 lakh and it is good value for the price. It pummels through the worst roads without breaking a sweat and gives you the confidence to take on broken patches without lifting off the throttle. You can drive it enthusiastically and have some fun, and when you’re looking at some relaxed and smooth commuting, the autobox’s slick gear changes make the Creta great for the chauffeur driven lot as well. The ride quality, while compliant, can’t demean potholes like the Duster. The 205mm ground clearance is also more than the Creta (190mm), but bear in mind that the AMT only comes with front-wheel drive, so you will need the manual AWD for off-roading. Let go of the brake and the car creeps forward at a steady pace and crawling traffic is a breeze to manage. The black and brown dashboard looks good and works well with the new piano black centre console that gets silver garnishes on either side. Great handling too.Hyundai’s brand reputation and after-sales support.With the Duster facelift, Renault definitely improved the utilitarian cabin of the older model.Both cars offer a stable drive, but the Duster’s brakes offer more bite and are better to use, especially on the highway. Everything from the windshield washers to the request buttons on the door handles have been integrated seamlessly, but if I had a grouse, it would be the rear design. Plastic quality has improved over the pre-facelift model, but still isn’t anything to write home about. Whether it’s the length, width, height or wheelbase, the Creta is smaller than the Duster in every dimension, but it has a perfectly proportioned layout. If you are looking at extensive highway usage, need exemplary bad road ability and want the better driver’s car, the Duster takes the cake. Simply put, the Duster’s powertrain gets the job done, while the Creta’s does it with precision.

To filter through trucker traffic on inclines, simply slot it into manual mode and with a little patience, you can have a really enjoyable drive.What We Don’tTop-end automatic variant misses out on many features you get with the cheaper manual equivalent (hill-start assist, 6 airbags, vehicle stability management, height-adjustable seatbelts).Interior quality and infotainment system leave a lot to be desired.5-litre turbo-diesel engine that’s good for 110PS of power and 245Nm of torque, paired with a 6-speed AMT gearbox. Also offered is a touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, and the 6-speaker sound system’s quality is appreciable. Apart from the gaudy chrome strip above the number plate, the rear end just looks a bit awkward. The Creta’s dark beige-black layout is easy on the eyes, while the generous glass area keeps things airy, at least at the front. While the 18PS and 15Nm surplus give it an advantage, it’s the 6-speed torque-converter gearbox that makes the real difference. Not only is the 1. While it is a head turner, it doesn’t have the aesthetic aggression many want from an SUV, but that also makes its appeal more universal. However, it still doesn’t quite match up to the Creta’s cabin layout.What We Don’tAMT gearbox doesn’t offer seamless gear changes and is slow to respond. The Creta, on the other hand, prioritizes comfort and features over driving dynamics and is for the person who wants a premium all-rounder. Got around Rs 12-15 lakh in the bank and wondering which one to buy We’ve got you covered!ExteriorsI’ll be honest, when the Duster first came out, I China brake booster wasn’t a big fan of the design. The interior defines the Creta as the offend-no-one offering it is.However, it is plagued by the typical AMT drawback – jerks.Ride, Handling and BrakingWhile Hyundai offers the better engine and transmission package, the Duster’s ride and handling is nothing short of a benchmark. The seat compound is also a little firmer which makes it more comfortable for highway trips; speaking of which, you also get cruise control (unlike the Creta).As a package, it’s quite close to the traditional idea of an SUV and has the right amount of ‘butch’ going for it. Slam the pedal down and there’s a wait of around 2 seconds before the downshift, making overtakes a bit tricky at times.Interior, Features and SafetyIt’s hard to believe just how much of a quality benchmark Hyundai has become.The steering does need a little effort to use in the city, but is well-weighted and direct at highway speeds. While I adapted to the audio and phone control unit being behind the steering wheel, the climate control buttons and infotainment screen don’t fall into your line of sight and need you to take your eyes off the road to operate them. However, the launch of the Creta has proven to be every rival’s nightmare come true, with the model racking up over 1 lakh bookings in less than a year of its launch. The Duster was nothing less than a saviour for Renault India.

The Duster, though, can accommodate 3 people with a little more ease in the rear seat and the boot is also larger (475-litres vs the Creta’s 402-litres).5ft tall) will have no trouble finding the perfect driving position, courtesy the height-adjustable driver seat and tilt-adjustable steering wheel.Adequate interior space and storage capacity. It’s not a powertrain for the enthusiast, but works well in the city and makes the Duster a capable highway cruiser as well. Gear changes are not seamless and the transmission isn’t quick to respond.\The feature list isn’t as expansive as the one in the Creta though.Torque-loaded engine offers great mid-range performance.Average handling and driving dynamics. Vibrations are noticeable, but the motor is well-tuned as far as diesels go.However, the Creta’s neutral mannerisms mean it has more mass appeal.Hyundai Creta AutomaticWhat We LikeA well-performing urban all-rounder.com. Space, though, is generous and while the seats don’t get leather upholstery, they’re more supportive of larger frames than the Creta. Hyundai, on the other hand, took surprisingly long to catch up with the UV trend.Variant to variant, the Duster is cheaper by Rs 1. The Duster AMT does get ABS with EBD, ESP, hill-start assist and a driver airbag, but unless you get the range-topping RxZ variant, the passenger doesn’t get an airbag. Ergonomics are spot on and everything from the steering mounted controls, climate control console and window switches fall to hand easily.The Creta, however, does get the superior powertrain. Undoubtedly, a few additional centimetres of ground clearance has a significant effect on your drive, but I have always liked the dynamics of a sedan. However, if you want a premium, feature loaded SUV with a sedan’s ease of use and a smoother everyday driving experience, the Creta is still unmatched. Forget a smart-key, you don’t even get a flip-key. Throttle response is good and what you’ll really appreciate is the engine’s mid-range which translates to fantastic in-gear acceleration. It seemed a bit too ordinary.I always find it quite difficult to understand the enchantment of compact SUVs.VerdictWhile both cars fall into the same segment, their personalities are worlds apart. Overall, though, its slender profile and clean layout has and will find a lot of takers, though I prefer the Duster’s muscular design.Source: CarDekho. You get a smart-key and a push-button starter, leather upholstery (recently introduced with the AT), electrically adjustable and foldable wing mirrors and rear AC vents. However, the Duster is hands-down the more fun to drive machine of the two and is only let down by the lazy gearbox.

The Creta AT gets dual-airbags and ABS with EBD as standard, but unlike the top-end manual grade, you can’t have it with 6 airbags, ESC or hill-start assist.The Creta’s powertrain just feels more modern, especially considering the price point these rivals have been placed at. The Creta though, isn’t old school in any sense of the word.Engine and PerformanceWhile the Creta gets two diesel engine options and the Duster’s oil-burner is offered in two states of tune, the two-pedal versions only get the most potent iterations.Space is no problem either and even taller chaps (I’m 6. Powering the Duster AMT is a 1. With the facelift though, Renault’s done just enough to make it visually attractive and while the dimensions and core design remain the same, you get nice touches like the chrome-accented smoked-out headlamps, a chunky two-slat chrome grille and dull-silver skid plates.Expansive feature list. The seats are comfortable and supportive for people with a medium build, though larger folks will find them snug. The only issue is the steering’s stubborn return-to-centre action, which gets in the way of hard cornering.Decent styling package with universal appeal.Muscular design.As you’d expect from a Hyundai, the cabin is attacked with features. Nose dive under hard braking is also managed better in the Renault. Meanwhile, the Creta feels like a tall-boy Verna. The engine offers a healthy amount of torque before the turbocharger kicks in, and that highlights the fact that the gearbox has a tendency to hold onto a gear for longer than required. The Duster does get a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, but the touch response isn’t as smooth as the Hyundai’s and the interface just feels dated. There’s no noticeable turbo-lag and while slamming the pedal does make the engine sound gruff, downshifts are quick and there’s little guesswork involved