Hi everyone,
I’m planning to buy the new Renault Duster 2026, specifically the 1.3 turbo petrol manual variant, and wanted some honest feedback from owners and people who’ve taken proper test drives.
My main concern is AC cooling performance in Indian summers (especially peak heat like 40°C+).
I’ve come across very mixed feedback across Reddit, YouTube comments, and Instagram:
Some people say the AC cooling is perfectly fine and had no issues at all
Others are saying the cooling felt weak even during test drives (~38°C), especially in the manual variant
There are also claims that early batches had issues which might have been fixed now, but I haven’t seen any official clarification from Renault
So I wanted to ask real users here:
- How is the AC performance in actual peak summer conditions?
Does it cool properly in city traffic?
How long does it take to cool a hot cabin?
- Is there any difference between MT and DCT in terms of AC cooling?
(Seeing some discussions around this, not sure how true it is)
Any compressor cut-off / inconsistent cooling issues in traffic?
If you own one: which city are you using it in, and what temps have you tested it in?
Has anyone experienced improvements in newer batches vs early deliveries?
Would really appreciate your views on the matter.
Thanks in advance