Just a few years ago, car production had clear boundaries; no one imagined that soon most of the largest concerns would build factories far beyond the borders of their homeland. So, for example, Renault Duster is produced in South America, Russia and many other countries, while in France production volumes are much lower. In this article we will look at where Renault Duster is assembled, and we will pay special attention to the Russian version.
Production abroad
If we consider the geography of the French brand , or rather the Duster crossover, we will have to touch almost all continents, the popularity of the budget crossover is so wide:
- Russia is home to the second largest plant producing cars for the domestic market and some CIS countries;
- The Asian market is supplied with models from India;
- Renault Duster will come to the USA from Colombia and Brazil;
- Production in Romania is considered fundamental, since it was in this country that the Duster model was born - it is highly valued in the markets of nearby countries.
There is also information on setting up the production of models for Asia directly in China, and installing additional facilities for South America in Argentina. Whichever country would like to produce the Renault Duster, a car recognized throughout the world, and in 2015 named the most popular on the market.
Where is Renault Duster assembled: Russian-assembled crossover test
Buying a good car in the off-road class often brings the potential car owner to the showrooms of the French brand. Renault offers the buyer good prices, good equipment and an excellent warranty for its vehicles, so the purchase looks quite logical. You just need to understand which model is better to buy. Among all-terrain vehicles, you should pay attention to the budget and compact Duster. But many potential buyers of the model have a question about where Renault Duster is assembled.
Today, the boundaries in the world for automobile manufacturers have been completely erased. The company is French, but the Duster itself has never been assembled in France, except for versions for world shows and exhibitions. The crossover was developed by a Romanian company, and received the greatest popularity in the first years of its sales in South America. Today, history takes a sharp turn and presents the car as one of the most popular crossovers in Russia.
Duster production in Russia
Let's return to the domestic market and study in more detail the presented production option in our country:
- Avtoframos is located in Moscow, it is from the capital that the Russian model comes to the near abroad;
- This enterprise-plant produces over 80 thousand units of Renault Duster cars per year, which is half the volume of all products produced;
- The French concern initially made a good investment, which made it possible to automate most of the work process;
- Duster is produced especially for Russia according to a separately developed configuration;
- The graduation is controlled both by specialists from France and by our own personnel, who annually undergo internships abroad. Renault is valued all over the world for its responsible approach to the sale of its products - every stage is checked against standards by automated technology and people.
For most domestic car enthusiasts, Duster has become a popular vehicle; it has good technical performance, which will be discussed in the following sections.
Features of assembly in Russia
It is worth noting that although the Frenchman is assembled at a domestic plant, the majority of all units come from abroad:
- The main elements are sent from Romania - since models from this particular country are valued in Europe, one can only be happy for Russian car owners;
- Engines for all but the basic Renault Duster are produced in France and Spain. The base is supplied by AvtoVAZ with its 16-valve K4M engines;
- Steel, tires and plastic for cars are also produced in Russia.
The assembly features of Duster differ in many ways from most cars produced in Russia - more than 70% of operations are carried out by robotics. But it is still problematic to completely put this thing on stream; the welding process is carried out using mechanized tongs, under the control of experienced specialists.
Technical features of the Russian assembly
The most popular French budget crossover received some external differences when released in Russia. So, for example, “our” model has a unique radiator grille, and there are changes in the interior to make it more familiar to the Russian car owner.
The absence of any technical innovations, replaced by simplicity and convenience, is another aspect that is appreciated in Duster crossovers. The vehicle is suitable for use on Russian off-road terrain, having sufficient ground clearance to overcome broken and washed-out roads. In Russia, more “serious” wheels are installed on Renault Duster, regardless of the selected configuration.
Russian configurations
The options offered by the Avtoframos factories are enough for the French crossover to find a buyer in the domestic market:
- Two models with a gasoline engine and one model with a diesel engine are assembled;
- There is also a version with all-wheel drive - not all budget crossover options can boast of this;
- In terms of power units: 4-speed automatic and 5-6-speed manual, also a nice variety;
- The presence of all the characteristics necessary for confident driving in the basic configuration.
In general, car enthusiasts in Russia have plenty to choose from to suit their needs and capabilities.
Price for Russian-made Duster
Unfortunately, in 2020, the Frenchman's value followed the growth of foreign currency, which shifted the budget crossover from first place to a diluted top ten. And if until this moment Renault Duster cars were purchased by the middle class with an enviable desire, now their number has decreased significantly:
- The basic version with 102 horsepower under the hood costs 609 thousand rubles;
- The all-wheel drive version will cost an additional 90 thousand rubles;
- The most expensive package with all the extras costs 945,000 rubles - in this price range there are many worthy competitors from other brands;
- With a diesel engine, Renault Duster in Russia is sold for 816 thousand rubles.
Assembly of first generation crossovers, video
Overall the car is not bad. But that's why they won't finish the fuel consumption sensor. It can show the whole tank suddenly less than half, or at zero he filled in 20 liters and it added one notch. The car is new, under warranty for only a year, and from the first month such a problem at the service center has been shrugged off; everyone has such a problem. Why doesn’t anyone have this problem on old Lada cars?
I have a 2020 Duster under warranty. The paint on the gutters on the roof has started to crack. What should I do? Is the factory responsible for the defect? I think this will have to be resolved in court.
I bought a Duster and didn’t notice that the oil warning light went out after 5-6 seconds, I went to the salon where I bought it, the technicians started fooling me, so I sent them away and left, I think the manufacturer is to blame, it’s just the employee responsible for this, the ram and the donkey
try replacing the oil filter
Good afternoon. In December 2020 We bought a Renault Duster from the showroom in Almaty. But in October I lost the ignition keys (2 pieces). It's unpleasant, it's my own fault. I went to the dealership and ordered two new keys. Ordered on November 6, 2017. The order went to France, that’s what the factory representatives told me. When placing the order, they promised to send the keys in 2 months. It's been 4 months and the keys have not been delivered. They promised to deliver it at the end of March. Are keys really made in France? Why doesn’t the plant in Moscow provide such a service as making ignition keys? Best regards, Elmar.
Results
In general, the car itself remains a good and reliable vehicle, which is still popular around the world, but due to rising prices in Russia, it is losing its position as a leader. And in many ways, it doesn’t matter where the Renault Duster assembly process takes place, the French brand tries to monitor the quality of each model released, however, its cost is no longer able to compete. If it drops by at least 10-15%, then we can talk about the return of this crossover’s former popularity, but now Chinese-made cars have taken the baton of leadership.
What is produced at AvtoVAZ
The budget cost of Renault automobile products is achieved due to the presence of a plant in the assembly country. In conditions of economic instability, the country is forced to increase the level of localization. Therefore, it resorts to the use of domestic raw materials, materials and components.
The basic version of the Duster has a K4M engine, it is 16-valve and 1.6 liters. It is this motor that is supplied by the domestic manufacturer - the AvtoVAZ plant. There are a lot of problems with it and a short service life. An alternative option, a 16-valve 2.0-liter power unit produced in Spain, is many times better.
The popular brands Logan and Sandero have been produced in Moscow since 2005, but not so long ago a decision was made to move production to Tolyati. From official sources, there were no plans to transfer the production of Renault Duster.
How to determine the country of origin by VIN code?
VIN code is a special digital designation, which in some way is a vehicle passport.
Using 17 digits, you can find out the history of the car, determine the date of manufacture, country of origin and other parameters.
The code is based on 17 characters consisting of numbers and Latin letters. “O”, “Q” and “I” do not take part in the code.
It was decided to remove these letters due to the risk of confusion with zero and one.
In addition, a number of other symbols can be made from the letter “I,” which was also one of the reasons for its exclusion.
The structure of the VIN code is divided into three components - WMI, VDS and VIS. From the first part, you can draw a conclusion about the country of origin, in the second - about the characteristics of the vehicle (body type, configuration, model range, etc.), and the third part - about the year of manufacture of the car and serial number.
By the way, the information in part 3 is individual in nature and depends on the car model.
In Renault cars, the VIN code can be found in the following places:
- On the surface of the cylinder block;
- Under the carpet of the front passenger seat;
- Below the arch (near the driver's seat). To see the inscription, you will have to open the doors.
- On the passenger seat pillar (between the hinges).
Now let’s take a closer look at how the VIN code is deciphered for Renault cars.
The first “trinity” of characters shows the country of origin. For example, if the VIN starts with VSY or VS5, the car was made in Spain.
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Turkey is designated VF1, and Madagascar is designated GA1.
If the country of origin of Renault is Russia, it also has its own code - X7L.
Other symbols indicate a French assembly, namely VF1 and VF2, MTU, VNE, VF6 and VF8.
Based on the next symbol, you can deduce the body type. Thus, all-wheel drive vehicles are marked with the letter V, rear-wheel drive vehicles with P, and front-wheel drive vehicles with T.
Designations may vary on some machines. For example, if we are talking about a van, the fourth position will have the symbol F. If the vehicle has three doors, the letter G will be written in this place.
If you need to decipher other body types, there are two types of specifications - new and old.
In the first case, station wagons and hatchbacks, distinguished by the presence of three doors, are designated by the letter A and the number 3. If the car has five doors, the designation is different - 5, 6 and the symbol N.
The new type of sedans have the numbers 2 or 4 in the VIN, and the pickup truck is designated by the symbol H.
In older cars the classification is as follows:
- For a hatchback with three doors - C;
- For a three-door station wagon - K;
- For the 5-door station wagon and hatchback - J and B, respectively;
- Minivan - J and so on.
Using the following symbol, you can draw conclusions about the model range. For example, in Renault Megane cars of the 1st and 2nd generation, the symbols A and M are placed in this position, for Clio 2 and Laguna 2 - B and J, respectively, and Twingo is completely marked with “zero”.
The sixth and seventh positions have symbols that can be used to determine the engine code.
The eighth character is the country where the plant is located (the place where the car was produced). Only letters are used here. For example, if a car is made at a plant in the USA, the letter Z is put, Turkey - R, Flins (factory in France) - F, Spain - E or V, and so on.
The following sign allows you to find out the type of gearbox. Thus, “one” and “two” indicate the presence in the car of an automatic transmission with three or four speed positions.
If the car is equipped with a five-speed manual transmission, the symbols C, D, 4, 5, 8 are indicated.
Next is the year of manufacture. The countdown starts from 1981 (characterized by the letter D) and further alphabetically.
In 2001, the letters end and the designations in the form of numbers begin. In 2010, letters appear again.
The last group of numbers is the series.
The final designation may look like this: VF14SRAP45XXXXXXXX.
