It is to happen and it has happened. Putting to test, Renault India’s production capacity, the recently launched Renault Duster SUV bookings have crossed 10k mark. In order to meet the rising demand, the car maker has increased the production capacity so that Duster buyers in India need not wait for delivery of five seater SUV. Notably, the Duster SUV has set in motion the industry that has been in the slowdown pace due to the fall in rupee, high interest rate and high petrol price. The Renault Duster launch has also on the other hand marked the shift in focus from sedans, hatchbacks to SUVs in India. Now people are buying SUVs instead of sedans as Duster SUV comes at the price of a full sized sedan.

Meanwhile, the already high demand and foreseeing high demand in waiting during Diwali, the French car maker has tightened its seat belts and is getting ready for the show. Unprecedented 10k unit booking in one week is what auto experts indicate to be the result of a very robust car or that there were takers but there was no offering till now. Both apply to the Duster in toto as this is the first offering that can be called to be in the compact SUV segment price band and is an offering that is worth buying that the Premier Rio. Meanwhile, the other upcoming SUVs in this segment viz. Ford Ecosport and Maruti XA Alpha are nearing a launch and both the Ford and Maruti seem to have preponed the launch of these SUVs in India in order to cash in the craze that the Duster has set in.

It is also reportedly known that Renault is preparing a seven seater version of the Duster as this is where the Duster has to accept a defeat in front of its rivals that include the Mahindra Scorpio and Tata Safari. Meanwhile, it has also come to the notice that the French car maker could think of a pre Diwali price hike as the Rs 7.19 lakh start price was an introductory price and it is time to revise it.

The next big launch after Renault Duster in India will be New Hyundai Elantra sedan. Here the Korean carmaker would also love to have a dream launch like that of Duster in the country. This sedan will definitely set in new benchmark in its segment when it hits the Hyundai showrooms on 13th August 2012.