September 17: Renault, a French multinational automobile manufacturer and one of the foremost automotive brands across the globe, has reportedly ranked first in overdrive SUV SlugFest 2018 in India.

During the evaluation, the Duster AWD with its all-terrain capability was ranked No 1 against other contenders in the SUV category, according to the company.

“Renault Duster AWD felt extremely confident even in some of the worst possible terrain. It turned out to be one of the best handling compact SUVs in the tests,” reads a statement issued by the company.

"At 3m 11.13s, the Renault set the fastest stage time and this is what some of the us, who have driven it before had expected. The AWD drive train work very well and provides remarkable traction. The Duster is light on its feet and agile. Even under difficult conditions, it is predictable and remains largely true to its line," the statement quoted Bob Rupani, consulting editor of Overdrive, as saying.

A special panel consisting of former Indian national rally champion Vikram Narendra evaluated several SUVs on various testing parameters like design, visibility, all-terrain capability, touring ability and performance before making the judgment. According to the company, a total of 25 SUVs had participated in the event.