New Renault Duster – What to Expect? » MotorOctane

The Renault Duster was one of the pioneers of the mid-sized SUVs in India. Launched in 2012, it drew many customers away from hatchbacks and sedans (which were in demand at the time). However, this wasn’t Renault’s first go at an SUV. The Renault Koleos was its first SUV but had a disastrous sales record. In hindsight, if the Koleos had been launched today, it would have fared better, especially amid the current surge in midsize SUV demand.

The Duster garnered more public love than the Koleos. Its rugged styling and great practicality were among the reasons for its success. Until the introduction of the Hyundai Creta, Tata Nexon, Ford Ecosport, and other similar SUVs, the Duster sold in solid numbers and was the French manufacturer’s best-selling car in India throughout the 2010s. Unfortunately in 2020, the Duster was discontinued due to a steep decline in sales.

Renault has now teased the Duster and has even given us the launch date . Th upcoming model is already being sold in global markets, and here is all the information you need to know about what the new Duster would feel like.

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Looks

The overall essence of the Duster remains with the UK-spec models. In the UK, it is sold as a Dacia, a Renault-owned brand. The same model is expected in Indian markets, with slight tweaks to make it distinct and compliant with Indian regulations.

It always had the look of a serious off-roader, even in the its first iteration. The new Duster looks like a refined and modernised version of the previous Duster. Horizontal headlights and Y-shaped taillights, along with a sleeker body, are some of the significant changes you can notice with the new Duster.

The teaser video Renault posted to reveal the Duster’s launch date showcased design sketches of the upcoming model. The overall design language seems identical to the UK-spec model, but one noteworthy difference between the Dacia Duster and the Renault Duster seems to be the grille. The Duster would get a distinct grille compared to the UK-spec.

Cabin

The exteriors may remind you of the original Duster, but the interior is completely unrecognisable. Some of the details on the UK-spec variant are specific to Dacia vehicles, such as the AC vent accents. The cabin will slightly differ when it is released in India to make it distinctly Renault.

The contemporary cabin has all the necessary features you would expect. A 10″ infotainment screen, a 7″ digital driver’s display, a 360-degree camera, ADAS, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are among the eye-catching features.

The Duster is not luxury-oriented as such. The monotonous all-black interiors and cheap plastics make you realise that it was built on a tight budget. You sacrifice the luxuries of soft-touch materials when you buy the Duster. However, Renault has tried to hide its build-quality shortcomings by emphasising on practicality.

It is a 4.3m-long car with a 2.66m wheelbase, offering a roomy cabin. Dacia has utilised this space effectively, providing superior practicality. Its potential customers will appreciate a 472L boot and plenty of storage space. The rear passengers have plenty of leg and headroom, and the 60-40 split seats can easily accommodate three adults.

Powertrain

The Duster is offered with 2 petrol engines – a 1.2L 3-cylinder and a 1.6L 4-cylinder. However, the powertrain option isn’t as simple as that. You can further choose from a Petrol, LPG, 48V mild-hybrid and a 230V strong-hybrid. The strong hybrid variant produces 140 horsepower, which is 10 more than the mild hybrid and 40 more than the pure petrol/LPG variants. With India moving away from LPG technology, Renaul won’t be releasing an LPG Duster in India.

The Indian-spec Duster is expected to get a 6-speed manual, but we don’t yet know about the AMT options. The UK models get a unique multi-mode automatic gearbox. With this gearbox, the control unit selects the correct gear and determines whether the vehicle should run as a pure electric or a petrol-only car. Renault may decide to use the Automatic gearbox from the Kiger or Triber, since such a complex gearbox wouldn’t be cost effective for Indian streets.

Competition

When first launched, the Duster faced little to no competition. But with the reintroduction, things will be trickier for Renault. The Indian car market is stuffed with midsized SUVs, with every manufacturer trying to topple the Hyundai Creta from the top. Each car flaunts an elaborate feature list, impressive NCAP scores and great value for money. The segment includes Hyundai Creta, Tata Sierra, Kia Seltos, Mahindra XUV700, Tata Harrier, Honda Elevate, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder, Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun.

The Euro-spec Duster achieved a modest 3-star rating in the European NCAP tests. To stay competitive in this segment, Renault would need to make tweaks to the structure and standard safety features to improve this rating.

Read More: Hyundai Creta Facelift – What to Expect?

Expected Launch And Price

Renault has revealed that the Duster will be relaunched on 26.01.2026. With the launch of the Tata Sierra and a reported Seltos facelift in the works, the race for best selling SUV is about to get fiesty. Renault’s current lineup looks rather dull with just 3 cars on offer. That is why Renault has big plans for its range in 2026.

However, it is not all sunshine and rainbows with the Duster. Dacia is infamous for its cost-cutting stringencies. The UK-spec base-model Duster misses out on an infotainment screen altogether. Renault could introduce this variant in Indian markets if they are looking to offer a really low introductory price. The price could start at 11 lakhs on-road for the base variant and could cross 20 lakh rupees for the top variant.

Read More: Renault Duster Launch Date Finally Revealed!