The Duster is one of the most important products in Renault India’s portfolio. While the small SUV no longer enjoys segment-leading sales, it’s still one of the most well-recognized SUVs in the market. Even in many European markets, where this SUV is sold by Renault’s sub-brand, Dacia, the Duster enjoys quite a fan following. That said, this small SUV has been losing market share to newer, more modern competitors. The good news, however, is that the fast-aging SUV will be soon replaced with an all-new model that will debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show on September-12. The new iteration will have a new exterior and interior, new engines, and more features. Let’s compare the original SUV with its new generation to give you a fair idea about the differences. Read on for our new 2018 Renault Duster vs old model comparison.
Also See- Renault Grand Duster 7-seater | Renault Cars at Auto Expo 2018
Yes, at first glance, the two generations look a lot like each other. But believe you me, there’s really little that the two models share with each other. The 2018 version is a completely new SUV that is totally new, both on the outside and the inside. The resemblance is due to the fact that it carries an evolved design. In words of Renault, it is “the same but better”! Well, we can’t agree more and really applaud the way the designers have come up with an all-new design that is modern but makes the new SUV instantly recognizable. Our comparison here is actually an in-depth study of the differences the two versions have.
Also See – Upcoming SUVs in India | Renault Duster AMT Review
New 2018 Renault Duster vs Old Model Comparison – Exterior Design
The front-end of the new Duster, while retaining the butch, masculine look of the original model, looks a lot fresher. It gets an entirely new radiator grille, which has a design that’s reminiscent of all new-age Renaults. Moreover, the headlamps are now larger and sleeler. They have been pushed to the extreme edges to give the front-end a sense of width. The headlamps carry LED DRLs, which makes the Duster’s face look even more modern. The bumper is new and carries a rather prominent faux skid plate that comes finished in faux silver. Moving ahead, the hood is a lot more masculine now and gets some neat creases. The front windscreen now looks bigger as its lower edge has moved forward by a full 100 mm.
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Yes, the side profile of the two models is very similar. A closer look, however, reveals the many small differences that exist between these two. The new-generation SUV gets a faux air-vent near the front wheel arch. The surfaces look slightly more muscular. Also, the creases for the rear wheel arches are definitely a lot different. The greenhouse is slightly smaller and the beltline has been raised. Even the roof-rails look chunkier than before. The c-pillar has been pushed inward. Overall, the Duster now looks sleeker when viewed in profile.
Even at the rear, the two look a lot different. Here, again, the lights have been pushed to the terminal edges to make the rear-end look wider. The taillights are likely to remind you of these on the Jeep Renegade, but look fabulous even on the new Duster. Overall, like the company says, the new Duster looks “the same but better”! We really can’t agree more with this statement.
Also See- New 2018 Renault Duster Interior Leaked
New 2018 Renault Duster vs Old Model Comparison – Interior Design
Renault is yet to reveal the interior of the new model. However, chances are that it will look much better than the current car’s setup. We are pretty sure that the dashboard will be completely new and that it would have little in common with the one on the outgoing version. Also, the interior will be slightly more spacious. The current-generation of this SUV has received a lot of flak for the rather cramped rear seat. This won’t be the case with the 2018 model.
Finally, the new 2018 Renault Duster will even offer many more features in comparison to the version on sale presently. The feature additions will include-
- 6-airbags
- Rear AC Blower
- Flexible Seating
- Rain Sensing Wipers
- Auto Headlamps
- Large Touchscreen Infotainment
- Apple CarPlay
- Mirror Link
- Android Auto
New 2018 Renault Duster vs Old Model Comparison – Specs
Even the specifications of the new Duster are yet to be revealed. However, what’s for sure is that the engines will be new, or at least see a big update. In India, the Duster is available with 1.5-litre Petrol and Diesel engines. Now, the new model won’t launch here before early 2019. By then, these 1.5-litre engines will become considerably dated. Hence, Renault India will mostly likely launch the new SUV with two new engines. While the petrol engine will displace 1.2-litres, the Diesel engine will have a cubic-capacity of 1.6-litre. Both the motors will be turbocharged units.
The petrol engine outputs a maximum power of 124 BHP, while the Diesel engine produces 130 BHP. Compared to the current 1.5-litre Petrol and Diesel engines, the new engines will have a lot more power. There won’t be any AMT or CVT automatic transmission on offer. Instead, the two new engines will offer 6-speed Manual and 6-speed Automatic transmissions.
New 2018 Renault Duster vs Old Model Comparison – Mileage
| Minimum Mileage | 12 KMPL (Petrol); 14 KMPL (Diesel) |
| Maximum Mileage | 18 KMPL (Petrol); 22 KMPL (Diesel) |
Another thing that’s for sure is that the new Duster will offer a higher average mileage. This will be due to the fact that the new engines, being a lot more modern than the current ones, would offer better efficiency. While the petrol model will offer a mileage in range of 12 KMPL to 18 KMPL, the Diesel engine will offer 14 KMPL to 22 KMPL. This will make the new Duster 2018 one of the most fuel efficent SUVs in its segment. In comparison, the current Duster petrol offers only 10 KMPL – 15 KMPL. Even if you compare the Diesel Duster with the upcoming model, there will be a substantial difference.
Comments on Design of New 2018 Renault Duster
Design director David Durand says: ‘It’s quite challenging to replace the Duster because it’s such an iconic car, very recognisable, with a true personality: honest, unpretentious, none too aggressive. We wanted to keep this personality but make it better.’
Group design chief Laurens van den Acker says: ‘We could have started over and surprised everyone once more, but it’s not very often that you get the chance to build the following. We can do this with the Duster. Sales keep going up and up. You can build a car that is recognisable as a Duster, although we’ve changed every [visible] part.”
“One of the advantages of the Duster is that it’s relatively light,” says van den Acker. “From customers, there wasn’t that much complaint about size. Push it much bigger and you need bigger engines, heavier suspension. So instead we made sure we fixed the design mistakes.”
So, what do you think of our New 2018 Renault Duster vs Old Model comparison post here? Do you agree with the way we have decided to compare these two models? Share your views on this by penning down your thoughts in the comments section below. Also, stay tuned for more updates on the new Renault Duster 2018.
