A prominent foreign car expert reviews the India-bound new Renault Duster. Duster has been an iconic vehicle in the Indian market. It was responsible for the creation of the mid-size SUV segment in our market back in 2012. A few years after that, it remained a hot-selling SUV among buyers looking for a relatively affordable four-wheel-drive SUV. However, as competition from the Korean auto giant intensified with the Hyundai Creta, it started losing its appeal. Today, there are mid-size SUVs from just about every major carmaker in the country apart from Renault.
India-Bound New Renault Duster
This video comes from Autogefühl on YouTube. The car expert has the Dacia Duster with him. Note that in foreign markets, Dacia sells the Duster instead of Renault. But it is the same SUV. At the front, it gets an illuminated panel on the grille with DC lettering which won’t be there on the Renault counterpart and LED DRLs integrated inside the sleek headlamp cluster. Additionally, the hood scoop looks really attractive, the bumper is sporty and there is also a sturdy skid plate with fog lamps. On the sides, the wheel arches are quite pronounced, the black cladding looks solid and the 18-inch alloy wheels look modern and attractive. The roof rails accentuate the rugged nature of the SUV. At the rear, it gets LED taillamps and a rugged bumper.
Interior and Features
On the inside, the India-bound Renault Duster gets hard plastics to save cost. Top amenities include steering-mounted controls, tilt and telescopic adjustment for the steering wheel, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, a large 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment display, physical buttons for HVAC, Duster lettering on the dashboard, blind spot monitoring, ADAS, smartphone mirroring, automatic climate control, 430-litre boot for hybrid version, decent audio system and more. All in all, it has all the latest amenities to pamper the customers.
Specs
This is where things get interesting with the new Renault Duster. There are three different powertrains on offer including LPG, Petrol and Hybrid along with FWD and AWD configurations. The 1.0-litre 3-cyl LPG + Petrol unit churns out a respectable 100 hp of peak power. Next up, there is a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine with mild hybrid tech which generates a decent 130 hp of peak power. Finally, the Duster even gets a 1.6-litre 4-cyl hybrid engine which churns out a healthy 140 hp of peak power. It is the most powerful of the lot which allows a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration time of 10 seconds. In terms of driving, the expert feels that the performance is a bit sluggish. However, the off-roading characteristics are much better.
| Specs | Dacia / Renault Duster |
| Engine | 1.6L (P) / 1.2L (Hybrid P) / 1.0L (LPG) |
| Power | 140 hp / 130 hp / 100 hp |
| Transmission | MT / AT |
| Drivetrain | FWD / AWD |
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