The third-gen Renault Duster will be petrol powered only but the platform will also support electrification needs, meaning it could get hybrids or EV variants in future.
The third-generation of the Renault Duster will roll out here in India in 2023. Currently, we have the first-gen Duster here in India which is due a facelift very soon. The second-gen Duster which is sold internationally, never made its way to India and we are directly going to jump to the third-gen in 2023. India will be a lead market in its development and the latest development is that the Renault Duster will come in only petrol variants.
Currently in India, the Renault Duster is sold with the 1.5L, H4K petrol engine which comes from Nissan. It is the same engine that does duty in the Renault Kaptur and Nissan Kicks as well. The Duster also comes with a 1.5L, K9K diesel engine. Internationally, the Duster is sold with a 1.2L/1.3L turbo petrol engines and a naturally aspirated 1.6L, petrol engine. However, the third-generation Renault Duster will come with smaller, turbocharged petrol engines to be able to meet global emission standards for 2023 and will also have a slew of transmission options which would include an automatic, a CVT and also a manual.
Renault recently announced that they would not be selling any diesel engines in India post the country makes its shift to the BS-VI emission norms and the plan for petrol only Dusters seems absolutely in line with that strategy. The new Duster will also see electrified versions in the near future – perhaps a hybrid or even a full EV.
Thus, the new Duster will be developed keeping in mind the electrification needs for the future for Europe atleast, if not for developing countries like India and Brazil. The chassis, platform and overall shape will all be governed by plug-in requirements. The third-gen Duster will also see major updates on the interiors with lot more connectivity and interface related tech.
On another note, Renault is also working on a facelift of the first-gen Duster here in India. The basic profile remains the same but the car gets a new face dominated by the bright chrome grille we see in all Renault cars these days. At the rear, the tail lights also receive some minor tweaks.
Also Read :Renault Triber Vs Datsun GO Plus – Spec Comparison
Renault will however continue to offer diesel engines with the Dusters in markets where there is a demand for diesel engines. Although, the technicalities of the diesel engine has not been decided yet. Whether it will a small, turbocharged version of the current 1.5L, diesel engine or it would use the urea based SCR – or selective catalytic reduction system to reduce the NOx or nitrogen oxides from its emissions, is not known yet.
Also Read : Renault India Targets Double Sales By 2021 With The Triber
India remains a key market for Renault as stated by its global CEO Thierry Bolloré. Renault intends to double their sales in India by 2021 and for that they introduced the Triber, a brand new product specifically for India. The Renault Duster and Kwid facelifts are also due soon. The third-gen Duster will be made/assembled at multiple locations around the world like Brazil, Colombia, Russia and Indonesia including India.
