nearest dealership, it’s worth noting that the unveiling took place in South Africa. The French automaker plans to launch the SUV in March 2025. India will also receive the Duster, which will be locally manufactured. Here’s a preview of what to expect from the upcoming SUV.
Renault will introduce the Duster only in petrol engine options. The SUV could be powered by the 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine, which was earlier used by the Nissan Kicks and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. According to reports, Renault could introduce an entry-level Duster with a 1-litre turbo petrol engine that is currently available in Kiger. The manual version offers 160 Nm while the CVT churns out 152 Nm of torque. If the engine is available in the Duster then it could offer more power and torque than the Kiger. The Duster could be mated to a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The new Duster will be packed with features like a 10-inch floating infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a three-spoke steering with controls, a wireless phone charger, dual-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster and a premium six-speaker sound system.
Recently, the new Duster was caught testing the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems in Kerala. Apart from the ADAS suite, it will get six airbags, ABS with EBD, seatbelt reminders, pretensioners, a 360-degree camera, hill hold and hill descent control. Earlier this year, the Duster received a 3-star rating in Euro NCAP crash tests.
The new Duster will be based on the CMF-B LS (Common Module Family) platform, which is manufactured by Dacia and is rebadged as Renault. The Renault SUV will have its hands full as it will compete against the Hyundai Creta, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Kia Seltos, Mahindra Thar Roxx and Toyota Hyryder.
