Third-gen Duster sits on the CMF-B platform that underpins multiple Dacia, Renault and Nissan models.
29 Nov 2023 | 4960 Views | By Akbar Merchant, Autocar India
After a series of online leaks, the new Renault Duster has finally been revealed officially by Renault’s sister brand Dacia in Portugal. The new Duster will go on sale in Europe early next year, after which it'll be available in other markets. The India launch is slated to take ...
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After a series of online leaks, the new Renault Duster has finally been revealed officially by Renault’s sister brand Dacia in Portugal. The new Duster will go on sale in Europe early next year, after which it'll be available in other markets. The India launch is slated to take place in the second half of 2025.
The third-gen Duster sits on the CMF-B platform that underpins multiple Dacia, Renault and Nissan models. The new Renault Duster continues with its butch looks that give it a rugged, off-roader appeal. It does come with quite a few design cues seen on the Dacia Bigster concept. At 4.34 metres long, the new Duster is a shade longer than the outgoing model, but looks more aggressive.
The front looks similar to newer Dacia models that are sold overseas. The Renault-branded Duster SUV, however, will have some design differences when it makes its debut next year. There will be a seven-seat version as well, that will see light of day a little later. At 2,657mm, the Duster has a slightly shorter wheelbase than the outgoing model.
You still get the large squared-off wheel arches, roof rails and spoiler from the Bigster, but there’s a design element that links this Duster to its predecessor – the tapering rear quarter glass. In profile, the new Duster also features a blacked-out vertical ‘shadow line’ below the mirrors, new 18-inch blacked-out alloy wheels (lower trims to get 17-inch units) as well as a distinctive kink in the cladding below the rear doors. The sharp, Y-shaped tail-lights make the rear stand out, but the previous Duster’s prominent rear haunches have been toned down. The new Duster’s boot can hold up to 472 litre of luggage.
The new Duster has a double-layer dashboard that gets light and dark grey shades. The centre console is angled slightly towards the driver. Higher variants will get two digital screens – a 7-inch one for driver information and a 10.1-inch touchscreen for infotainment duties. A horizontal panel below the centre AC vents houses multiple buttons that control the infotainment and HVAC system.
A 12V power socket and USB outlets have been positioned lower down. The gear lever for the manual gearbox-equipped Duster seems to have taken from the existing Renault models, and looks quite similar to the one seen on the Kiger and the Triber in India. Higher variants also get automatic gearbox options and an electronic parking brake. The three-spoke steering wheel looks chunky and seems to have quite a few buttons for infotainment, telephony and cruise control duties.
Features on the top-spec Duster will include wireless charging and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, automatic climate control, and an Arkamys 3D sound system with six speakers. Interestingly, the new Duster will also feature ADAS technology including automatic emergency braking; vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist and motorcycle detection, traffic sign recognition with speeding alert, rear parking assistant, lane change warning and assist, and more.
There are three engine options on offer, two of which are electrified. Starting the proceedings is the 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol hybrid that gets two electric motors. This engine comes with an automatic gearbox. It also comes with regenerative braking and a 1.2kWh battery, enabling purely electric driving for up to 80 percent of the time in the city.
The next engine is the 130hp, 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol coupled with a 48V starter motor. While the Duster will also come with an LPG option in some markets, there is no diesel option in any market now.
Like its predecessor, the new Duster will come with 4x2 and 4x4 options, albeit only with the 1.2-litre mild-hybrid powertrain. While it won’t get a proper 4x4 setup like the ladder-frame-based Jimny, it does get terrain modes that include Auto, Snow, Mud/Sand, off-road and Eco. Dacia says the Duster 4x4 has 217mm of ground clearance and has an approach angle of 31 degrees upfront and a departure angle of 36 degrees at the back.
It also gets hill-descent control for speeds up to 30kph. All off-road-related information is shown on the multimedia screen – this also includes details for inclination and power distribution between the front and the rear.
As mentioned earlier, the new Duster will come to India by 2025, and will be a direct contender to the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, in the ever-growing midsize SUV segment. A seven-seat version of the new Duster will arrive in India later, as will a Nissan derivative of the five- and seven-seat midsize SUV.