The new Renault Duster with hybrid engine has an edge over its rivals despite having no diesel engine while the styling also appeals with its butch looks, says Somnath Chatterjee.
Renault India has launched the all-new Renault Duster, featuring a turbo petrol engine and advanced features, with dispatches underway nationwide.
It is not perfect, given its lack of space and no diesel engine, but as a package the new Duster is brimming with character, which appeals to you in the end, says Somnath Chatterjee.
The new Duster will go head-to-head with popular models like Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, MG Astor, etc in the highly competitive mid-size SUV segment.
The Renault group is set to significantly expand its presence in India, aiming to establish the country as one of its top three global markets by 2030 through the launch of seven new vehicles, a 5 per cent market share target, and ambitious export goals.
Renault proffers 2+2 years or 80,000 km warranty on the compact SUV.
It is ideal for someone looking to have the practicality of a diesel and the utility of an automatic.
It lacks the finesse of its direct rival, the Hyundai Creta, but otherwise it is fun to drive and power is in abundance too
The Renault Duster AMT is a compact SUV that offers the best of both worlds - a fantastic ride and handling balance on one side and the ease of driving thanks to an automatic gearbox.
Whether or not Renault India will be able to fulfill its aim, we'll have to wait and watch.
The SUV with swanky interiors can you yours for Rs 3.49 lakh, excluding the car price.
After giving an extreme makeover to popular cars such as Toyota Fortuner and the Mahindra XUV500, DC Design is working on Renault Duster.
Duster is expected to bear a 4x2 and 4x4 mechanism apart from the 1.6L, 16-valve petrol engine.
Both Ford Ecosport and Renault Duster were unveiled at the 2012 Auto Expo held in New Delhi in January.
The AMT variant comes with a turbo charged diesel engine which produces 108.5bhp@4000 rpm and a peak torque of 245Nm@1750rpm
Scores 0 on front seat protection and 2 stars for rear seat child occupant protection
Hyundai to launch its new SUV- Creta in second half of 2015 in India.
BMW India has outpaced rival Mercedes-Benz India in luxury car registrations for the first quarter of calendar year 2026, driven by new product launches and a growing electric vehicle segment, even as the overall luxury car market remains largely flat.
The Stepway will have raised ground clearance, body cladding to add that rugged look and roofrails too.
The automatic variant of the SUV is priced at Rs 11.99 lakh
Renault has added cruise control, speed limiter, rear park assist, and Electronic Stability Control as standard features.
Car marker leader Maruti Suzuki India is looking at nearly doubling the number of models to 25, including entry into SUV and LCV segments, as it aims a target to sell 3 million cars annually.
Vietnamese automobile major VinFast is rapidly expanding its retail network in India, aiming for 75 dealerships across 60 cities by the end of 2026, while also building a comprehensive EV ecosystem.
Similar model is sold in UK, where it is offered in petrol as well as diesel models.
The compact SUV's exteriors and fuel efficiency could make it a tough challenger, provided Ford plays its price card well.
Ford's aggressive pricing makes the compact SUV a better option over popular hatchbacks.
The mileage of the SUV is 19.72 kmpl.
Though the compact SUV is based on Duster, the company has reworked the interiors and styling.
Scorpio's All Wheel Drive variant is the cheapest.
After a record-breaking year, India's automobile industry is entering 2026 on a relatively strong footing, with sales growth expected in the 6-8 per cent range. The outlook is underpinned by policy support, including GST rationalisation, easing monetary conditions, and income tax relief, which together are likely to improve affordability and sustain consumer demand across vehicle segments.
The car is a tech savvy like many of its prospective owners.
With the launch of Nissan's Terrano, the fight for supremacy in the compact SUV segment hots up.
Elections and festival time in north India helped the Indian auto firm to pip its foreign competitors.
At the heart of the Duster 1.3 Turbo X-Tronic is a turbocharged engine paired to a 7-speed CVT, the same engine that also powers the Mercedes A-Class, CLA and GLA-Class entry-level models! Now if only Renault had put some thought into the all-new Duster's interiors and driver comfort as they did in the engine... Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com test-drives the old beast with a new heart.
India is among the top five countries, which contributes significantly to the overall sales of Renault Duster worldwide.
The SUV got gorgeous and more muscular.
Now, we have with us the Renault Captur which under the skin is a Duster but the company claims that the former is a more premium offering. So, is it? Time to find out.
Stylish SUV Tivoli is all set to take on competition from Hyundai Creta and Renault Duster.
'We are very quickly going to announce the timeline of our launches, which should start giving us the turnaround'
Renault will start with a slew of new products that will be launched over the second half of this year and next year, apart from giving facelifts to the Kwid and Duster.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances