This Is The New Renault Duster

This is what the Renault badged 2018 Duster SUV will look like. The Duster is actually a Dacia product, and Dacia is a Romanian subsidiary of Renault known for developing utilitarian cars. Dacia cars sold with a Renault badge in India include the Logan (which later became the Mahindra Verito), the Lodgy and, of course, the Duster.

What’s new? The Dacia Duster showcased at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor was a facelift with almost no mechanical changes made to the tried and tested formula. The Renault Duster gets basic cosmetic changes over that.

Changes at the front are limited to the new grille, which looks like the ones found on the Renault Kwid and the new Captur. The flowing grille also features a large Renault logo, which intrudes into the bonnet.

There are absolutely no changes on the side. The wheels are slightly less flashy when compared to the Dacia, but that’s about it. The interesting side contrast strip behind the front fender has been carried over.

Inside, the changes include a new steering wheel design, which is reminiscent of the unit seen on the Captur, and octagonal AC vents.

As the mechanicals of the Duster remain the same, expect the new one to feature the same 1.5-litre diesel motor and 1.5-litre petrol motor. Transmission options include a 5-speed manual transmission, a 6-speed manual transmission, a 6-speed AMT on the diesel variant and a CVT for the petrol-powered SUV. The Duster is also the only SUV in Renault’s current lineup to be offered with an AWD system. However, it may not be offered in India with the new model because of its low popularity.