French carmaker Renault has ended production of the Duster SUV in India. The Duster has been in a sales slump recently and Renault failed to move a single unit of the SUV last month.
The first-gen Renault Duster was first launched in July 2012. While Europe got a new version of the SUV in 2017, India remained one of the few markets across the world where the OG Duster was still offered in showrooms. In 2019, Renault launched a facelifted version of the Duster, which also brought along a few mechanical and cosmetic changes including the new 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
While production of the first-gen Duster has been stopped, the SUV will continue to be offered in showrooms across the country till stocks last. The Renault Duster is offered in 7 different trim levels with two engines and 3 gearbox options.
The less powerful version of the Duster uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine that pushes out 105bhp at 5,600rpm and 142Nm of peak torque at 4,000rpm. The 4-cylinder engine is offered with a solitary transmission offering in the form of a 5-speed manual gearbox. The 1.5-litre Duster delivers a mileage of 14.19km/l.
The more powerful offering under the bonnet of the Duster displaces less with a cubic capacity of 1,330cc. However, this smaller engine cranks out 154bhp at 5,500rpm and a meaty 254Nm of peak torque at just 1,600rpm. The engine is offered with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a CVT automatic gearbox. The turbocharged Duster delivers a mileage of 16.5km/l with the manual shifter and 16.42km/l with the CVT gearbox.
However, those thinking that the Duster is dead and gone need to get their faulty crystal balls checked. Renault is expected to bring the third-gen Duster to hit the Indian market in 2017.
While details about the third-gen Renault Duster are still scarce, we know that the new generation of the French SUV will be arriving sometime next year. One of the rumours surrounding the version of the French SUV is what could sit under the bonnet of the Duster.
While displacement, power and torque figures are currently non-existent anywhere except for the French carmaker’s testing facilities. The setup of this yet to be confirmed powertrain setup is expected to be a mild hybrid unit.
This move towards electrification will be facilitated by the switch to the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s CMF-B architecture. The CMF-B platform is already used by the Dacia Sandero hatchback. The Sandero, made by Renault’s Romanian subsidiary Dacia, is one of the most affordable offerings currently on sale in Europe.
There are also rumblings that a fully electric version of the Duster could arrive in the future. The electric version of the Duster, if it does ever hit the streets, is expected to be based on the Alliance’s affordable CMF BEV platform for electric vehicles.
Thoughts On The Renault Duster Production Finally Coming To An End
The Renault Duster is the vehicle that made the French marque a household name in India. While Renault has been constantly updating the Duster, the SUV does look a bit dated. This is especially true on the inside, where the Duster looks and feels like a relic compared to its rivals like the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta and Skoda Kushaq. Hopefully, the next-gen Duster will help Renault make a comeback in the segment.
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