French carmaker Renault most recently unveiled the 7-seater MPV Triber and the brand is now gearing up to launch the new facelift model of the Duster which has been spotted testing in India. The brand has teased us with a partial front face of the car which leads us to believe that the car will be launched soon.
Once a bestseller, the Duster has seen a steady decline in sales due to new entrants in the segment and the brand has decided to give it an update to compete with rivals and as well as to keep up with the crash safety norms as per new mandate.
The teased pictures reveal that the new facelift model will get a revamped headlight unit with projector headlamps and a new chrome-garnished grille. The undisguised test mules that were spied earlier also reveal a updated bonnet line, redesigned front bumper, faux skid plates on the front and rear, new alloy wheels and plastic cladding on the tailgate adjoining the tail light assembly. The revised bonnet design is likely to make the car conform to the new pedestrian safety norms.
Though information on the interiors is scarce at the moment, a media report suggests, the Duster is likely to be revised on the inside too and the new facelift model will get a new steering wheel, an upgraded infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, rectangular AC vents on the centre console, etc.
In the engine department, the Duster is likely to remain unchanged and customers will still have an option to choose from the following options:-
Petrol – 1,498cc 4- cylinder motor that makes 106 PS of power @ 5600 RPM coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission or an X-Tronic CVT automatic.
Diesel – 1,461cc engine with 85 PS of power @ 3750 RPM and a 1,461cc with 110 PS of power @ 4000 RPM mated to a 6-speed manual or an optional AMT gearbox. The 110 PS variant also gets a 4-wheel-drive system.
The Duster, in the future, may not see a BSVI upgrade on the diesel engine and the engine is likely to be axed from the line-up. If the carmaker succeeds in the recent efforts, to make the engine compliant by using the Lean NOx Trap (LNT), which is a cost-effective way of conforming to the stringent new emission norms, the diesel engine could be revived for another inning.