Renault could be planning to discontinue the Duster SUV this year. Reports suggest that the brand will phase out the current-generation model to reduce costs and improve profitability in the market. The last Duster is likely to roll out of the Renault-Nissan joint production facility in Chennai in October 2021.
But the good news is that Renault is likely to replace the ageing model with the new-generation Duster sometime later. The brand also recently filed design patents for the new-generation Duster at the Indian Intellectual Property Office. The new-generation model retails under the Dacia brand in the international market and recently underwent a facelift. Last year, Renault also introduced the BS6 compliant model in the Indian market, with a new 1.3-litre turbo-petrol motor.
The current Renault Duster comes with a BS6 compliant 1.3-litre TGDI (turbo-petrol) engine with a VVT valvetrain. The engine produces best-in-class power of 156PS of power and 254 Nm of torque. The motor comes with a 6-speed manual transmission and 7-step Xtronic CVT transmission. The brand claims a fuel efficiency of 16.5 kmpl in manual transmission and 16.42 kmpl in the CVT version.
In the international market, Dacia offers four engine options. The brand offers a 1.0-litre petrol engine with 90 PS of power, a 1.0-litre Bi-Fuel (petrol-LPG) motor with 100 PS of power, 1.3-litre petrol with 130 PS and 150 PS outputs and a 1.5-litre diesel oil motor that makes 115 PS of power. It is not clear which engine will come to the Indian market when the brand launches the SUV in the future. The brand also offers a 4×4 version in the European market.
The new-generation Duster will come with a new design and feature aesthetic and aerodynamic performance improvements. The Dacia Duster also comes with new 16, and 17-inch aero optimised alloy rims, LED lighting, a larger 8-inch infotainment screen, automatic climate control, heated front seats and chrome bits on the exterior.
Also Read: 2020 Renault Duster Turbo Petrol Review