2016 Renault Duster gets five variants, AMT gearbox

Renault has launched the facelifted Duster in India with prices starting at Rs 8.64 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). A rival to the popular Hyundai Creta and the Maruti S-Cross, the Duster was once the French automaker’s best selling model in the country. However, with the arrival of newer rivals, sales slowed down. The facelift is an attempt on Renault's part to keep the Duster contemporary; along with the updated styling, the carmaker has also added to the SUV's feature list.

Under the hood, the facelifted Duster carries on the pre-facelift model's range of petrol and diesel engines; there's the 102.6bhp 1.6-litre petrol alongside the familiar 1.5-litre K9K diesel engine in two states of tune – 84bhp and 108.5bhp. The petrol and 84bhp diesel engines come paired to a five-speed manual gearbox while the more powerful 108.5bhp diesel is offered with a six-speed manual as standard with the company’s new six-speed ‘Easy-R’ AMT gearbox available as an option.

The facelifted Duster is available in five trim levels – Standard, RxE, RxL, RxS and RxZ. The base Standard trim is new and only available with the 84bhp diesel engine. The trim gets basic features such as air conditioning, front power windows, power steering, the company’s new hawk eye headlamps and remote locking with engine immobiliser.

The RxE trim now gets the addition of rear power windows, a rear parcel shelf, LED tail-lamps, full-wheel covers, ABS and EBD and rapid deceleration warning. The trim is available with the choice of the petrol or 84bhp diesel engine.

The RxL trim gets fog lamps, turn indicators on the wing mirrors, an audio system with USB, aux and Bluetooth connectivity, a rear centre armrest, rear reading lamps, electric adjust and retract function for wing mirrors, driver airbag, rear defogger and wiper, speed sensing door locks, a gear shift indicator and an Eco mode. The RxL trim is available with all three engines and also the option of the AMT gearbox. The AMT-equipped model additionally gets ESP and hill-start assist.

The RxS trim is also new in the line-up and gets alloy wheels and different upholstery and interior colours. Like the new base trim, the RxS trim is also only available with the 84bhp diesel engine.

The top-spec RxZ trim gets automatic climate control, auto up-down driver window, a 7-inch touchscreen MediaNAV system with navigation and voice recognition for iOS phones, height adjustable driver seat with lumbar support, illuminated glovebox, cruise control, front passenger airbag and a reverse parking camera with guidelines. The RxZ trim is available as a diesel only with the choice of the 84bhp or 108.5bhp engines. With the 108.5bhp diesel, there's furthermore the option of AWD or an AMT gearbox. The AWD and AMT variants get the same additions as the RxL AMT.

Renault is currently accepting bookings for the facelifted Duster either at the company’s dealerships across the country or via the Renault Duster mobile app.