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.
Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
