Renault has confirmed that the new Duster will make its long-awaited India debut on January 26, 2026. This new generation of the midsize SUV will come four years after the previous Duster was discontinued, bringing both the iconic nameplate and Renault back into India’s heated midsize SUV space.

1. New Duster will be an integral component of Renault India's product plans
2. Only petrol engines will be offered with the new Duster initially
3. New Duster will have many more rivals than its predecessors

New Renault Duster India debut details

Key pillar for Renault India's product strategy.

The new Duster has been spotted testing in India a few times, and Renault will formally pull the covers off the India-spec model on Republic Day 2026. According to the French carmaker, the new Duster will be the first car to be launched in India as part of its International Game Plan 2027. The model is also pivotal to Renault’s India-focused ‘renault. rethink’ product strategy, which the recent Triber and Kiger facelifts kicked off earlier this year.

New Duster will be powered by petrol engines only.

Engine options for the new Duster are yet to be officially confirmed, but we expect Renault’s 156hp 1.3-litre ‘HR13’ turbo-petrol mill to be a part of the line-up, offered with both manual and CVT transmissions. The 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbo-petrol engine from the Kiger could power the entry-level variants, possibly with a power bump.

Diesel engines are off the table for the new Duster at the moment, but Renault India is evaluating a localised hybrid powertrain for the SUV.

New Renault Duster rivals

Midsize SUV segment has grown massively in recent years.

Back in 2012, the original Renault Duster popularised the monocoque-based midsize SUV segment in India and garnered a major fan following. Renault discontinued the prior Duster in early 2022 due to a slump in demand, largely a result of the proliferation of formidable rivals like the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq, MG Astor and Volkswagen Taigun.

When it launches next year, the new Duster will also compete with the Maruti Suzuki Victoris and Grand Vitara, Tata Sierra and Curvv, Honda Elevate, Toyota Hyryder and others.

New Duster will spawn a Nissan derivative dubbed Tekton.

Nissan Tekton design preview.

Interestingly, much like the Nissan Terrano, a badge-engineered version of the old Duster, Nissan is set to repeat history in 2026 with the Tekton, an upcoming midsize SUV built on the same CMF-B platform as the new Duster. The Tekton will sport a different design inspired by larger Nissan SUVs, be mechanically identical to the new Duster, and is slated to launch in mid-2026.