Renault Duster

Renault Duster Facelift India Launch this Year; Automatic Variant Coming too!

One of the most liked SUVs in its segment in India, the Renault Duster, is starting to feel the heat following the launch of the Hyundai Creta which has also gotten a tremendous response with the waiting period extending up to six months for some variants. To counter the Creta’s challenge, Renault is planning to launch a facelifted version of the Duster this year with an automatic transmission option as well. The facelift should make it to India in the coming months, however, it would not be the same as the euro-spec or Brazilian version. For more info on the Renault Duster facelift India launch read our detailed report. 2014-Renault-Duster-Facelift-side-6

Launch

Launch dates have not been confirmed yet, but the Renault Duster facelift and the automatic variant is expected to hit showrooms by the end of 2015 maybe around the festive season.

Price

A marginal price hike can be expected. Although Renault would not want to lose the price advantage the Duster has over the Creta in order to stay competitive. The automatic variant could be priced at an estimated INR 13.5 lakhs. The facelifted Renault Duster will be priced in the INR 9-13 lakh range.

Features

Talking about the exteriors, the facelifted Renault Duster will NOT be the same as the one shown in pictures here. Instead, it will be a very mild facelift which would enable Renault to not hike prices significantly. The facelift could be based on the Duster Adventure version. New alloy wheels, tweaked headlamps and tail lamps and side cladding could also be on the cards.

Also See – Renault Duster facelift Brazil

Renault Duster 2nd Anniversary Edition Featured Image

Specs

The Renault Duster facelift will not see any mechanical changes apart from the introduction of the automatic transmission. The automatic transmission unit on offer would a dual clutch 6-speed gearbox mated to the 110PS 1.5 litre diesel engine. It will be available only in the 2WD guise for now, but a 4WD automatic could also be offered at a later stage.
2014-Renault-Duster-Facelift-rear-10

Also See – 5 Most Fuel Efficient SUVs in India

What remains to be seen is as to how much will the re-designing and innovation in the facelifted model would be successful when it comes on road. As is the case now, the Renault Duster facelift will compete against the Ford EcoSport, Mahindra XUV500 W4, Nissan Terrano, Hyundai Creta and the Maruti S-Cross. The price for this model could rise by Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 per variant as compared to the current Duster.