The Renault Duster has scored a four star rating for adult occupant safety in the Latin New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) crash tests.

The vehicle tested was the Colombia-built base variant, which is equipped with just a driver's airbag. Other safety features such as ABS, passenger's airbag, pre-tensioners for the front seatbelts, seatbelt reminder and ISOFIX anchorages. The car managed to score 11 points out of a possible 17 in adult occupant safety.

According to the report, in the frontal impact, the driver's head was well protected and passenger's head was close to contact with the dashboard. The chests showed marginal protection from the restraint systems. There were hazardous structures in the area of the facia that could be impacted by the driver and front passenger knees.

The Duster put up a poor show in child occupant safety. It managed to score just 21.37 points out of a possible 49, translating to a 2 star rating. The report mentioned that the child seat for a 3 year old child was unable to prevent excessive forward movement during the impact and offered low protection to neck and chest. The dynamic performance of the 18 months child restraint offered good protection. Most of the child restraint systems (CRS) that were assessed for installation pass considering the exempted positions in the manual. The car does not have warning marking for installing a CRS in the front passenger seat and it is not possible to disconnect the passenger airbag in versions with 2 airbags.

The Duster's bodyshell was rated as unstable. Side impact tests have not been conducted on the car.

Renault has been testing a facelifted version of the Duster on our roads. Along with cosmetic changes, the vehicle was also believed to have a 6-speed dual clutch automatic transmission. However, new spy shots reveal that the crossover will get an automated manual transmission and not a conventional automatic gearbox.

The AMT gearbox is likely to be a 6-speed unit and will be offered only on the 1.5-litre, 108 BHP dCi diesel engine that is found in the current Duster. The new variant of the crossover is likely to be called the Duster Easy-R.

Automated manual transmissions offer the convenience of an automatic gearbox at a more affordable cost. Dacia, Renault's Romanian subsidiary, had showcased the AMT gearbox at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It is this gearbox that is being used in the Duster.

The Duster Easy-R is likely to be launched in India next year.

Source: Autocar India

A test mule of the upcoming Renault Duster facelift has been spied once again. The vehicle spotted this time, is believed to have an automatic gearbox.

The spy images suggest that the vehicle could get redesigned headlights, a new grille and LED or LED-effect tail lamps. While the car in the images has steel wheels and plastic wheel covers, higher variants are likely to get new alloy wheels.

On the inside, the Duster is likely to get a tweaked dashboard, new seat upholstery and an updated infotainment system. While the gear lever has been covered, the car is reported to have a 6-speed dual-clutch (Efficient Dual Clutch / EDC) automatic transmission. This gearbox is mated to the same 1.5-litre, 108 BHP dCi diesel engine that is found in the current Duster. The all-wheel drive version of the car is also expected to get the automatic transmission. The vehicle will compete with the automatic versions of recently-launched Hyundai Creta and the Mahindra Scorpio.

The facelifted Duster is also expected to retain the current model's 1.5-litre diesel engine in 84 BHP state of tune and the 1.6-litre, 103 BHP petrol unit. There are rumours that the petrol engine could be mated to an automated manual transmission (AMT).

Source: AutoX

Earlier this year, Renault unveiled the Oroch, a medium-sized pickup truck at Buenos Aires. While the vehicle was originally aimed at South American markets, latest media reports suggest that the company could consider bringing it to India.

Based on the Duster, the Oroch has a twin cab body style with four doors and five seats. It is positioned in the 0.5-tonne segment.

Renault wants to expand its light commercial vehicle (LCV) business and for this, it plans to explore new markets. Renault believes that markets in the Asia-Pacific region will be instrumental in achieving its goal. The pickup truck segment accounts for 40% of global LCV sales.

India is likely to be one of the markets that Renault starts selling LCVs in. However, at present the company does not consider it viable to enter the LCV market in the country. It could consider the step as the market matures. Before India, Renault is likely to launch its products in Thailand and Australia.

Other players like Isuzu, Tata Motors and Mahindra are already present in the pickup truck segment in India. Isuzu expects the segment to grow and is of the opinion that in less than 10 years from now, 10-15 million vehicles will be sold in the segment annually in the country.  

Source: Autocar Professional

Earlier this year, we had reported that Renault has started testing a facelifted version of the Duster in India (click here to read report). The test mule of the vehicle has been spotted once again.

The spy images suggest that the vehicle could get redesigned headlights, a new front bumper, grille and restyle alloy wheels. Images put up earlier showed that at the rear, the Duster gets LED or LED-effect tail lamps.

On the inside, the car is likely to get a tweaked dashboard and other changes.

Earlier reports have suggested that Renault is working on an automatic version of the Duster, which will have a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission mated to the 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine that develops 108 BHP.

No other mechanical changes are expected in the Duster. It will continue to retain the 1.5-litre diesel engine in 84 BHP state of tune and the 1.6-litre, 103 BHP petrol unit.

Source: Autocar India

Renault has launched a new edition of the Duster crossover. Dubbed Limited Edition Duster Explore, the vehicle is available in two variants - Duster 85 PS RXL Explore and Duster 110 PS RXL.

The Explore Limited Edition features cosmetic changes to its exterior as well as its interior. These include racing stripes, a dark chrome front grille, smoked double barrel headlamps, skid plates, a pseudo bull bar with auxiliary lamps, dark chrome garnish on the tailgate and dark anthracite alloy wheels with orange highlights.

The interiors feature a Nouveau Orange theme with chrome inside door handles, orange inserts on the door trim, Nouveau Orange theme seat fabric upholstery, gear shift bellow with orange stitch marks, chrome knob for the parking brake, new orange outlines on the air conditioning vents, leather steering wheel with orange stitch marks, and an orange anodized instrument cluster.

The Duster Explore comes with features such as Eco mode, gearshift indicator and cruise control with speed limiter, amongst others.

The  Duster Explore uses the same 1.5-litre diesel engine in 85 PS and 110 PS states of tune as the regular Duster.

Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi):

• Duster 85 PS RXL Explore - Rs. 9.99 lakh
• Duster 110 PS RXL Explore - Rs. 11.10 lakh

Renault-Nissan Automotive India has been surviving in the country due to its high percentage of exports and also due to the success of its crossovers - Renault Duster and Nissan Terrano. Now, because of dwindling sales and rising inventory, the company has decided to cut the production output by 50% i.e. from 40 cars per hour to 20 cars per hour, at its plant in Oragadam, Chennai.

The once successful compact crossover - Duster, is now facing the heat from the market because of newer and more modern competitors. Renault is finding it extremely difficult to uplift the Duster's sales and as of today, the company has excess inventory of 5,140 units at their factory. Giving the SUV some company at the factory are 4,100 units of the MPV sibling - Renault Lodgy, which failed to affect the sales of the Ertiga or the Innova. Dealerships across the country have 10,500 cars lying at their stockyards.

This downsizing move is expected to affect 3,000 jobs. ET Auto's source indicates that the company plans to disengage trainees, casual labour and apprentices, while the other workers will not be affected.

While Nissan has no future investment plans in India (as of now), Renault is banking heavily upon its upcoming budget hatchback - Kwid. Recently, the company roped in Bollywood actor, Ranbir Kapoor as brand ambassador as well as musician, A.R.Rahman for the ad jingle.

Earlier this week, we had reported that Renault is planning to launch a facelifted version of the Renault Duster in India later this year. Now, a test mule of the vehicle has been spotted in Chennai.

The images show the vehicle with new LED or LED-effect tail lamps and redesigned alloy wheels. The Duster is also likely to get reworked headlights, front bumper and grille. The dashboard of the vehicle is also covered indicating that it could be tweaked as well.

Along with the facelift, Renault is also expected to bring in an automatic version of the Duster. It will have a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission, known as Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC), with low ratio and will be mated to the 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine that puts out 108 BHP.

The facelifted Duster is also likely to retain the 1.5-litre diesel engine in 84 BHP state of tune and the 1.6-litre, 103 BHP petrol engine.

Source:  Indian Autos Blog

Renault is likely to launch a cosmetically updated version of the Duster later this year. These cosmetic updates are not likely to be in line with the changes that the European version of the Duster has got. Instead it could just feature the alloy wheels with gun-metal finish, body cladding and black surrounds for the fog lamps as the Adventure Edition.

Along with the facelift, the company could also bring in an automatic version of the Duster. A report by Motoring claims that the French company is developing a variant of the crossover with an automatic transmission. The car is expected to be launched in India by October-November 2015.

It will have a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission, known as Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC), with low ratio and will be mated to the 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine that puts out 108 BHP. This gearbox is available on Renault's European range of cars and the Dacia Duster in Russia. In India, the automatic transmission is likely to be available on the two-wheel drive version of the Duster. Renault could introduce it on the four-wheel drive version later.

Renault is believed to be taking this step to take on the Hyundai Creta and upcoming Maruti Suzuki S-Cross.

Earlier this year, Renault launched an updated version of the Duster. Prices for the SUV started at Rs. 8.30 lakh. Now, the French manufacturer has reduced the price of the vehicle by Rs. 30,000. According to the company's website, the Duster range now starts at Rs. 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). The model page however, does not reflect the reduced prices.

The updated Duster was given features such as a soft touch dashboard, a new instrument cluster with a new multi information display with service reminders and a gearshift indicator, an arm rest and new fabric upholstery. The Duster also got an ECO mode feature, cruise control and speed limiter, new steering column, a speed-sensitive door lock and better noise insulation.

The Duster is available with a choice of petrol and diesel engines:

• 1598 cc, 4-cylinder petrol, 103 bhp @ 5750 rpm, 148 Nm @ 3750 rpm, 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
• 1461 cc, 4-cylinder diesel, 84 bhp @ 3750 rpm, 200 Nm @ 1750 rpm, 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
• 1461 cc, 4-cylinder diesel, 108 bhp @ 4000 rpm, 245 Nm @ 1750 rpm, 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive / all-wheel drive

The Duster has been Renault's only successful model in India, regularly selling more than 3,000 units per month. With the reduced prices, the Renault will be hoping to keep its sales strong. Competition in the compact SUV market is heating up. The Ford EcoSport has been a consistent performer and other manufacturers are gearing up to enter the segment.