Renault Duster Turbo Petrol Launched In India; Can It Regain Lost Ground?

Chennai: French carmaker Renault on Tuesday launched a 1.3-litre turbo petrol variant of its popular urban SUV Duster. The SUV will continue to be available in the older 1.5-litre petrol engine but only in manual transmission. There is no diesel version on offer due to BS6 norms.

Here are the prices:

The 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine produces 153 bhp power and 254 Nm of torque, making Duster one of the most powerful SUVs in the segment. The fuel efficiency is rated at 16.5 kmpl for the manual transmission and 16.42 kmpl for the CVT version.

Renault has added features such as remote pre-cooling, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, Ecoguide to monitor efficiency, signature projector headlamps with LED DRLs, R17 Forza Diamond Cut alloy wheels, automatic Start/Stop function, and new midnight black interiors.

Safety-wise, Duster is certified for front, side and pedestrian crash norms, and has ABS with EBD, driver and passenger airbags, rear parking sensors and camera, ESP, Hill-start assist, seat belt reminder and speed alert.

Our Take

Duster was a runaway success when it was first launched in India in 2012. The unique design and fuel-efficient diesel along with a lack of options in the urban SUV segment worked for it. With the introduction of competitors and lack of feature updates such as touchscreen infotainment systems, it faded away and the same reflected in the sales. Now, Renault like many others has stopped diesel engines due to new BS6 norms. Traditionally, a powerful petrol engine option is usually not preferred in India due to higher cost and lower efficiency. The 1.3-litre turbo petrol like other turbo-charged petrol is not low on fuel efficiency, but will consumers pay a Rs 1.5 lakh premium for it is the big question.