Renault has unveiled the next generation Duster
based on the Dacia Duster. The 2018 Renault Duster is nearly identical to its
namesake from Dacia that made was revealed on August 30 before making its
public debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show on September 13.
There are subtle differences between the exterior of
the Renault badged Duster and the Dacia badged one. For instance, the
distinctive Renault grille, inspired by the Alaskan’s design, housing the
insignia runs deeper into the bumper. Unlike that of the Dacia branded model
that complements the width of the headlamps. The 2018 Renault Duster rides on
5-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels. The rear and side sections are of the Renault and
Dacia models are identical, save for the different badge on the bootlid.
Inside, the 2018 Renault Duster gets a 3-spoke
steering wheel, as opposed to the 4-spoke one seen inside the Dacia Duster.
Also, the circular air conditioning vents have been replaced rectangular ones.
The rest of the dashboard seems identical to the Dacia Duster’s. The centre
console features a MediaNav Evolution touchscreen AVN followed by rotary
controls for the auto aircon.
The new gen Renault Duster is 4.34 m long and 1.80 m
wide. It has a ground clearance of 210mm accompanied by approach and departure
angles of 30 and 33 degrees respectively and a breakover angle of 21 degrees.
The all new Duster comes with a choice of two petrol
engines and a diesel engine. The petrol engine choice include the SCe 115 (4×2
and 4×4 versions) mated to either a manual gearbox or CVT automatic
transmission (4×2 only) and the 2.0 16V 145 with automatic transmission and
4×4. The diesel engine is available in two states of tune – dCi 85/90 (4×2 versions) and the dCi 110
(4×2 and 4×4 versions). Two-wheel drive versions powered by the dCi 110 can be
specified with EDC automatic dual-clutch transmission.
Renault has been tight-lipped about its plans to
bring the new generation Duster to India. In the SUV space, their focus will
currently remain on the Captur. According to a report from last month, Renault
is concerned that bringing the new Duster to India might cannibalise sales of
the Captur.
