2025 Renault Duster: Right Hand Drive Version For India Unveiled [Video]
South Africa has just become the first right-hand drive market in the world to get the all-new, 2025 Renault Duster mid-sized SUV. The car was unveiled a couple of days ago. In South Africa, Renault will offer the Duster with front wheel drive and four wheel drive trims. Both manual and automatic gearboxes will be on offer as well. Here’s the video of the South African unveil.
Now, for some interesting bits.
Turbo petrol power
The new Duster has gone petrol, fully petrol. There won’t be a diesel engine, even as an option. What India is expected to get is the 1,332cc, four cylinder petrol (HR13DDT) engine available in two states of tune: 130 Bhp-240 Nm and 150 Bhp-250 Nm. This engine was developed by Renault and Nissan, and is also used by Mercedes Benz (where it’s called the M232). Notably, this engine isn’t new to India. The first-generation Duster was offered this motor post BS6, and also the Nissan Kicks came with this engine, in 160 Bhp-250 Nm state of tune.
Now, for gearboxes
While the 1.3 liter turbo petrol motor got 6 speed manual and CVT automatic gearboxes on the 1st generation Renault Duster and Nissan Kicks sold in India, the new Duster will get a 6 speed manual and a 6 speed twin clutch EDC automatic.
Renault calls its dual clutch automatic gearboxes as EDC, which expands to efficient dual clutch. Notably, this dual clutch gearbox gets a wet clutch. This is a good thing as we in India have seen dry clutch Volkswagen DSG automatic gearboxes really struggle thanks to our low average city speeds and stop-go traffic conditions.
Four wheel drive?
In South Africa, the right hand drive version of the 3rd generation Duster gets a four wheel drive system that comes with a host of terrain including four wheel drive lock, eco all wheel drive and also sand, snow and auto modes. Hill descent control is also on offer. In India, Renault may choose to offer all wheel drive on the top end trim as a major differentiator. Most variants though are expected to be front wheel driven.
Most feature-rich Duster, ever!
ADAS, twin clutch automatic gearbox, a host of safety features including 6 airbags, ABS, hill hold, hill descent control, 360 degree camera, electric parking brake are likely to make it to the new Duster.
A panoramic sunroof, wireless charging, driver-inclined touchscreen infotainment panel with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, leatherette ventilated seats, powered driver’s seat, dual zone climate control are other expected features. The cabin experience promises to be a huge step over the first-generation Duster, which frankly felt low rent, even by developing country standards. The new Duster will have none of those hang-ups.
CMF-B platform finally in India
The 3rd generation, 2025 Duster sits on the CMF-B LS (Common Module Family) platform, and is a badge-engineered version of the Dacia Duster. It was launched in Europe last year – a year after being first showcased at the 2023 Geneva Motor Show. LS here stands for Low Specification, and is aimed at developing markets looking for sturdy yet affordable vehicles.
The new Duster won’t have an all-electric variant but the platform is ready for both mild hybrid and strong hybrid electrification. In the years to come (by the end of 2027 to be specific), Renault India – like every other car maker – will have to meet CAFE (corporate average fuel efficiency) norms. Naturally, the Duster will see some kind of hybridization, but we’re likely to see it only with a facelift.
Already testing in India
The all-new Duster was spotted days ago in India, while being tested on the roads of Kerala for ADAS calibration. So, ADAS is more or less a given in the India-spec model. Renault India is expected to launch the 3rd generation Duster by the end of 2025. Renault skipped one generation of the Duster in India.
In effect, the 2025 Duster is coming to India nearly 13 years after the first generation model was launched here. It’ll also mark the arrival of the CMF-B LS platform in India, which is expected to underpin a range of future products from both Renault and Nissan.
It’ll square off against the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara and Toyota Hyryder. In price terms, there will be fair amount of overlap with larger SUVs such as the Mahindra Thar ROXX, the Scorpio-N, the XUV700, the Tata Harrier and Safari.
Renault is expected to bring the new Duster in two major variants – a 5 seat model, and the larger Bigster with three rows of 7 seats. The 7 seat Duster – based on the Dacia Bigster – will be launched in 2026, and take aim at the likes of the Tata Safari, Hyundai Alcazar and Mahindra XUV700.
BIGGEST launch for Renault in years
The next-generation Duster will be one of the most important SUVs that Renault has launched in India in years. Currently, the automaker sells the Kwid budget hatchback, Kiger sub-4 meter compact SUV and the Triber MPV. Together, these three cars bring in less than 4,000 monthly units, a far cry from the 10,000+ monthly units that Renault used to sell in India a few years ago. Market share has dipped to less than 1 %, and Renault finds itself a bit player in the world’s 3rd largest car market. Clearly, Renault needs to get a move on in India, and the 3rd generation is expected to bring back the French automaker into the SUV game.
The new Duster is important not just for Renault!
Apart from Renault, Nissan India is also expected to sell the Duster, but in badge-engineered form. Remember the first-gen Renault Duster-Nissan Terrano duo? It’s exactly what will happen with the 3rd generation Duster as well, which will spawn four SUVs, two each from Renault and Nissan.
Like the Renault Duster and the 7 seat Bigster, Nissan will also have five and seven seat variants of the SUV, launched in similar cadence – a year apart from each other. The Nissan-badged Duster is also expected to be launched in India by the end of next year. The 7 seat model is likely to follow a year later. Nissan calls it the C-SUV project.
The 3rd generation Duster will be built at the Renault-Nissan joint manufacturing facility at Oragadam, Chennai. This factory, which services both the domestic Indian market and exports, will be the fulcrum of the right-hand drive versions of the new Renault Duster and its Nissan-badged siblings for most right-hand drive markets across the world. This should allow the Renault-Nissan alliance to sweat out its assets and make India a compelling part of its global business.