Renault Gives the Ageing Duster a Facelift, but Will It Work?

The Renault Duster was the one that started the trend for compact SUVs – but it had begun to look dated.

India is currently witnessing a surge in the demand for Compact SUVs, and this demand has forced companies to come out with their own offerings like the Hyundai’s Creta, Ford’s Ecosport and the Maruti Suzuki’s Brezza, to name a few.

But this trend began way back with Renault’s Duster, and the car is still selling in good numbers. Although when you put it right next to the competition, the car began to look dated and in need of a facelift – and that is exactly what the company has done.

First unveiled at the Auto Expo 2016, the new Duster sports new headlamp and tail lamp designs and has been fitted with roof rails along with newly-designed alloy wheels. There’s a new color offering too – Cayenne Orange.

In terms of safety, the car comes fitted with an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), dual airbags, Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and hill-start assist. The main attraction though is the new 6-speed Automatic-Manual Transmission (AMT) that Renault is offering, along with a claimed mileage of 19.6 km/l that comes with it.

The big question is, will it work for Renault?

Well, it certainly won’t make the Duster a revolution in the Indian automobile sector, but it is enough for the car to keep a sizeable chunk of sales when it comes to the compact SUV segment, as it doesn’t look quite so dated anymore.