Chennai: French automaker Renault India on Monday unveiled the all-new Renault Duster, marking the comeback of a nameplate that not only helped create the mid-size SUV segment in the country but also played a key role in establishing Renault’s brand in India’s highly competitive passenger vehicle market.Originally launched in 2012, the Duster emerged as a strong volume driver for the company and significantly expanded the mid-size SUV space, becoming one of Renault’s most recognisable and successful models in India.The new-generation Duster will be offered with multiple powertrain options, including two turbo-petrol engines — Turbo TCe 160 and Turbo TCe 100 — as well as, for the first time in India, a strong Hybrid E-Tech 160. The hybrid variant pairs a 1.8-litre engine with a 1.4 kWh battery.Pricing for the new Duster will be announced in mid-March. Deliveries of the turbo variants are slated to begin by mid-April, while the hybrid version is expected to reach customers around Diwali, Francisco Hidalgo, Vice-President – Sales and Marketing, Renault India, said at the launch event here.The unveiling also marked the rollout of ‘Renault Forever’, the company’s new customer commitment programme aimed at making ownership simpler. Under this initiative, the new Duster will come with maximum warranty coverage of up to seven years or 1,50,000 km.Pre-bookings for the SUV opened on January 26 with a payment of ₹21,000, branded as the ‘R-Pass’. Customers who pre-book will be eligible for a special introductory price, priority delivery, exclusive Duster merchandise and other benefits.Renault reiterated that the new Duster, which will be produced at its Chennai factory, has been “made for India”, with close to 90% localisation, and has been validated for extreme operating conditions.
