Renault India on Tuesday launched the third-generation Duster in the country, with turbo petrol variants priced from ₹10.49 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and dispatches beginning at dealerships nationwide. Customers who pre-booked through the company's R-Pass programme can avail an introductory price of ₹10.29 lakh until March 31, 2026. The launch marks the return of one of Renault's most recognised nameplates in India after a gap of several years.
The new model is built on the Renault Group Modular Platform (RGMP), which the company says brings gains in structural rigidity, efficiency, and long-term adaptability. The platform also underpins Renault's approach angles and departure angles, which the company describes as best-in-segment, along with a high ground clearance intended to support off-road use as well as everyday driving on uneven urban roads. The vehicle is offered in five trims — Authentic, Evolution, Techno, Techno+, and Iconic — alongside a limited-run Launch Edition featuring Himalayan-inspired design details including yellow accents on the grille, roof bars, and tailgate, along with 18-inch black alloy wheels.
The sole petrol powertrain at launch is the Turbo TCe 160, which produces 163 PS and 280 Nm of torque. It is paired with either a 6-speed wet-clutch dual-clutch transmission (DCT) calibrated for Indian traffic conditions, or a 6-speed manual gearbox. The company said vehicle dynamics were validated by IDIADA, a Spanish automotive testing organisation, across parameters including ride quality, handling, steering response, and braking performance, with tuning carried out specifically for varied Indian road surfaces.
The Turbo TCe 160 has accounted for over 90% of petrol bookings across markets since pre-bookings opened, indicating strong customer preference for the more powerful variant over potential entry-level options. Renault has not announced plans for a naturally aspirated petrol engine at this stage.
Renault also introduced the E-Tech Strong Hybrid variant alongside the petrol range. The hybrid system pairs a 1.8-litre petrol engine with a 1.4 kWh battery and is designed to operate in electric mode for up to 80% of driving time in city conditions, while maintaining performance on highways. Demand for the hybrid surpassed the company's projections — Renault confirmed that its entire planned hybrid production allocation for 2026 is already sold out, with bookings set to reopen ahead of deliveries scheduled around the Diwali period later this year. In major metro markets, nearly 40% of pre-booking customers chose the hybrid, a figure that reflects growing interest in fuel-efficient powertrains among urban buyers.
The feature set varies across the five trims. The entry-level Authentic includes six airbags, a 7-inch TFT driver display, rear AC vents, all power windows with auto up/down, and remote keyless entry, alongside 35 safety features as standard. The Evolution trim adds 17-inch alloy wheels, a 10.1-inch OpenR Link multimedia system, wireless smartphone replication, cruise control, a rearview camera, and roof bars with a 50 kg load capacity. The Techno trim introduces full LED headlamps, LED fog lamps, an electric panoramic sunroof, an electric powered tailgate, hands-free keycard access, wireless smartphone charging, and dual-zone automatic climate control. The Techno+ bridges the Techno and Iconic trims with 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, an acoustic windshield, hill descent control, blind spot warning, and front and side park assist.
The top Iconic trim is the most comprehensively equipped, featuring 17 ADAS functions, a 360-degree 3D around-view camera, ventilated front seats with six-way electric adjustment, an Arkamys 6-speaker sound system, rain-sensing wipers, an air quality monitor with PM2.5 filter and ioniser, and multisense driving modes with 48-colour ambient lighting. The OpenR Link multimedia system on this trim includes Google built-in, giving access to Google Maps, Google Assistant, and Google Play directly through the infotainment screen.
Dual-tone exterior colour options are available at an additional ₹20,000 on the Techno, Techno+, and Iconic trims.
On the ownership and after-sales side, Renault is offering the new Duster with a 7-year warranty under its "Renault Forever" programme, applicable to customers who adhere to scheduled maintenance at authorised Renault service centres. The company is also introducing subscription-based ownership options as an alternative to outright purchase, a model that has seen limited but growing adoption in the Indian market in recent years.
Francisco Hidalgo, Vice President – Sales & Marketing at Renault India, said the new Duster was developed around what Indian customers prioritise in a daily-use SUV — durability, performance, and ownership value — and that the warranty and subscription offerings were aimed at lowering the barriers to purchase for first-time SUV buyers.
The Duster's return is significant in the context of Renault India's broader product strategy. The original Duster, launched in India in 2012, was among the first vehicles to define the mid-size SUV segment in the country and became a commercial anchor for the brand. It was discontinued in 2019 as the segment grew more competitive and the model aged. In the intervening years, competitors including the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, and Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara have collectively grown the segment into one of the largest in the Indian passenger vehicle market. The new Duster enters this landscape with a starting price that positions it competitively against several of these models, while the hybrid variant occupies a space where fewer direct rivals currently exist.
Renault India is a wholly owned subsidiary of Renault S.A.S., France, operating under the parent company's "Renaulution" strategic plan, which emphasises electrification and value-generating transformation. The company manufactures its vehicles in India at a facility in Oragadam, Chennai, with an installed annual capacity of 480,000 units. Its retail and service network currently spans over 350 sales touchpoints and 450 service centres across the country, including more than 250 Workshop on Wheels locations that extend coverage to smaller towns and semi-urban areas.