Renault Duster 4WD spotted testing near Chennai

A 4WD version of the Renault/Dacia Duster has been spotted testing near the Renault plant outside Chennai. The picture while not uncommon, seem to intrigue us a bit as the logo and the place where the 4WD sticker should appear have been taped up and this is likely to mean that it is being tested for a new market. 

The UK Renault/Dacia Duster gets the four-wheel-drive option with both the 1.6-litre petrol engine and the 1.5-litre turbocharged 110bhp diesel mill. The former produces 105bhp+148Nm while the latter produces 109bhp and 248Nm of torque. The engines have been mated to a five-speed manual and six-speed manual respectively in addition to a four-wheel-drive system that you can switch on the fly.

The current crop of 4WD variant Dusters made mostly under the Dacia badge are sold in a variety of RHD markets excluding India. However, Indianautosblog who managed to get the pictures, say that the components for the 4WD are not made locally as most of the buyers whose vehicles are made in the Chennai factory prefer the 2WD variants. 

While it will be a while before we get the four-wheel-drive Duster, what we can expect is the facelifted Duster which made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September this year.

Source: Indianautosblog