Top four things we did with the Renault Duster over the last 10 years

Earlier this year, Renault rolled the final model of India’s first-ever compact SUV off the assembly line, marking the end of production for the first generation Duster.

Launched in India in July 2012, this quirky SUV was the car that started the compact SUV revolution in the country, opening the Indian buyer’s eyes to a body style that today is in total demand and dominates every segment in either direction of the price scale the Duster existed.

In the 10 years that the Duster existed, CarWale has been a part of its journey doing quite a few things with the car. Here are the top four highlights of OUR 10-year trip with the Renault Duster.  

First-ever drive review 

Renault launched the Duster in July 2012 with prices starting at Rs 7.19 lakh and topping out at Rs 10.99 lakh for the top-spec RXZ diesel. We got to drive this RXZ 110PS version of the Duster then and found positives in the form of cabin space, drive experience and exterior appearance. On the flip side we found the plastic quality in some parts of the cabin to be below segment standard and it was also missing crucial feel-good features at the time. 

2016 Off-road day

The Renault Duster, in its AWD MT guise, was one of the stars of our inaugural 2016 CarWale Off-road Day. Here, we discovered that the Duster AWD, after being subjected to a barrage of off-road tests proved to be a capable vehicle. In our review we said that its high ground clearance, robust AWD system, independent suspension and comparatively low weight made it a nimble off-roader. These traits would help it travel places and traverse terrains that any other soft-roader would only dream of reaching.

Next-Gen Duster to be produced in India on a global platform   

In early 2021, Renault revealed to us exclusively that it would continue the Duster for the Indian market in a new avatar and that this car would be based on Renault’s global platform rather than the India-specific CMF-A one underpinning cars like the Kwid and Triber. We expect Renault to announce the same later this year. We expect this Duster to be offered with petrol power and hybrid technology. 

Final hurrah with the 1.3-litre turbo petrol

Renault closed off this first-generation Duster’s innings in India by bringing it in with a 1.3-litre BS6 compliant engine that it showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo. It was the most powerful engine that Renault had ever fitted in the Duster producing 154bhp/250Nm and mated either to a six-speed manual or a CVT. Along with this engine upgrade, it also updated the exterior design as well as the cabin of the Duster.