It is no doubt that the sales of Renault Duster have been hampered ever since the company discontinued its diesel engine. The frugal and reliable 1.5-litre diesel was the higher selling unit and now petrol just doesn't do justice. To make up for the loss of oil burner, Renault showcased a more powerful turbo petrol engine of Duster and new details surface that its launch date is now out.
Well, not particularly but according to the sources Renault is planning to launch the turbo petrol Duster in August. Under the hood, it displaces the same 1.3-litre turbo petrol unit as Nissan Kicks. This makes 154 bhp with a peak torque of 250 Nm. Like the Kicks, this engine too could be offered with a 6-speed manual or a CVT gearbox.
Renault will also continue with the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol motor which makes 103 bhp with a peak torque of 142 Nm. The turbo petrol will be reserved with the mid-spec variants and higher trims to keep the costs low.
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The turbo petrol Duster showcased at the Auto Expo 2020 differentiated itself from the other one by having red accents on the grille and fog light housing. Both the roof rails and tailgate see Duster lettering in deep red colour. The badging on the alloys of the Duster sticks to red colour. Rest, it is identical with that of the normal version.
Renault Duster is fairly equipped with features like projector headlights with LED DRLs, automatic climate control, a touchscreen infotainment unit with GPS navigation unit, rear wiper and among others. Safety equipment on the Duster stick with dual airbags, ABS with EBD, reverse parking sensors, high-speed alert system, brake assist and seat belt warning.
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Currently, the Duster competes with the likes of Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta and Nissan Kicks. Once the 1.3L turbo petrol is launched it will see its pricing north of Rs 10 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi. It remains to be seen if the Duster will gain its position from Kicks to being as the least expensive powerful mid-size SUV.
