Renault Duster Unveiled For India: Things It Still Misses Out On!

Yes! The one who started it all, is back. The Renault Duster, which ushered in a new era of SUVs in the Indian market, is finally back on its turf in the Subcontinent. It was the Duster that made people pull in towards a 5 seater compact SUV space, but with dwindling sales and more and more competitors in the space, it was eventually pulled out from the Indian market. Now, in 2026, it is back, hitting all the right notes and in line with the aspirational Indian buyer in modern times, but still, it also misses out on some things that its rival. The unveil was probably one of the biggest reveals in the country, the details were at par with the excitment as well, but in this section, let's take a look at what more it could have offered. But before that, make sure to join the 91wheels WhatsApp Community, specifically curated for petrolheads like us to keep up with the latest news and automotive updates.

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1. AWD

Before the Renault Duster was discontinued here in India, it offered an AWD drivetrain in its higher spec variants. But the same is not the case now, something that was highly anticipated. This also comes off as a big miss, considering the Indian buyers are now gravitating towards off-road centric vehicles, not to mention, the Grand Vitara/ Hyryder already offers the tech in their higher spec trims.

2. CNG Option

Another big miss, which although easy to compensate with a dealership level official fitment, is the CNG unavailability. Currently, the enthusiast as well as the mileage concious buyer aspires to own an SUV and an omission of such mass popular powertrain option will dent some sales for the Duster. However, brands like Honda have already offered a dealer level fitment for the greener and more frugal option.

3. Diesel

While some may argue that days of diesel are numbered, the segment still has a lot of options like the Seltos, Creta, Sierra, etc that offer a diesel powertrain option. This comes in really handy for people clocking in higher numbers on the odo in a month, and could use the extra mileage for a lower cost of running. While the offset for this is a hybrid powertrain that will be available with the Duster around Diwali 2026, it will be a far more expensive affair considering that the hybrid components will most likely be imported.

4. Media Controls Positioning

As a Renault favourite, the brand usually puts the driver's multimedia controls behind the steering wheel in an awkward position that might take some time to get used to. Also, it is not the most ergonomic place for the driver to operate while in motion. This is somehting that Renault could have rectified with this new Duster, but decided to keep its unique ( not the best) position for the controls. But is it a deal breaker? Absolutely not! Weird placement? Yes!

5. Sliding Second Row Seats

Slowly and steadily, carmakers are going in and offering more practicality for the seconf row space. The rear seats now recline and slide for the new age SUVs, but again, the Duster missed this boat. The second row space is decent but with more flexibility, peace of mind prevails. Again, is this a dea breaker? Might be for some, but other will do just fine.

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6. Passenger Infotainment Screen

What we saw with the Tata Sierra or the Mahindra XUV 7XO is an aditional third screen for the co-passenger, evidently missing from the Renault Duster. While it adds a layer of convenience and an additional form of entertainment, its omission is not something you'll miss dearly, but since the competition went ahead with this one, it makes it to the list.