Biggest Car Comebacks Of 2026: 2 Done, 1 To Go
It won’t be wrong to call 2026 the year of comebacks for many brands. We saw two iconic models get reintroduced in the market this year. One of them was the Tata Sierra, which was actually one of the first compact SUVs made in India. The other was the Duster, which made this segment extremely popular among buyers in the country. Both these vehicles were introduced in the market this year and have received an overwhelming response from buyers. Tata has started deliveries of the Sierra, and Renault will start deliveries of the Duster soon. However, there is one more brand preparing to make a comeback, and that is Nissan.
The first comeback of 2026 is the Sierra. The first compact SUV was way ahead of its time but over the years people realised it and that is when they started asking the brand to bring the Sierra back. Tata heard and finally launched the all-new Sierra in Indian last year. Although the SUV was launched in 2025, the deliveries only happened in January this year.
Except the name, the new Sierra has nothing in common with the older one. It is based on a brand new platform. It comes with a set of new engines and transmission options. It also offers a slew of new features.
It comes with triple display on the dashboard, two of them are touchscreen infotainment system while the third one is an instrument cluster. It comes with leatherette upholstery, electric seats, seat ventilation, large panoramic sunroof, automatic climate control, level 2 ADAS, multiple safety features, 5 star crash test rating and so on.
It comes with two petrol engine options, there is a 1.5 litre NA petrol with manual and DCA gearbox options. This engine generates 105 Bhp and 145 Nm of torque. The next is the 1.5 litre turbo petrol engine that generates 158 Bhp and 255 Nm of torque. This engine is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission only. The 1.5 litre diesel engine on the Sierra generates 116 Bhp and 260 Nm of torque and comes with manual and automatic transmission options.
Price for Sierra starts at Rs 11.49 lakh, ex-showroom and goes all the way till Rs 21.29 lakh, ex-showroom. The Sierra SUV is available in Smart+, Pure, Pure+, Adventure, Adventure+, Accomplished and Accomplished+ variants.
Tata has delivered over 14,000 units of Sierra since January and they are also working on the electric version of Sierra which is expected to get launched in the second quarter of 2026.
Renault Duster is an SUV with lot of recall value. As mentioned above, this was actually an SUV that popularised the compact SUV segment in India and cleared the path for other brands. The Renault Duster also made a comeback this year and it was only recently that we came to know the prices and variants of the Duster too.
It is based on the CMF-B platform from Renault and unlike the older generation model, the SUV gets more features while retaining its butch SUV like look. Coming to the features, Renault Duster comes with leatherette upholstery, ventilated seats, large, driver-centric touchscreen, fully digital instrument cluster, level 2 ADAS, automatic climate control, electric adjustments for seats, panoramic sunroof and so on.
When compared to the international version, the Indian Duster is slightly different in terms of looks and features. For example it misses out of the 4x4 variant which is available internationally. Renault would have made that call intentionally to keep the prices in check.
Coming to the engine and transmission options, Renault has three engine options but only offers 2 of them in the market currently. The first one is the 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that generates 100 PS and 160–180 Nm of torque. This engine is offered with a manual transmission only.
Next is the 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine, which is the most powerful unit in this segment and generates 163 PS and 280 Nm of torque. This gets both manual and 6-speed DCT gearbox options.
Third is the 1.8 litre strong hybrid version which is claimed to be one of the most efficient hybrid setups in the segment. It comes with a 1.8 kWh battery pack that allows you use to use the Duster as an EV 80 percent of the time in the city. The hybrid version will be getting launched around the festive season this year.
Renault had confirmed that they have received an overwhelming response from buyers and they are sold out for the year 2026. They also told that around 39 percent of buyers from metro opted for the hybrid variant.
Renault Duster is available in Authentic, Evolution, Techno, Techno+ and Iconic Variants. Price for the Duster starts at Rs 10.49 lakh, ex-showroom and goes all the way till Rs 18.69 lakh, ex-showroom. Renault would also bring a 7-seater version of Duster inspired by the Bigster SUV that is available internationally.
Nissan has been dormant for a very long time, and one of the reasons for that was its lack of products. Currently, it only has the Nissan Magnite in its lineup, if we leave the X-Trail aside. Nissan and Renault are in a partnership, and as we already know, Nissan is also working on its version of the Renault Duster for the Indian market. It is an extremely important product for Nissan as it would decide the brand's future in the Indian market.
This is not the first time something like this has happened. The Nissan Terrano was their version of the older-generation Duster, and now Nissan is expected to launch the Tekton in the market. Test mules have been spotted multiple times, and teaser images have also revealed how the production version of the Tekton may look.
Nissan did not go with the Terrano name for the upcoming SUV mainly because it didn’t have as much recall value in the market as the Duster. Just like the Duster, the upcoming Tekton is going to be based on the CMF-B platform. However, this SUV will feature a completely different exterior design.
Like the Terrano, it won’t look anything like the Duster. Nissan has already confirmed that with the Tekton, they are aiming for a design that would make it look like a baby Nissan Patrol. The front of the SUV will feature drop-down LED DRLs, a sleek headlamp cluster, a connecting LED DRL strip, and a large grille with the Nissan logo at the centre. There will be two silver or white-coloured strips that meet the logo and divide the grille into two parts. As this is an SUV, Nissan will offer a muscular yet premium-looking front bumper with faux skid plates and fog lamps.
Coming to the side profile, we expect to see thick black cladding around the wheel arches and an air vent on the front fender. We may also see flared fenders at the front and rear to enhance the muscular look of the vehicle. The Tekton will come with pull-type door handles, and the rear door handles will likely be integrated into the C-pillar, similar to the Duster.
Roof rails and a shark-fin antenna are some of the other features expected on the exterior. At the rear, the Tekton will likely come with C-shaped all-LED tail lamps connected by an LED bar. We can also expect an integrated roof spoiler, a busy-looking tailgate, and black cladding to enhance the rugged appearance.
On the inside, we expect Nissan to offer a cabin similar to what we have seen in the Duster. It could come with a large, driver-centric touchscreen with Google Assistant and many other features. The SUV is also expected to offer features like a panoramic sunroof, automatic climate control, electrically adjustable seats, seat ventilation, leatherette upholstery, ambient lighting, and more.
The Nissan Tekton is expected to be offered with the same set of engine options as the Duster. There will be a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that generates 100 PS and 160–180 Nm of torque. This engine will likely be offered with a manual transmission only.
Next is the 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine, which is the most powerful unit in this segment and generates 163 PS and 280 Nm of torque. This will be offered with both manual and 6-speed DCT gearbox options.
There is also a 1.8-litre strong hybrid engine, which will be launched at a later stage. This is said to be one of the most efficient hybrid setups in the segment. Renault claims that up to 80 percent of the time, the SUV can be driven in EV mode within the city, as it comes with a 1.8 kWh battery pack.