After Duster What? 4 New SUVs From Renault Detailed
Renault has launched the third generation Duster in India at an ex-showroom starting price of Rs 10.49 lakh. It marks the first and probably most important step in the company’s comeback plan here. Renault India’s Vice President (Sales & Marketing) Francisco Hidalgo has confirmed that the Duster is just the first product of a big lineup. He says that the company has a clear destination point. So what after the Duster? Here are four new SUVs expected from the manufacturer in the upcoming time.
At launch, the Duster is available with two turbo-petrol engines- 1.0L turbocharged petrol and 1.3L turbo-petrol. The former is only available with a manual transmission. The 1.3L turbocharged petrol engine, on the other hand, can be had with a manual and a six-speed wet-clutch DCT automatic transmission.
The next launch from Renault will be a hybrid version of the Duster, expected to arrive around the festive season this year. It will be powered by a 1.8L strong hybrid powertrain.
This setup will use a 1.8L naturally aspirated petrol engine running Atkinson cycle as its base. It will be mated to two electric motors and a battery pack. One of these motors will function as a generator while the other will provide drive to the wheels. The petrol engine will have a strong focus on maximising fuel efficiency. The hybrid battery pack in this case will have a capacity of 1.4kWh. This setup will have a combined system output of 158hp and 172Nm.
The design and packaging of the hybrid Duster are expected to stand close to those of the turbo-petrol version that has gone on sale now. The Duster’s hybrid variants are already in great demand. Results of the R-Pass program show that 40% of buyers opted for hybrids, during pre-bookings.
Before we move into the details of the other upcoming Renaults, it is important to take note of what Hidalgo said about the company’s future roadmap. He said ‘We have a clear destination point. I don't really care if it takes two more months, more or less, to get there. What is important is the trend and the direction. And we are very clear about that’ The goal is to strengthen domestic sales and grow the company’s market share.
The production form of the Bridger SUV is expected to be out sometime in 2027. The concept was recently showcased in France, generating massive interest. When launched, this will become the carmaker’s second B-segment SUV. It has been conceived, designed and developed specifically for the Indian market.
The production-spec Bridger will be underpinned by the RGMP Small platform. It is a multi-energy platform and can support CNG, flex fuel, hybrid and even full-electric powertrains. The internal combustion version will reportedly be powered by a new 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine. We may also see a strong hybrid version of the Bridger rolling out in the future.
Another possible launch is an EV based on the Bridger. The electric SUV will be based on the same RGMP platform and will likely arrive around mid 2027. It is expected to have its prices in the range of Rs 10-14 lakh, ex-showroom.
And finally, the French carmaker will also launch a three-row C-segment SUV based on the new Duster. It is likely to be called the Boreal upon launch and will be based on the same RGMP platform as the five-seater. On the styling front, it will take inspiration from the global Bigster concept. This SUV will use the same set of powertrains as the five-seater Duster- 1.3L turbo-petrol and 1.8L strong hybrid. The 1.0L turbo-petrol engine is unlikely to make it to this model.