3 things the new Renault Duster gets right, and 3 it could improve

The Renault Duster is back after a four-year hiatus, after it was initially discontinued in 2022. While it has been launched in an extremely populated segment to compete against the likes of Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Maruti Suzuki Victoris, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, MG Astor, Honda Elevate, Volkswagen Taigun and newly-launched Skoda Kushaq facelift, among others. We recently drove the new Renault Duster, and here are three things that I feel the new Duster gets right and three things that could be improved:

3 things the new Renault Duster gets right

1. Handling

The new Renault Duster handles like a dream. While the Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun reign the driving dynamics department in the compact SUV space in India, the new Renault Duster is equally as good, if not better. The Renault Duster is a proper enthusiast's car with a powerful turbocharged engine and properly tuned suspension, which is soft enough to filter out potholes but firm enough to instil confidence in the driver to take a corner at fast speeds.

Renault Duster features

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Renault Duster features

2. Features

The Renault Duster has been filled with features, competing against its South Korean rivals in the segment. The Duster is taking the competition to its rivals and offers features including a 360-degree camera, dual-zone automatic climate control, Level 2 ADAS, 10.1-inch infotainment system, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster with turn-by-turn navigation, tyre pressure monitoring system, ventilated front seats, six-way power adjustable front seats, one-touch up and down for all four windows and a powered tailgate, among others.

3. Pricing

The Renault Duster has been priced extremely aggressively. It has an ex-showroom starting price of ₹10.29 lakh with the R-Pass and ₹10.49 lakh without the R-Pass. The price with R-Pass undercuts the Maruti Suzuki Victoris by ₹20,000, while without the R-Pass, it matches the price of the Maruti Suzuki Victoris, making it one of the most affordable compact SUVs to buy in India.

3 things the new Renault Duster could improve

1. Brakes

The brakes are something I feel should be top-notch on every car, considering they are assigned to stop the car or kill its momentum. Upon driving the Renault Duster, though, I felt that the brakes aren’t its strongest suit. We drove the Renault Duster on curvy, hilly roads, and I felt that the braking performance could have been better since it didn’t fill me with confidence, which most of its rivals do.

Renault Duster drive

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Renault Duster drive

2. Engine Options

The engine options currently on offer in the Renault Duster are a 1.0L three-cylinder turbocharged engine producing 100 hp and 166 Nm of torque, and a 1.3L four-cylinder turbocharged engine producing 163 hp and 280 Nm of torque. The company has stated that it plans to launch a 1.8L petrol-hybrid engine towards the latter end of the year, which would give buyers more engine options. However, it currently restricts the potential customer to two engine options, whereas the Hyundai Creta provides a naturally aspirated petrol engine, a turbocharged petrol engine, a turbocharged diesel engine and an electric powertrain, expanding its customer base by catering to different needs and markets.

3. Key Fob

Renault has employed the same old key fob being utilised for all its models, namely the Triber and Kiger. While the key fob isn’t bad by any means, the flagship product deserves a key which signifies the same. The SUVs priced similarly get a more premium-looking key fob, which elevates the customer experience along with the overall experience of the SUV.

Check out Upcoming Cars in India 2026, Best SUVs in India.