Renault Duster SUV fuel-efficiency revealed: More efficient than these SUVs!

Renault India today announced an ARAI-certified fuel-efficiency figure of 19.41 kmpl for the Duster’s 1.0-litre turbo TCe 100 petrol engine, making it the most fuel-efficient powertrain currently offered in the SUV range. The mileage figures are higher than the 1.3-litre turbo-petrol variant, which returns 17.75 kmpl with the manual gearbox and 18.45 kmpl with the automatic transmission. The 1.0-litre engine is available in Authentic, Evolution and Techno trims, priced between Rs 10.49 lakh and Rs 13.49 lakh (ex-showroom).Design-wise, Renault has introduced India-specific design changes to the new generation Duster while retaining the overall silhouette of the third-generation global model. The India-spec SUV gets redesigned headlamps with eyebrow-shaped LED daytime running lights that also function as turn indicators. It features a revised grille with prominent Duster badging replacing the Renault logo, as well as a front bumper that uses raised silver surrounds and pixel-style fog lamps.From the side, the Duster gets black cladding on the wheel arches and lower body, C-pillar-mounted rear door handles and functional roof rails. At the rear, triangular tail-lamps are joined by an LED light bar which is not seen on the global variant. Additional changes include a roof-mounted spoiler, textured license plate housing and a black rear bumper with silver inserts.Moving inside, the Duster’s interior has been extensively redesigned for the Indian market. The India-spec version features a completely new dashboard design with a dual-screen layout, soft-touch surfaces and revised trim elements. The cabin makes use of silver accents and contrasting green stitching, a dedicated button panel on the center console, slide-adjustable front armrest with storage and more. Features include a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a panoramic sunroof, a wireless phone charger, dual-zone climate control, a powered tailgate, 6-way powered and ventilated front seats, 48-color ambient lighting, keyless entry with push-button start/stop, multi-drive Mods and more.Safety features include six airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, rear parking sensors, ISOFIX child seat anchorages, 360-degree camera, electric parking brake, disc brakes on all four wheels and Level 2 ADAS features.The new Renault Duster is offered with three engine options – a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with 100 PS of power and 160 Nm of torque paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The second engine is a 1.3-litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged petrol with 163 PS of power and 280 Nm of torque paired with a 6-speed DCT or a 6-speed manual. It also has a larger 1.8-litre strong hybrid petrol engine with 109 hp, a 49 hp electric motor and a 20 hp hybrid starter generator (HSG), paired with a 1.4 kWh (280 V) battery. Together, this configuration delivers a combined system output of 160hp and 172Nm.