Renault silently releases the BS6 Duster prices – Now starts at Rs. 8.5 lakh
Renault India has officially revealed the pricing for the BS6 Duster. Although, the company didn’t release a press release for the same, they officiated it by silently revising it on their website.
The Duster was technically the first mid-size SUV for the Indian market. And most importantly, it was amongst the very few REAL SUV’s in it’s segment. I mean the Creta came almost 2 years after the Duster and by that time, the Duster had created quite a following. Although, Creta was a crossover and it could therefore, look a bit more stylish for the urban market because it did not need to have off-road abilities like the Duster. The Duster is a tremendously capable vehicle but, the car is long overdue for a refresh.
Even in its BS6 avatar, the car still does not look fresh. The interiors are pretty much the same to the original 2012 model albeit a few technological upgrades (that look like aftermarket additions). Not only that, Renault is not particularly popular for its quality levels and cabin feel and when you compare that to the likes of the Tata Nexon or the Hyundai Creta/Kia Seltos, you will know why the Duster is failing to attract any audience.
As per the website, the BS6 Renault Duster comes in three petrol variants: RXE, RXS and RXZ with prices of Rs 8.49 lakh, Rs 9.29 lakh and Rs 9.99 lakh, respectively. All prices here ex-showroom. There is no diesel variant as of now and surprisingly, the petrol CVT also didn’t make it. But, the diesel will probably hit the markets really soon since, the demand of diesel cars is not going down as fast as we think. This is despite each automaker focusing on the petrol variants only. Look at the Creta for example, over 50% of its bookings are for the diesel variant.
The 2020 Renault Duster petrol is boosted by a BS6 compliant 1.5-litre H4K four-cylinder engine. This motor churns out 105bhp and 142NM of torque while mated to a 5-speed manual. The power figures are not different from that of the BS4 model. But, at the Auto Expo 2020, Renault India had showcased an interesting turbo petrol variant of the Duster. It had a 1.3-litre turbo petrol capable of 153bhp and 250Nm with a 6-speed manual or CVT. Owing to Hyundai and Kia’s strategies of offering a turbo petrol with their mid-size SUV’s and possibly every other car, we expect Renault to make their move soon.
