The Renault Duster is officially out of production after a decade

Renault has officially ended production of the first-generation Duster which they brought to the subcontinent way back in 2012, 10 years ago! There were unique versions and a facelift was also launched, however Renault has finally decided to let the car rest, and for it to settle down in the dust(er). Fun fact, do you remember the Nissan Terrano which was basically a copy of the Duster? The Duster is basically the car that started the Renault-Nissan partnership in India which brought us so many vehicles. In fact, it was indeed the Duster that started the compact/mid-size SUV trend in India! Yes it wasn’t the Creta. The Creta came 3 years later in 2015.

The Duster was the brainchild of Renault’s Romanian subsidiary company, Dacia. If you know James May, you know Dacia! They recently revealed the new Duster for Europe as well, which though based on this Duster is quite the generational step up in more than a few ways! The last news we had about the Duster was it scoring zero stars in a GNCAP test, and the last news Renault gave us was an upgrade to BS6 engine norms way back in March of 2020.

The Duster certainly was one of the most popular compact SUVs of its day, and has stood the test of time. A capable offroader which provided unique amenities and comforts, the Duster was always slated to sell well- and Renault certainly got the most out of it. Sales dipped over time as was natural, and it is finally time to say goodbye.

With this news it marks the end of an era for a car which became synonymous with the Indian car scene, however it might just end up being a goodbye and not a farewell. Renault would certainly have some intent on bringing the recently-launched Duster to India soon, however considering the success of the Kiger its hard to say whether or not that idea will end up coming to fruition. Do stay tuned, for we will certainly be on the lookout for any updates on the same!