The Renault Duster has been updated in the international market with cosmetic changes on the exteriors and heavy changes in the cabin. The Duster facelift comes in a way to emphasize the 4×4 credentials of the compact SUV. The French carmaker intends to showcase a mature styling with the new Renault Duster while retaining the original identity of the SUV. Up front, the simple grille has been replaced with a much busy looking two-chrome plated strips, featuring a new lower-set air intake and double-optic headlights with DRLs.
The side profile of the Renault Duster facelift remains identical except for the new Duster-labeled roof bars with slatted supports and 16-inch dark metal alloy wheels wearing mud and snow tyres. The rear features the same tail lights but with detailing of chrome. It also comes with chrome-plated tailpipe and 4WD lettering across the body. The redesigned dashboard looks relatively occupied compared to the previous model’s plain layout. The centre console is vertically supported and the upholstery gets additional choice of leather that makes the cabin look upmarket.
To enhance comfort, Renault has thrown in newly designed seats and reinforced rear bench seat back. Overall the interiors are treated with dark colour tones to enhance the strong character of the vehicle. Renault is also offering a range of new accessories including front parking sensors, adventure pack and off-road pack with side bars and bull bar. High-tech equipment includes Media Nav multimedia system that offers Bluetooth connectivity with sat nav. Cruise control, rear parking sensors, motion auto-lock and exterior temperature display complete the list.
Finally the rear view mirror controls are now located on the doors unlike the previous Duster that had controls sitting under the handbrake lever. Renault claims that the new Duster has more cabin space including 475 litres of boot space. It has a removable luggage shelf for flexibility. On the safety front it gets Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) and ABS as standard on all variants. It comes with front dual airbags as well as side head-and-chest airbags.
The 2014 Renault Duster gets a new TCe 125 petrol engine, which is a 4-cylinder 1.2-litre direct-injection turbocharged motor that produces 120 BHP of power, mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. It returns 16 km/l of fuel economy. The 1.6-litre petrol engine is still being offered with CNG option. The 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine is available in 90 HP and 110 HP of power outputs. Renault has also bettered the cabin soundproofing for reduced wind, engine and road noise. We can expect the company to launch the updated Renault Duster in India soon as the sales of the current model are dwindling amidst new found competition.
