New 2026 Renault Duster: How Has It Evolved Compared To The Last Sold Version In India?
The ‘Duster’ moniker is making a comeback in our market after more than four years since it was discontinued
UPDATE: Renault India has launched the new Duster from Rs 10.49 lakh (ex-showroom). DETAILED RICE LIST HERE!
After a brief hiatus, the Renault Duster has been unveiled in the Indian market. Now in its third-generation avatar, the SUV that made the compact segment popular in India, first lost its diesel powertrain due to the stringent BS6 norms and then was taken off the shelves in 2022. Renault skipped the entire second-gen model for our market and has now brought back the nameplate in its third-gen avatar.
Interested in buying the new Renault Duster? Here’s our Ultimate Buying Guide!
We hence thought of checking out how the third-gen Duster compares to the facelifted first-gen model that was last available in India:
Exterior
Front
Compared to the new Duster, the old model had a more conventional fascia, with a relatively bigger grille (featuring chrome slats) and the big ‘Renault’ logo in the centre. The grille was flanked by a typical lighting setup comprising projector headlights and L-shape-like LED DRLs. It came with a tall bumper that sported a rugged skid plate and an air dam, while the round fog lamps were placed on either side in their individual housing.
The 2026 Renault Duster, on the other hand, looks more modern and sporty. Highlights from its fascia include sleek eyebrow-like LED DRLs, a gloss black grille featuring the ‘DUSTER’ moniker, multi-reflective LED headlights and an aggressively designed silver-finished skid plate. There’s an air dam here as well and the LED fog lamps are located at the corner just like the old model.
Side
It’s from the sides that you will notice the most design similarity between the two iterations of the Renault SUV. While there are three window panes on both the models, those on the older Duster were large and the window line was separated for the rear quarter glass. On the flip side, the window beltline kinks upwards near the C-pillar on the third-gen model, which also gets a smaller rear quarter glass panel.
On both the versions, you also notice the presence of blacked-out roof rails (with up to 50 kg load-bearing capacity on the new model), ORVM-mounted turn indicators, and dual-tone alloy wheels. While the previously sold Duster came with 16-inch alloy wheels, the third-gen model is equipped with 18-inch units (more tastefully designed), which still look smaller for the large wheel housings. If you're curious, how big is the Duster compared to its segment rivals, you can check that here.
You can also notice the presence of side body cladding finished in black and side moulding featuring chrome inserts on the new Duster. Another unique design trait of the new model is that it gets C-pillar-mounted rear door handles while the older model had a more conventional setup.
Rear
Both the versions look poles apart when viewed from the rear. While the older Duster got a flattish bootlid and a vertically oriented tail light setup, the new model comes with fresh connected tail lights, a funky spoiler, and a rugged but neatly designed skid plate. Common elements between the two include a large rear windshield, along with a wiper, washer and defogger. The 2026 Duster also flaunts Renault’s new 2-dimensional logo as seen on its new international offerings.
Interior
If you are on the lookout for more differences between the two versions of the SUV, wait till you step inside. Renault has gone the extra mile to ensure the new Duster’s cabin looks and feels premium the moment you enter it. While the older model’s interior was simple but functional, it didn’t quite score marks when premiumness was concerned. It got big side and central AC vents, a bulky looking 3-spoke steering wheel, and an analogue instrument cluster, while missing out on soft-touch materials throughout the cabin.
Things, however, are completely different in the new Duster. It gets soft-touch materials for the dashboard and door pads, a more modern-looking 3-spoke steering wheel (featuring Renault’s latest logo), and a carbon fibre-like trim insert on the dashboard. You will also notice brushed-silver accents on the centre console and sleek AC vents. The chunky buttons for the air-conditioning on the old Duster have now gone and the new version features sleek physical toggle-like switches for the dual-zone climate control. There’s also a front centre armrest with storage available in the new Duster that was missed out on the older iteration altogether.
While the older model had a brown and grey cabin theme with fabric seats, the new Duster gets a dual-tone leatherette upholstery. The Iconic Launch Edition of the 2026 Duster also comes with contrast yellow stitching for the seats and the steering wheel. At the back, the new Duster features adjustable headrests for all three occupants, while the older model got a fixed centre headrest. That said, both come with a fold-out armrest, but it’s only the newer SUV that gets 3-point seatbelts for all three passengers and ISOFIX child seat mounts too.
We have covered the new Duster’s exterior and interior in 17 detailed images to help you take a closer look at the SUV.
Features
In terms of equipment, the new Duster is provided with a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10.25-inch all-digital driver’s display, and a panoramic sunroof. It also gets multi-colour ambient lighting, a wireless phone charger, 6-way power-adjustable and ventilated front seats, and a powered tailgate. The older Duster, on the other hand, packed a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system (with wired smartphone connectivity), auto climate control, cruise control, and electrically adjustable ORVMs.
Safety features on the new Duster include six airbags, rain-sensing wipers, electronic stability control (ESC), a 360-degree camera, and some advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) functions too. The facelifted first-gen Duster got just about the essentials, including dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, a reverse parking camera, and rear parking sensors.
Powertrain
Before the old Renault Duster was discontinued, it got two petrol engine options: a 106 PS 1.5-litre naturally aspirated unit and a 156 PS 1.3-litre turbo-petrol. Prior to the BS6 norms, Renault also offered the Duster with a 1.5-litre diesel engine making two tunes (85 PS and 110 PS).
The new Duster, on the other hand, comes with three petrol-only powertrain choices. These are a 100 PS 1-litre turbo-petrol, a 163 PS 1.3-litre turbo-petrol with mild-hybrid and a 1.8-litre strong-hybrid petrol engine whose details will be confirmed closer to its arrival later this year.
Prices
The old Duster, prior to its discontinuation, was priced between Rs 9.86 lakh and Rs 14.25 lakh. The new model, on the other hand, is expected to cost from Rs 10 lakh onwards. It will rekindle its rivalry with the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos, while also taking on other compact SUVs such as the Honda Elevate, Skoda Kushaq, Maruti Victoris, Tata Sierra, and the upcoming Nissan Tekton. Read how the new Renault Duster fares against some of its rivals by tapping on the links below:
Write your Comment on Renault Duster
Only upgrading the exterior and appearance, Duster may face the same ordeal like last time. The engines and other functional parts also need to be revamped. Say, clutch cylinder need complete revamp.