The all-new Renault Duster, which will come to India next year, is already on sale abroad. The brand is readying the debut of the Duster 4X4 with a unique mild-hybrid powertrain. Spy shots from Motor.es confirm that the off-road-focused variant will come with a petrol hybrid as well as a petrol-LPG powertrain option.
- The Duster 4X4 to have a petrol mild-hybrid powertrain
- It will share electric rear axle with the Bigster
- The Duster EV is likely to come by 2031
Recent sightings of test mules on the outskirts of Spain show the Duster with the 1.2-litre ECO-G engine, 48-volt MHEV tech, and 4X4 gear. This engine has been coupled with a petrol-LPG tech, which will be seen in the upcoming production model. The petrol MHEV LPG powertrain is still being tested, and the test mule seen in these spy shots has a side-mounted exhaust positioned just in front of the left rear wheel, which may not be seen in the production version.
This engine can run on petrol-LPG, delivering a power output of 150 hp. Driven through a dual-clutch automatic gearbox, it will have a 48V electric motor that will act on the rear axle in the event of loss of traction. This all-wheel-drive tech will work in a similar way to the one found in the Jeep Avenger 4xe. The same electric rear axle setup will also see duty on the Renault Bigster SUV.
At the moment, the new Duster gets three powertrain options globally, depending on market: a 100hp 1.0-litre bi-fuel three-cylinder engine, a 130hp 1.2-litre mild-hybrid and the top-spec 140hp 1.6-litre petrol-hybrid.
Duster EV in the works too
As we reported recently, an electric Renault Duster is in the pipeline, too, but it will not come soon. The next-generation Duster, which will likely arrive in 2030 or 2031, could get an electric powertrain.
Renault Duster India launch details
Renault India is expected to launch the new Duster in 2026. For this year, major updates for the Kiger and the Triber are being readied for market launch.