Renault India has silently introduced the BS6-compliant Duster SUV in the Indian market. The Renault Duster in its BS6 avatar ditches the popular 1.5-litre K9K diesel engine and comes with just a 1.5-litre petrol motor. This engine is good for 106hp and 142Nm of torque and is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Along with the diesel engine, the Duster now also misses out on an automatic option (the previously offered CVT unit is gone) and all-wheel drive – it’s now a manual-only, front-wheel drive SUV.
Prices for the BS6-compliant Duster 1.5 petrol – in entry-level RXE form – now start a whopping Rs 50,000 higher than its BS4 counterpart. The mid-spec RXS variant, however, sees a price hike of only Rs 10,000. Renault has also added a new top-spec RXZ petrol variant that is priced at Rs 9.99 lakh. The Duster first made its debut back in 2012 and has been well-known for its 1.5-litre diesel engine. It remains to be seen how the petrol-only SUV will fare in the market, considering its USP was the K9K diesel unit.
The Duster received a much-needed cosmetic and structural update last year that not only made it crash test compliant, but also comply with upcoming pedestrian safety norms.
The company had showcased another engine option for the Duster, a BS6-compliant 1.3-litre, four-cylinder, direct-injection, turbo-petrol powerplant – good for a strong 156hp and 250Nm – at the Auto Expo 2020. This engine will sit at the top of the Duster BS6 line-up in India and will come paired with either a 6-speed manual or a CVT gearbox. Renault is yet to announce prices for the Duster 1.3 turbo-petrol.
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