The new-gen Duster will mark Renault’s return to the midsize SUV segment after four years.Renault has confirmed that the new Duster will make its long-awaited India debut on January 26, 2026. This new generation of the midsize SUV will come four years after the previous Duster was discontinued, bringing both the iconic nameplate and Renault back into India’s heated midsize SUV space.
- New Duster will be an integral component of Renault India’s product plans
- Only petrol engines will be offered with the new Duster initially
- The new Duster will face a much greater volume of midsize SUV rivals
New Renault Duster India debut details
The new Duster has been spotted testing in India a few times, and Renault will formally pull the covers off the India-spec model on Republic Day 2026. According to the French carmaker, the new Duster will be the first car to be launched in India as part of its International Game Plan 2027. The model is also pivotal to Renault’s India-focused ‘renault. rethink’ product strategy, which the recent Triber and Kiger facelifts kicked off earlier this year.
New Duster will be powered by petrol engines only.
Engine options for the new Duster are yet to be officially confirmed, but we expect Renault’s 156hp 1.3-litre ‘HR13’ turbo-petrol mill to be a part of the line-up, offered with both manual and CVT transmissions. The 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbo-petrol engine from the Kiger could power the entry-level variants, possibly with a power bump.
Diesel engines are off the table for the new Duster at the moment, but
Midsize SUV segment has grown massively in recent years.
Back in 2012, the original Renault Duster popularised the monocoque-based midsize SUV segment in India and garnered a major fan following. Renault discontinued the prior Duster in early 2022 due to a slump in demand, largely a result of the proliferation of formidable rivals like the
When it launches next year, the new Duster will also compete with the
New Duster will spawn a Nissan derivative dubbed Tekton.
Interestingly, much like the that was a badge-engineered version of the old Duster, is set to repeat history in 2026 with the , an upcoming midsize SUV that’s built on the same CMF-B platform as the new Duster. The Tekton will expectedly sport a different design inspired by bigger Nissan SUVs, be mechanically identical to the new Duster, and is slated to launch in mid-2026.
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