Renault Duster in India competes against the likes of Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and Nissan Kicks among others
A couple of weeks ago Renault’s subsidiary Romanian brand Dacia revealed its Bigster Concept. The company is looking to expand its line of SUVs globally starting with the Bigster SUV which is slated to sit above Duster. For reference, in many international markets, Duster is sold under the ‘Dacia’ brand.
Now, a rendering has surfaced online based on the Bigster Concept which has been imagined as Renault Grand Duster. Designed by KDesign, these renderings show the Dacia study based on the next generation model of Duster. The fresh renderings have plenty of unique design elements which sets them apart from Dacia Bigster Concept.
Updated Exterior Design
For starters, the Grand Duster concept has a signature Renault grille inspired by the Koleos flanked by Volvo’s Thor Hammer LED headlights with integrated LED DRLs similar to ones found in XC40 and a front bumper inspired by the current-gen Duster (international model). The concept gets a fair chunk of plastic cladding all around its body and flared-u trapezoidal wheel arches.
It features a clam-shell bonnet which is less aggressive to the Bigster Concept as it sits above the front fenders. Alloy wheel designs are also different and side wing mirrors are more rounded and blacked-out just as its roof rails in this case.
At rear, taillights too have been heavily inspired by Volvo XC40 which come in a boomerang shape. It carries over the fat rear fenders and double-bubble roof spoiler from Bigster Concept.
Seven-seat Version of Duster
Like the Bigster Concept, the latest rendered design of 2022 Renault Duster looks to accommodate an extra third row of passengers with a longer wheelbase and a large rear-quarter glass panel. To be clear, the Bigster Concept measured 4.6 metres in length and is based upon Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s CMF-B platform which will be used on Dacia vehicles moving forward.
The significance of this platform is that the company could offer a C-segment SUV at a much affordable cost. Renault is currently focused on developing new products based in the smaller CMF-A+ which underpins Triber and the upcoming Kiger. The new generation Duster is still a couple of years away from its international launch although its arrival in India has not been confirmed yet.
New-gen Duster in India
Renault Duster may have lost its sheen in the Indian market which it once had when it was first launched. This is due to the arrival of Korean rivals such as Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta and the fact that apart from minor updates, Duster has not been given a generation update since its launch in India.
While in international markets, Renault and Dacia are currently selling the second generation Duster, India is making do with the first-gen model based on the older B0 platform. Therefore, a new generation Duster along with its seven-seater derivative will give Renault a good presence in the Indian SUV market. If and when launched in India, Renault Grand Duster will take on the likes of Tata Safari, MG Hector Plus, Mahindra XUV500 and the upcoming seven-seater version of Hyundai Creta rumoured to be called Alcazar.
