Friday, April 3, 2026
26.1 C
New Delhi

Renault Duster 2026 First Look: What Stands Out, What Falls Short

Show Quick Read

Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

The new Duster is finally here and we had spent some time with the car at its unveil event. The new Duster will come with three powertrains and one of them will be a strong hybrid which would be unique for its class. Here we list out what we like and what we don’t.

What We Like

The new Duster looks good and draws a fine line between being a tough SUV along with not being too flashy. It is rugged looking and classy without being too aggressive. There is plenty of cladding and the slim headlamps are a nice tough while a healthy ground clearance of 212mm means has a nice stance as well.

Renault Duster 2026 First Look: What Stands Out, What Falls Short

The interiors are feature packed with actually being better equipped than many of its rivals. The new Duster gets dual powered seats with ventilation, panoramic sunroof, powered tailgate, ADAS, air purifier, 360 degree camera, powered hand brake and more.

Unlike some rivals, the new Duster has proper buttons on the centre console and that makes things easy. We found the interior to be logically laid out and with ample storage.

Renault Duster 2026 First Look: What Stands Out, What Falls Short

The huge boot space of 700l is easily amongst the largest.

There is plenty of power on offer with the 160ps turbo petrol which has 280Nm along with a 6 speed wet clutch automatic which makes sense for India.

Renault Duster 2026 First Look: What Stands Out, What Falls Short

The strong hybrid is an asset here being fuel efficient, silent with an electric drive ranging for most of your city driving needs and will have high fuel efficiency.

The new Duster looks to be tough and will be one of the more offroad oriented SUVs despite no AWD on offer.

What We Don’t Like

The new Duster rear seat falls short on space when compared to rivals with lesser legroom and width being narrow for three passengers. It is more of a four seater.

Interior quality isn’t the class best but is decent for the expected price range.

Renault Duster 2026 First Look: What Stands Out, What Falls Short

The base 100 bhp turbo petrol is only available with a manual gearbox.

Unlike the previous Duster there is no diesel on offer while the strong hybrid would be available later.

Renault Duster 2026 First Look: What Stands Out, What Falls Short

Overall, there is plenty to like about the new Duster notably the design, features and the strong hybrid powertrain along with the turbo petrol which makes this an attractive package. Prices would be out in March while deliveries will start from March.

Go to Source

Hot this week

Florida man arrested for stealing $40,000 worth of trading cards from Target; faces upto 90 years

Florida man has been arrested after police say he used taco seasoning packets to steal trading cards worth nearly $40,000 from Target stores across the state. Read More

Tipu’s ghost and Trump’s jibes haunt a transatlantic Franco-American rift

TOI correspondent from Washington: In the hallowed halls of the White House and the Elysee Palace, the United States and France have managed to upgrade a centuries-old alliance into something far more contemporary: a full-blown, transa Read More

Ravikant Kisana Talks Privilege & Uncomfortable Truths

Q: What made you write ‘Meet the Savarnas’? A: It comes out of partly my life’s experiences also because I did not grow up in a Savarna family. Read More

West Bengal Assembly Elections: Can Left Front Rebuild Base After Years Of Decline?

Left Front in West Bengal faces steep decline as vote share falls from over 40 to about 5 percent. Left struggles to rebuild support and relevance. Read More

IPL 2026: Highest-Paid Players In Punjab Kings – Full Salary List

Highest paid players in Punjab Kings: As IPL 2026 season hits its stride, Punjab Kings (PBKS) have emerged with one of the most balanced squads in the league. Read More

Topics

Florida man arrested for stealing $40,000 worth of trading cards from Target; faces upto 90 years

Florida man has been arrested after police say he used taco seasoning packets to steal trading cards worth nearly $40,000 from Target stores across the state. Read More

Tipu’s ghost and Trump’s jibes haunt a transatlantic Franco-American rift

TOI correspondent from Washington: In the hallowed halls of the White House and the Elysee Palace, the United States and France have managed to upgrade a centuries-old alliance into something far more contemporary: a full-blown, transa Read More

Ravikant Kisana Talks Privilege & Uncomfortable Truths

Q: What made you write ‘Meet the Savarnas’? A: It comes out of partly my life’s experiences also because I did not grow up in a Savarna family. Read More

West Bengal Assembly Elections: Can Left Front Rebuild Base After Years Of Decline?

Left Front in West Bengal faces steep decline as vote share falls from over 40 to about 5 percent. Left struggles to rebuild support and relevance. Read More

IPL 2026: Highest-Paid Players In Punjab Kings – Full Salary List

Highest paid players in Punjab Kings: As IPL 2026 season hits its stride, Punjab Kings (PBKS) have emerged with one of the most balanced squads in the league. Read More

Trump seeks $1.5 trillion defence budget as Iran war costs near $2 billion a day

Trump proposes a $1.5 trillion defence budget for 2027 amid rising Iran war costs, triggering a political battle in Congress over spending cuts, deficits and expanding military commitments. Read More

Trump Seeks $1.5 Trillion Defence Budget As Iran War Costs US $2 Billion A Day

In a media briefing, US reportedly revealed that the Iran war could be costing as much as $2 billion per day. Read More

Artemis II leaves Earth’s orbit on track for far side of the Moon

In the event of an emergency, the U-turn is the fastest way home in the first 36 hours after the TLI. Read More

Related Articles