Renault Duster: There was a moment in India, when the Renault Duster was the king of the road. It wasn’t flashy, it wasn’t overstyled — but there was something about it.
Rugged appeal, robust build and a no-nonsense character that struck an instant chord with the Indian buyer. Now, however, a few years after it quietly slipped away, the Duster’s back and it’s bigger, better and squarer than it used to be.
So, what does Renault have simmering in its SUV kitchen for 2025? Suffice to say this is no mere facelift for the Duster but a total redesign, pitched directly up against its bigger rivals.
Design by Designers or Non-Designers? From Practical to Magical
Forget all you knew about design of the old Duster. Bigster-based new-gen model is a radical step away. Widen the stance, give it a flared purposeful look with chunkier wheel arches, add some modern LED lighting and a more upright, brawnier shape. It’s still tough — but it looks the part now, too.
Featuring a sportier front grille, Y-shaped LED DRLs and straight lines all over, the Duster now has that premium-SUV feel that it always should have had. It’s no longer just a practical car — it has street presence.
Inside: Made for the Wow, Not Just the How-Much-Would-You-Pay-to-Get-There?
Step inside and the jump up in quality is immediately apparent. Renault has definitely improved the sense of quality and technology on both earns points when compared to the Duster.
Anticipate a significant floating touchscreen, digital display instrument cluster, and wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, with luxury touches like ambient lighting and soft-touch materials in the upper variants.
There is still plenty of space — particularly in the rear seats and boot — so it makes for a good family SUV. The cabin is clean, modern and finally in line with the fairer expectations that Indian buyers have in the ₹12-18 lakh segment.
Engine Choices: Strong and Flexible
Multiple powertrain options are likely to be offered with the new Duster such as:
For the budget-conscious a0L naturally aspirated petrol engine
A 1.3L turbo-petrol motor which is shared with the Kiger and Nissan Magnite
And most exciting of all, a powerful hybrid edition that is trying to balance high fuel economy with strong performance.
We may even receive an all-wheel-drive (AWD) variant down the line, a rarity and arguably one of the best options in this price class. For those who really want to get off the beaten path, this could be a game changer.
On The Road: It’s still a Duster inside.
If there is one thing the original Duster did well, it was ride and handling. It ate potholes for breakfast and remained well-mannered on the highway. Fortunately for us, Renault hasn’t mislaid that DNA.
The new model should provide great ground clearance, a suspension system tuned for rough roads, and better cabin insulation for a quiet ride.
Whether you are slogging around town or charging into the hills, the Duster is meant to strike a balance of confidence, planted feel and a hint of old-school toughness.
Pros and Cons
Pros
New aggressive design with premium look
Efficient hybrid gets it in the gut
Superb balance of ride and handling
Large and family-friendly
Anticipated AWD option for those who love real SUVs
Other enhancements to tech and safety features
Cons
Set for launch by late 2025 – And that’s still far off Because if you gained a lifetime’s worth of patience while waiting for details about what else was going on last week, you are finally being rewarded with the knowledge that two telescopes are preparing for launch by the late 2020’s.
No diesel engine likely
Renault doesn’t have as large a reach of service network as Maruti or Hyundai
Could start to get a little expensive at the high end
Renault Duster: Final thoughts- The legend lives on.
The 2025 Renault Duster does not return quietly — it returns with a vengeance. Now with more aggressive styling, smarter tech, improved engines and less compromise between performance and practicality, it’s prepared to take back its title.
You can’t say that about many modern SUVs…In a world of flabby crossovers in SUV drag, the Duster is still a proper, old-school, SUV — and that’s why we like it. It’s not just a comeback; it’s a return of roughness to a world of slickness.
For buyers bored of bland, feature-festooned clones, the new Duster delivers the goods: Personality, pedigree and a little peppiness.
