2026 Renault Duster Unveiled In India - Bye Bye Creta?

The mid-sized SUV market has been dominated by a handful of successful models that offer multiple engine options, a comfortable ride and enough space for road trips with the family. However, the category's emergence in India can be traced back to the first-generation Renault Duster that was launched in 2012. After a successful run, the Duster started facing competition from flashier rivals and ultimately, the OG mid-sized SUV ended up getting discontinued in 2022 after a decade-long run.

Fast-forward to 2026, Renault India has resurrected the Duster and unveiled it in the country in its latest avatar and three new engine options. The new Duster offers a futuristic design and rugged appeal. Here's everything new in the 2026 Renault Duster.

Design:

The 2026 Duster still gets the compact and user-friendly dimensions packaged into a rugged and up-to-date design with 212mm ground clearance. It gets a redesigned front-end with LED headlamps that get an integrated Y-shaped LED DRL. The Duster badging is placed up front and a strong scuff plate surrounds the air-intake area of the SUV. The new SUV gets hefty body-cladding all around and at the rear, it has the new Y-shaped taillamps that also get a connected LED element. Other highlighting elements include a pair of roof rails and blacked-out alloy wheels. It also gets a new Mountain Jade green colour and yellow accents around the exterior. The SUV is built on the RGM platform that is 90 percent India-specific, according to the carmaker.

Interior:

The cabin has also been completely revamped in the new Duster and now gets a jet-inspired layout. This time around, it looks more sporty and has way more tech features than its predecessor. It offers a black theme along with a unified dual screen including a 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen, 7-inch digital driver information display, wireless smartphone connectivity, wireless charger, a 360-degree parking camera and up to 28.9 litres of storage spaces for small items around the cabin. The ambience is elevated with a panoramic sunroof and the ambient lighting from the dashboard and door panels.

Big On Safety:

The other major update for the 2026 Renault Duster includes the introduction of 17 Level 2 ADAS safety functions, such as active emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and more. It also gets 6 airbags and over 35 active and passive safety features as standard.

Three New Engine Options:

Renault India surprised everyone by launching the Duster in three different engine options. The 2026 Duster comes with a Turbo TCe 160 turbocharged petrol engine, which produces 163 PS and 280 Nm of torque and is mated to a 6-speed DCT automatic. More significantly, they also have a 1.8-litre, E-Tech 160 strong hybrid engine that comes with an 8-speed DHT transmission. The third engine option is for the urban-driving buyer, in the form of the Turbo TCe 100 petrol engine.

Also Read: 2026 Renault Duster Launch LIVE: Expected Price, Specs, Features, Mileage, Variants And More

Pre-bookings for the new Duster are open at a token amount of Rs 21,000, price reveal will take place in mid March 2026. In April, Renault will begin the Duster Turbo deliveries and the hybrid deliveries will start by Diwali 2026. In its new avatar, the Duster takes a direct stand against segment leaders such as the Hyundai Creta. While the Duster has a rugged appeal and a proven track record (from former years), it lacks a diesel engine option when pitted against rivals. This presumably reduces the appeal of the Duster across a wide set of SUV buyers. How suitable the new Renault Duster is for the mass-market audience will become known shortly, after the media drives have taken place.