Renault Duster facelift to debut at 2016 Auto Expo; what to expect

We had reported earlier that the French auto maker, which tasted huge success in the Indian auto market with its Duster SUV, is getting ready to roll out a facelift in India by February 2016. Now the emerging reports on the web, indicate that Duster facelift will get its first premier at the upcoming Auto Expo, 2106.

It is perhaps the worst kept secret that Renault Duster is getting ready to undergo a makeover in India as the SUV that redefined the concept of SUV in the domestic market has been facing off some serious competition from its newly arrived competitors. Now, a report of NDTV Auto states that Renault Duster Facelift will also become one of the main attractions of the 13th edition of the Auto Expo in Greater Noida, which is scheduled to kickstart in February.

In the facelifted avatar of Duster, the major changes are likely to come in the form of a new single slate grille, new head-lamp cluster, new alloy wheels with updated rear and front bumpers. The changers are said to be in line with the Brazilian-spec model. The company is also likely to bring changes inside the cabin of the SUV and is likely to add features like MediaNAV System with multimedia.

Mechanically, the Duster facelift is expected to remain the same as the current model in the market with 1.6-litre petrol engine and 1.5-litre diesel engine. While the petrol mill in current model is tuned to churn out 102.5bhp of power, the diesel engine is available in two state of tune -- 84bhp and 108bhp. In the new Duster, Renault is expected to roll out Automated Manual Transmission (AMT), which is called R-AMT gearbox. This is expected to give Renault Duster an upper hand in its segment with its new avatar.

From what we hear, the Duster facelift could be launched in India by mid-2016.