Earlier this year, Renault brought the Duster name plate back to India with its new-generation SUV. The model was initially launched solely with turbo-petrol engines, the French carmaker is now stepping up its game with a sophisticated strong-hybrid powertrain. Christened the Duster E-Tech 160, this new variant combines a 1.8-litre petrol engine with two electric motors and a 1.4 kWh battery pack.
Stepping into the line-up as a premium efficiency champion, the new hybrid is priced from Rs 16.99 lakh (ex-showroom) and spreads across three distinct trim levels.
The new hybrid is priced from Rs 16.99 lakh and is available in three variants. Here is a look at the price, powertrain, mileage, features and other details.
Renault Duster Hybrid Price
| Variant | Ex-showroom price |
|---|---|
| Evolution | Rs 16.99 lakh |
| Techno | Rs 18.99 lakh |
| Emotion | Rs 19.49 lakh |
These are introductory prices applicable to deliveries until December 31, 2026. Bookings are open for Rs 21,000 through Renault India’s website and dealerships, while deliveries are scheduled to start in November.
Renault is also offering the Protect 360 package for Rs 89,900. It includes three years of comprehensive insurance, scheduled maintenance and an assured resale value.
29kmpl Mileage From The Hybrid
The new Duster has an ARAI-certified mileage figure of 29kmpl. This is higher than the claimed figures of the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder at 27.97kmpl, while the Maruti Suzuki Victoris hybrid is rated at 28.65kmpl.
The SUV gets a 50-litre fuel tank, with Renault claiming a total range of more than 1,400km.
- Claimed mileage: 29kmpl
- Fuel tank: 50 litres
- Claimed range: More than 1,400km
- Battery capacity: 1.4kWh
- City electric driving: Up to 80 per cent under suitable conditions
The petrol engine can shut down when electric power is sufficient, with the system switching between different power sources during a drive. The battery is charged through regenerative braking and the petrol engine, so there is no need for an external charger.
1.8-Litre Engine With Two Electric Motors
The Duster E-Tech 160 uses a 1.8-litre four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle petrol engine. It produces 110hp and 175Nm, while the traction motor makes 50hp and 208Nm. The combined system output is rated at 160hp.
Renault says the petrol engine has a thermal efficiency of up to 41 per cent. A separate high-voltage starter-generator helps start the engine, supports gear changes and charges the battery.
Power is sent through a multi-mode automatic transmission. It uses two electric gears and four petrol gears and can operate in six different modes, including electric, petrol, series-hybrid and series-parallel hybrid modes.
The claimed 0-100kmph time is 9.61 seconds.
Hybrid System And Battery
The 1.4kWh battery is a 247V NMC unit and gets direct refrigerant cooling. Renault says the Duster can complete up to 80 per cent of city driving using electric power when conditions allow.
This does not mean that the SUV has a large EV-only driving range. The system continuously changes between electric and petrol operation depending on the battery charge, speed and driving conditions.
The hybrid transmission is also different from the e-CVT systems used by the Grand Vitara, Hyryder and Victoris.
Design And Dimensions
The hybrid Duster follows the same basic design as the turbo-petrol versions. It gets chunky body cladding, roof rails, C-pillar-mounted rear door handles and eyebrow-style DRLs.
Some of the hybrid-specific exterior details include an illuminated Duster emblem on the grille and E-Tech Hybrid badges on the front doors and tailgate.
- Length: 4,346mm
- Width: 1,815mm
- Height: 1,694mm
- Wheelbase: 2,657mm
- Ground clearance: 212mm
- Approach angle: 26.9 degrees
- Departure angle: 34.7 degrees
The Evolution and Techno variants use 18-inch Ridge flex wheels, while the Emotion gets 18-inch Outback diamond-cut alloy wheels. All versions use 225/55 R18 tyres.
At the rear, the SUV gets a horizontal LED light bar and skid plates.
Colours And Cabin
The Duster hybrid is available in six exterior colours. The Evolution can be bought in Pearl White, Moonlight Silver and Stealth Black. The Techno and Emotion variants also get River Blue, Sunset Red and Mountain Jade Green. Four dual-tone combinations with a Stealth Black roof are also available.
Inside, the cabin follows the same basic layout as the petrol Duster. There are different upholstery themes across the three variants.
The Evolution gets black upholstery with grey stitching, the Techno gets Desert Beige semi-leatherette seats, while the Emotion uses Dune Brown leatherette upholstery.
Features
The equipment list includes:
- 10.1-inch touchscreen
- 7-inch digital driver display
- Wireless smartphone mirroring
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- Six-speaker audio system
- Cruise control
- Panoramic sunroof
- Keyless entry
- Push-button start
- Connected car technology
- 10.25-inch digital driver display on Emotion
- Electrically adjustable front seats
- Ventilated front seats
- Powered tailgate
The top variant also gets a 544-litre boot when measured up to the roof, while the usable space up to the parcel shelf is 372 litres.
Safety Equipment
Renault says the entry-level Evolution gets 38 safety features as standard. These include six airbags, electronic stability programme, traction control, tyre pressure monitoring, hill-start assist, cruise control, rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera.
The hybrid version does not get a 360-degree camera or Level-2 ADAS, even on the top Emotion trim.
The SUV also gets frequency-dependent dampers at the front and rear, along with four-wheel disc brakes.
Rivals
The Duster Hybrid will compete with the strong-hybrid versions of the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Maruti Suzuki Victoris and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder. Its 29kmpl certified figure is higher than the claimed mileage of these rivals.
The Duster currently also gets 1.0-litre and 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engines. Their claimed mileage figures are 19.41kmpl for the 1.0-litre manual, 17.75kmpl for the 1.3-litre manual and 18.45kmpl for the 1.3-litre DCT.
The new powertrain adds a more fuel-efficient version to the Duster range, while the 160hp output keeps performance as another part of the package. It will be interesting to see how buyers respond once deliveries begin in November.