The Renault Duster is a legendary name in its own might, at least when it comes to the Indian scenario. Among the sea of compact SUVs that have crowded the segment, the Duster still remain different in its own intent by proving to be the most dynamically capable SUV in its own class. But the onslaught of its more modern rivals have proved that despite its mechanical capabilities, the Duster has started feeling a little dated. Well, good news for us, a 7-seater version of the facelifted Duster has been spied testing.
More details
Romanian car making brand Dacia is a subsidiary brand that falls under the Renault Group and recently, it unveiled the Bigster concept. The 7-seater version of the Duster will likely be based on the same concept.
If reports are to be believed, it will be christened ‘Grand Duster’ when it enters production. Although the test mules which were spotted testing are wearing heavy camouflage, some key details are prominently visible. First up, it looks longer than the standard Duster. To give you an idea, the current-generation Duster is 4341 mm long while the ‘Grand Duster’ could measure somewhere around 4.6m, just like the Bigster concept. The longer wheelbase will ensure that the company doesn’t have that much trouble in carving out an extra row of seats. The cabin of the car is still under wraps and so are the engine specifications. That said, we expect Dacia to offer the Grand Duster with both 6- and 7-seat layouts. The former will feature captain seats in the middle row, while the latter will get a bench-type seat. The 6-seat layout will likely be offered on the higher trims, while the 7-seat setup will be offered as standard.
Aesthetic changes
Coming to the aesthetic changes now, it is pretty evident that the front end of the 7-seater SUV sports some changes over the Duster that we have here. The front fascia of the Dacia Grand Duster (Renault Grand Duster) shares a resemblance to the second-generation Duster that’s retailed in global markets. The SUV has been assembled with 18-inch dual-tone alloy wheels along with functional roof rails and silver coloured ORVMs. The front and rear bumpers have a larger bash plate. Compared to the 5-seater Duster, the new 7-seater SUV carries vertically stacked and longer taillamps.
Production of the Europe-spec 7-seater Grand Duster will begin at Dacia’s Pitesti-based plant in Romania in October 2021. Its launch might happen by the end of 2021 or early 2022.