[Sivacar]

The Biggest mistake Renault did was the launch of Captur, which is again based on duster platform.

At that time they should have launched the next gen duster, or atleast put the Captur's interior in duster to prolong the lifecycle of the current duster.

[msa.30789]

From what I heard from my sources working with Renault Nissan at chennai, I heard that till now there are no plans for introduction of New gen Duster or any diesel engine variant of the same. He also told that the CFM platform won't accomodate diesel engine. Renault full focus in india is and will be on Petrol engines and EVs.

[AZT]

Originally Posted by msa.30789

From what I heard from my sources working with Renault Nissan at chennai, I heard that till now there are no plans for introduction of New gen Duster.

I thought the same thing, the new gen duster news sounded like misdirection so they can exit this model in peace. They won't be able to charge what they want.

[Phantom 510]

The discontinuation of it's K9K 1.5L dci diesel engine has led to the demise of many Renault/Nissan cars. It's strange that they never bothered to update their diesel with emission check devices. The K9K 1.5L dci diesel still does duty in the foreign markets.

[Altocumulus]

Originally Posted by RT13

If it has steering mounted controls and a basic navigation system or even the potential for me to upgrade it myself, I’m happy to pick it for a great engine and suspension combo. I realise I’m something of a Luddite though.

My 2019 4WD does have steering mounted controls as well as the HU has Android Auto and Apple Car play. The ones before this had inbuilt navigation as well.

Frankly the Duster, especially the 4WD is a perfect GT car. It's fast, handles like a sedan, best ride quality (TBHP reviews even today compare the ride with the newer pricier entrants, and they still fall short). Add to that active and passive safety features like, understeer control, ESC, BTC, on demand 4WD, speed limiter, etc other than the usual ones.

I was in the same boat with regards to the position of the head unit as well, however its a matter of getting used to. To be frank, unless you have HUD, you always have to take your eyes off the road no matter where the head unit is placed to see the maps.

I am eagerly waiting for the new Duster. I just hope it has a petrol turbo with 4WD.

[starke]

Rest in Peace Duster, you started well, created a segment, but your parents had other plans for their other child but not you.

Hoping to see a comeback in 5 and 7 seater versions underpinning their new Bigster concept.

[RT13]

Originally Posted by sid3091

Honestly the biggest problem is the interior. It's just too dated for a car that expensive. It's also rather unergonomic. The navigation system is placed far too low, and takes your concentration off the road.

Originally Posted by nettooran

It does have the steering mount controls. They stick out from under the steering. And believe me , they are far more comfortable to use that the normal ones.

Originally Posted by Altocumulus

My 2019 4WD does have steering mounted controls as well as the HU has Android Auto and Apple Car play. The ones before this had inbuilt navigation as well... best ride quality (TBHP reviews even today compare the ride with the newer pricier entrants, and they still fall short). Add to that active and passive safety features like, understeer control, ESC, BTC, on demand 4WD, speed limiter, etc other than the usual ones. .... I am eagerly waiting for the new Duster. I just hope it has a petrol turbo with 4WD.

I realise my post was a little misleading. Let me clarify - I'm aware that the Duster has these What I meant was that in general I'm not too fussy about interiors in any car as long as as I get steering mounted controls (even for just volume control and taking calls) and even a basic provision for navigation (the location doesn't really matter because looking at it is a bad idea anyway - use voice). I actually hate most faux leather interiors and prefer fabric seats for the most part so my priorities are usually different. Which is why I find cars like the current avatars of the Skoda Rapid and Volkswagen Polo tremendous value. And I really like the Duster turbo petrol if only the premium for the auto weren't so extreme.

Oh well, if they have a fire sale in a few months to clear it, there are going to be a few discerning lucky people IMO!

[CarMaster_059]

It's a wise move. The car itself isn't generating volumes. Moreover, after the initial hype, the horror stories of Renault's spare part costs that began to surface up have been the real deal-breakers. Plus Renaut could never enjoy the cult following of VW cars, which incidentally are equally old and expensive to maintain. Bringing in the New Generation would be a wise move. But given the competition from the Koreans, It'll be a tough task for Renault to match the interior quality and features.

[sbm]

More and more people are considering safety ratings in their buying decision and as we know, the Koreans are only 3 star rated (assuming the Creta gets the same rating as the Seltos if tested ) and although I believe the Kushaq would be a safer car, Skoda has a lot of work to do before people start to believe in their aftersales service . This gives Renault an opportunity to bring the new gen Duster with a strong platform and get it tested by GNCAP (like TATA did with their cars) especially when their Triber can score a 4 star. Duster already has fan following and many people would love to see a the Duster return (icing on the cake would be return of the diesel mill). IMHO Duster is the only car that has the stance and appeal of a proper SUV in the compact SUV segment.

[4x4addict]

Being an Ex-Owner of a 4WD Duster, I can tell you that I really enjoyed the car and even today I have respect for it. I sold because my kids were growing and I needed a larger 4WD Automatic car. If the Duster had a proper Automatic with 4WD and another 6 inches of space in the rear seat, I would probably have still kept it.
Although, I must say that Renault spares are crazy expensive.

[Rigid Rotor]

Originally Posted by msa.30789

... there are no plans for introduction of New gen Duster or any diesel engine variant ... Renault full focus in india is and will be on Petrol engines and EVs.

My assessment is exactly the same. This is definitely bad news.

Their CEO Venkataram Mammillapalle had in a recent statement or interview with a newspaper stated that their primary focus is to reduce and reverse the losses at their local plant. A few factors may be responsible for the present state of things:

The original 2012 Dusters were immaculately assembled, especially the initial launch versions. I had a 2012 launch version 110 RXZ Duster which had good overall quality, held together and ran extremely well despite all the long distance trips done sometimes over very poor roads.

The India plant was initially exporting Dusters to the UK (RHD) market. There were some horror stories in 2016-18 in the UK Dacia Duster forums, IIRC regarding corrosion, poor paint quality and some other QC problems. Possibly as a result, the UK exports from the India plant was stopped.

Sales in India also took a big hit when its nemesis – the Creta was launched and took over as the crossover darling of the masses. Quality appeared to go downhill sometime in 2016-18. The last batch Dusters I saw in the showroom in Feb this year had distinctly thin and cheap looking fabric upholstery. The interiors had barely changed and even appeared to have gone downhill in the choice of colours, textures and overall finish.

The K9K engine is a great workhorse, however is finicky and needs periodic maintenance with good quality diesel. Those horror stories of its high-tech piezo injectors going kaput, I suspect were mainly due to bad or indifferent quality fuel. I used to ensure refuelling only at COCO pumps during long distance trips. Given the range of the vehicle (it could take in about 58-59 litres easily), this was not a difficult thing to plan. There was never a problem with the engine or injectors for me. Similarly, the K9K’s rubberised timing belt also runs some accessories such as the water pump and is not a maintenance friendly design. Neglect that timing belt replacement for the 60 k km service or 6-8 years and one is asking for serious trouble, as some Duster owners found to their peril.

Renault is presently in trouble along with the VAG Group in France for alleged fudging of data on emissions of their diesels, which may include the K9K. Then we have their leader Carlos Ghosn out of action and out of Renault.

Their present lot of managers appear to be focussing on cutting their losses, consolidating and prepping for the EV future in Europe.

Diesels, for Renault appear to be receding in their rear-view mirror, so to speak. The K9K is now part of their history.

Also, I wonder whether India is still on their priority list as a market.

Hence, I doubt whether they will invest in the new Duster or 'Bigster’ line in India anytime soon. The immediate future for Renault India appears to be their existing lines of smaller vehicles and hoping their India plant turns in some profit, after running in losses all these years.

[Asoon]

Duster is an iconic car for Indian auto sector. It proved that Indian buyers were willing to shell-out 10-13L for a 5 seater which is not lambi gaadi (Sedan)

Duster launch was a bold move that created a the most vibrant segment in Indian Auto sector. Its success gave birth to Creta, Kia line up, Brezza, VAG 2.0 launches. It changed perception of SUV for Indian buyers, it made SUVs family cars for the first time.

May you rest in peace and come back in more powerful & dominant avatar

- Proud Duster owner

[sbm]

Is there any official confirmation yet that the production of Duster has actually stopped?

[pacman2881]

Looks like Duster production is infact stopped now-

The January 2022 figures for the Renault Duster suggested that it is no longer in production, and now dealers have confirmed the same.

While Renault has stopped production, the Dusters still in dealer stock would be available for purchase. It currently retails from Rs 9.86 lakh to Rs 14.25 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

https://www.cardekho.com/india-car-n...ndia-28584.htm

On the positive side Zigwheels speculates 3rd Gen Duster launch in 2023-

There have been no official announcements about an upcoming replacement for the Renault Duster. But we reckon the carmaker will skip the second generation and bring the third-generation Duster to India at a premium over the existing model. The upcoming Duster could also be offered with electrified powertrains.

https://www.zigwheels.com/news-featu...in-2023/44737/

[B_T]

I was told by the SA that they might launch the 3rd Gen Duster in July-Aug 2022 timeframe - 7 seater, petrol variants, though.