2015 Renault Duster Automatic spotted testing

Then Renault brought in the Duster, it took the market by a storm. With good handling and ride quality balance backed by a good engine the car was quick to score well on the sales charts. But with the updated 2014 Mahindra Scorpio and more recently the Hyundai Creta coming in, the Duster is starting to show its age. With the Kwid out of the way, Renault will now focus its energies on the popular Duster, which is expected to get a facelift soon. 

Now, this is more or less the same car that was unveiled by the French car maker in Brazil earlier this year. Now the spy shots leaked are of a completely camouflaged car but despite that we could decipher that the headlights have now been tweaked and are flanked by horizontal Daytime Running Lamps. The three slat-chrome grille too will be replaced by a new one.  If the car revealed in Brazil is anything to go by, the Duster will get a black honeycomb grille. It gets a mildly remoulded bumper that neatly houses the fog lamps. The LED taillights too get more detail and are nicer to look at. 

The version that was spotted testing was completely covered on the inside too but we could spot a few changes. The seat fabric is expected to get a new colour combination. But it must be noted that the gear lever too was covered, hinting at a launch of an automatic Duster. Hyundai tried to earn an edge by offering the cheapest diesel automatic in the Creta, but couldn’t hold the advantage for long. A week after the Creta launch, Mahindra introduced the Scorpio automatic. 

At the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, Renault owned Dacia unveiled a 5-speed automatic gearbox. This same unit is expected to make its way in the Duster. While the Duster gets minor cosmetic changes on the outside as well as inside, and of course a new gearbox, mechanically it will sport the same engine option. The Duster will continue to be offered with a 1.5-litre diesel mill in the 85PS and the 110PS variant. 

Image Courtesy: autoX