2015 Renault Duster facelift spotted testing in India

It has been a while since Renault introduced the Duster compact SUV in India and since then it hasn’t got a substantian update except for a mild updated earlier this year and the introduction of the AWD version. Moreover, competition in the compact SUV space is now stiff considering the launch of the 2014 Mahindra Scorpio and more recently the Hyundai Creta. Earlier this month, we reported that the French manufacturer will introduce a facelifted version of the Duster later this year and now our friends in the media have already spotted a test mule making its rounds in India. 

On the outside, the Duster facelift will continue to have the same overall silhouette. Although with the heavy camouflage it was difficult to figure out the exact changes on the design, we could see the LED headlights and taillights. The alloy wheels design too has been changed. We weren’t able to get some picture of the front end but the 2015 Duster is expected to sport a new bumper, headlight cluster and grille. 

However it was interesting to see that the interior of the car too was covered under a camouflage hinting towards a sea of change on the inside. The current generation Duster doesn’t set benchmarks in terms of quality and overall fit and finish but in the 2015 Duster, Renault might just address the need for better interiors. 

Under the hood, the facelifted Duster will continue to sport the same 1.6-litre petrol unit and the much-loved 1.5-litre dCi diesel. The diesel mill will continue to be offered in the 85PS and the 110PS variant. But the diesel, apart from being mated to a manual transmission, is also expected to come with a 6-speed DCT automatic transmission. 

The 2015 Duster is expected to be launched towards the end of the year. Considering the changes on the model, expect it to demand a premium of about Rs 40,000-Rs 50,000 over the current generation model. When it is launched, the facelifted Duster will take on the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Maruti Suzuki S-Cross and the Mahindra Scorpio.