Renault Duster and Nissan Terrano to get 4x4

The Renault Duster is one of the most sought after compact-SUVs available in India, but of late has been facing stiff competition from Ford EcoSport. Adding to the pressure, Renault's alliance partner, Nissan, also introduced the Terrano which is based on the Duster and competes in the same compact-SUV segment. Zigwheels got information from Nissan and Renault's top executives that to keep the cash register ringing the companies have decided to bring new variants of their respective SUVs, before introducing the face-lifted models in the country.

As of now the Duster and Terrano are only available in the front wheel drive version, just like its competition in the segment. On condition of anonymity the executives confirmed that the alliance is ready with Duster 4x4 and Terrano 4x4, which will give their SUV range a shot of excitement and an edge over the Ford which offers the EcoSport in just the 4x2 option. Moreover, the all-wheel-drive system will give SUVs excellent off-roading ability. Also Read: Renault Duster Review

The executives further disclosed that the 4x4 will be offered only in the diesel top-of-the-line trim, i.e. Duster RxZ and Terrano's XV, and is said to be sold at a premium of about Rs 75,000 to Rs 1 lakh. Currently, the two-wheel-drive Duster RxZ is priced at Rs 12.67 lakh, and Terrano XV diesel at Rs 12.78 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai). The first to be introduced in the market would be the Renault Duster 4x4, around August-September this year, closely followed by the Nissan Terrano which will hit the showrooms by the end of this year.

Meanwhile, as a brand building exercise, the French car manufacturer has formed an online community for Duster owners called Gangs of Duster, and organises various adventure drives for them. This weekend it will be hosting The Desert Odyssey between 15-18 March 2014. This four day dessert dash from Jaipur, to Bikaner and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.

The company also launched the Duster Adventure edition, priced at Rs 12.18 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) based on the 110 PS RxL trim. This special edition model gets some cosmetic upgrades like smoked headlights, door side sill, ‘armouring’ on headlamps, cladding on wheelarches and moulding on the sides, among others.