Planning To Buy The New Renault Duster? Check Out Its Pros And Cons Before You Go Ahead!

When Renault launched the Duster back in 2012, it was the car that started the mid-size SUV segment in India, and received a phenomenal response from the Indian market. It started winning the hearts of buyers with its all-rounder approach towards design, space, and performance. It’s 2026 now, and Renault has finally brought back its iconic ‘Duster’ nameplate in the Indian market to once again compete in the same segment, which is now flooded with options. 

In this story, we break down the pros and cons of the new Renault Duster to understand what makes its comeback iconic and why it might be the new favourite among all other mid-size SUVs, and where it still shows its limitations: 

2026 Renault Duster Exterior

Pros:

• The exterior design of the new Renault Duster is one of its key points. The sharp looks and rugged stance grab eyes wherever the car goes- something most rivals in this segment struggle to replicate, even with the generous use of body cladding, as they tend to lean more towards an urban styling. The Duster’s front fascia impresses with its aggressive and robust styling, complemented by elements like a high sculpted bonnet, a bold ‘Duster’ script across the grille, LED headlights, and a prominent faux skid plate. To further amplify its SUV character, the Duster sits 212mm high from the ground and runs on stylish 18-inch alloy wheels. At the rear, the design gets a little funky with connected LED taillights, a raised bumper, and a sporty integrated rear spoiler. 

Overall, the Duster’s design fits its purpose to give a robust and commanding stance, without compromising on sportiness and elegance, something that many customers desire. 

2026 Renault Duster Interior 

Pros: 

• The Renault Duster has a generously sized exterior, which also means that the storage capacity is impressive. The new Duster offers a boot space of 518 litres measured up to the parcel tray, which can be further expanded to 700 litres by removing the parcel tray. The boot has been designed to offer great depth and volume, so that you can fit in a full suitcase set with ease, which increases practicality for family usage. The parcel tray also gets a split at the outer edge, which means you don’t have to worry about it getting budged every time you open the boot. 

Cons: 

• The Duster does have large dimensions, but all of it does not seem to reflect inside the cabin. The rear seat space feels a bit compromised in order to offer a large boot. Both legroom and under-thigh support on the rear seat are just about average. Especially if you compare it with cars like the new Sierra, Seltos, and the Creta, the rear seats on the Duster are likely not to impress you much. 

• The interior and dashboard design of the new Duster is very impressive, especially with the use of soft-touch premium materials on the dashboard. But the overall interior quality, fit and finish, and touch feel don’t set any benchmarks, and aren’t as good as some rivals. Some plastics feel hard, while at some other places, the quality levels don’t give a “built to last” feeling; they are operational at best. Renault could have worked a bit more on this aspect, especially if they are bringing back an iconic nameplate after such a long time. 

2026 Renault Duster Features 

Pro:

• Renault has loaded the new Duster with a lot of features, leaving no scope for complaints. The wide list of equipment comprises features like a panoramic sunroof, an electrically operated tailgate, dual-zone climate control, powered and ventilated front seats, a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Google built in, a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, 48-colour ambient lighting, driving modes, keyless entry, push button start, and the list keeps on going. Getting such a long list of features at this price is really impressive. If you want to know which variant offers what features, read our detailed variant breakdown story here.

2026 Renault Duster Safety

Pro:

• The new Renault Duster is an all-rounder; it has barely left any box unmarked. Renault has equipped the new Duster with all the latest safety tech, along with all the other essentials. The Duster gets a Level-2 ADAS suite, a 360-degree camera with blind-spot detection, front and rear parking sensors, and 6 airbags. Other essential kit includes ABS with EBD, brake assist, ESP, traction control, hill hold assist, hill descent control, and a tyre pressure monitoring system. It also comes equipped with automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers. 

Con:

• While the long list of features and safety equipment is impressive, apparently, the 360-degree camera resolution is subpar. Very small objects might appear distorted at times, which is something we do not appreciate.
  

2026 Renault Duster Performance And Drive Experience 

Pros: 

• The new Renault Duster gets two engine options, a 1-litre and a 1.3-litre, both of which are turbo petrol. Of these two, we were able to get our hands on the 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine that pushes out a whopping 163 PS and 280 Nm. The engine is very strong on the performance front, delivering a strong punch, but without taking away the smoothness of power delivery. Overall, the drivability is smooth with a strong punch, which will be loved by enthusiasts.

• If you’re someone who wants more efficiency and driving range, Renault has some good news for you. The Duster will also be getting a 1.8-litre strong hybrid powertrain option by Diwali this year. This new engine promises a driving range of up to 1000 km on every full tank of petrol. This new engine broadens the range of powertrain options available to buyers. 

• The Renault Duster has always been a benchmark in this segment for ride quality, and the new model does not disappoint either; in fact, it has improved! The suspension setup on the new Duster delivers an excellent ride quality that is neither very soft nor very bumpy, and it maintains the perfect balance between both. And even during cornering or taking sharp turns, the car handles really well. The new Duster might just set some standards here. 

2026 Renault Duster Rivals 

The Renault Duster was the first car to be launched in the mid-size SUV space, and today, after its comeback, it is set to take on popular rivals like the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, Tata Sierra, Maruti Victoris and Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, Honda Elevate, MG Astor, and the Citroen Aircross. It will also give a tough fight to its close cousin, the upcoming Nissan Tekton.

ZigSays… 

Renault has surely made efforts to give the new Duster a unique personality and make it a better product than all the other cars in the segment. Although it surely has its own set of good and bad things. Nonetheless, the Duster still manages to be a very strong offering in its segment and should surely turn heads. The car is offered at a very reasonable price, has multiple engine and transmission options, looks the most rugged of the lot, and with Renault’s improving after-sales quality and network, the Duster seems to be a promising product. 

If you’re in the market, looking for a 5-seater mid-size SUV that has an iconic name associated with it, and has proven itself back in its glory days in the Indian market, comes loaded with all the modern features, and is value for money, you should be clearly looking at the new Renault Duster. 

Would you pick the new Renault Duster over its rivals? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!