Overview
- Renault Group India CEO Stephane Deblaise confirmed during a media drive that the company will introduce lower‑priced automatic variants of the new Duster to address customer demand.
- The company did not disclose which engine or gearbox will be used for the cheaper automatics and said only that a less expensive automatic option will be added to the range.
- A camouflaged Duster test mule was sighted near Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, and media outlets say the prototype could be the strong‑hybrid version currently under development.
- Published reports describe the planned hybrid as using a naturally aspirated 1.8‑litre petrol engine with two electric motors and a small battery for about 160 hp, but those technical details remain unconfirmed.
- Renault has staged the Duster rollout—prioritising the 1.3‑litre, then the 1.0‑litre and now hybrids—and strong early interest (roughly 5,000 sales since launch and reported sold‑out hybrid allocations for 2026) could deepen competition with Hyundai, Kia and Tata by making automatics and hybrids more accessible to buyers.