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Renault Duster has now come in a new strong hybrid avatar. Its starting ex-showroom price is ₹ 16.99 lakh, while the company is claiming a mileage of 29 km/liter and a range of more than 1,400 km. It comes with a 1.8-litre petrol engine along with two electric motors. What is special about this SUV which comes in three variants and will it be able to compete with Grand Vitara and Hyrider? Know the complete details.
Renault Duster has been launched with a hybrid engine.
Renault India has launched Duster Strong Hybrid E-Tech 160 after a long wait. This is the company’s first strong hybrid SUV in India and will compete directly with Maruti Grand Vitara, Victoris and Toyota Hyrider in the midsize SUV segment. Introductory ex-showroom prices start at Rs 16.99 lakh for the Evolution variant. Whereas, for Techno you will have to pay Rs 18.99 lakh and for Top Emotion you will have to pay Rs 19.49 lakh.
Booking has started from Rs 21,000 and deliveries are scheduled to start from November 2026. With this system consisting of 1.8-litre petrol engine, two electric motors and 1.4 kWh battery, the company is claiming ARAI mileage of 29 km/litre and a range of more than 1,400 km. The company claims that up to 80 percent driving in the city can be done in electric mode. This makes Duster a strong choice in both fuel efficiency and power. Let us know about the details from its design to engine performance.
Design and interior
The design is the same as the normal petrol version. Only the ‘E-Tech Hybrid’ badges on the front door and tailgate are different. Ground clearance is 212 mm, which maintains off-road capability. Frequency-dependent dampers and four wheel disc brakes are provided at the front and rear. The interior gets Desert Beige semi-leatherette upholstery on the mid variant and Dune Brown leatherette upholstery on the top variant.
Features and safety
It gets features like 10.1 inch OpenR Link touchscreen (wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay), 10.25 inch digital instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control, panoramic sunroof, wireless charger and powered tailgate. Ventilated and 6-way power adjustable front seats are available in higher variants. Safety includes six airbags, rear parking sensors, rear view camera, cruise control, hill start assist and other basic safety features.
Engine and Performance
It is powered by 1.8-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol (110 hp, 175 Nm) along with two electric motors (traction motor 50 hp and 208 Nm). Total system output is 160 hp. Multi-mode automatic gearbox switches between 6 driving modes. It reaches the speed of 0-100 km/h in 9.61 seconds. The battery comes with a warranty of 8 years or 1.6 lakh km and does not require plug-in charging.
About the Author
Ram Mohan Mishra is an active journalist in the automotive world of digital media and has been working continuously in the field of auto journalism since 2021. Presently he is handling the auto desk of News18 Hindi as Senior Sub-Editor.
