2019 Renault Duster BS6 Spied Testing; New Turbo Petrol Engine?

2020 renault duster bs6 petrol1

Renault Duster BS6 will be introduced ahead of the April 2020 deadline and it won’t likely get any exterior and interior changes as wait for second-gen model continues

Renault India had already announced discontinuing its diesel engines in the BSVI era coming into implementation from April 2020 onwards. The French brand, currently reeling on big sales slump, sells a long-serving 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine in the Duster, Lodgy and Captur in two different power and torque outputs.

The low-level variants get the 85 PS and 200 Nm tune while the top-end trims are sold with 110 PS and 245 Nm. With the gas guzzler more likely being shelved, the emphasis has been put on what’s next for Renault as it could be replaced by new petrol powertrains. Glancing over the international engine series gives some idea into what could reach India.

In Europe, Renault uses a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine making 100 PS and 160 Nm while the 1.3-litre Tce turbo petrol developed with Daimler delivers power outputs ranging from 115 PS to 160 PS with maximum torque output of 270 Nm. The latter is even being used in Mercedes-Benz A-Class. As for the transmission, depending on the variants, a dual-clutch auto with an all-wheel-drive system as an option is also being sold in Europe.

2019 duster

In all probabilities, the 1.0-litre TCe turbo petrol makes a lot of sense for India as it could allow Renault to price the Duster, Lodgy and Captur competitively compared to the relative 1.5-litre petrol unit offered currently whereas the bigger 1.3-litre motor could stand in place of the 1.5-litre diesel. The 1.0-litre turbo petrol replaced the 1.5-litre petrol in the Euro-spec Duster and latest Micra.

The chances of Renault waiting until the entry of the long-anticipated second generation Duster to introduce the new petrol engines are high too. In the light of the engine speculations, the test mule of what appears to be the BSVI version of the Duster has been caught on camera. The camouflaged test prototype does reveal the front fascia similar to the recently launched facelift of the SUV.

2020 renault duster bs6 petrol3

But we do not know if it carries the existing 1.5-litre petrol engine or a new one as speculated above. Renault emphasises on the Triber to revive its sales fortunes while the upcoming Kwid facelift is expected to aid the cause as well.