The upmarket Duster could get exterior and interior tweaks to distinguish itself from the regular version
Renault appears to be making moves to introduce a brand new crossover in Russia. It will be greeting spectators and prospective customers at the 2018 Moscow Motor Show scheduled for August. What is interesting is that the new model won’t be made out of scratch as it is based on the long-standing platform the Duster is built on.
Bruno Ancelin, Executive Vice President, Product Planning and Programs Groupe at Renault, has revealed some details of the new crossover to challenges. The French business weekly has reported presence of the same Dacia’s architecture – used by the Romanian brand for more than 14 years. The new compact SUV is of the same proportions as the Duster but will crucially be positioned differently.
Also Read: Renault Duster Price Reduced By Over Rs. 1 Lakh Due To Higher Localisation
It will be more refined in nature and priced higher compared to the latest Duster on sale there. Since the Captur (Kaptur in Russia) is retailed already based on the Duster’s M0 platform as in India, the upcoming compact model could have its own flavour with exterior and interior upgrades along with feature additions to distinguish itself from the existing Duster.
The upmarket Duster under the Renault badge will enter showrooms in Russia from early 2019. It is reported to be launched in several markets across Asia like China and South Korea by the end of next year or in early 2020 as Renault will be using a new platform of the Clio instead. The much improved Clio base will eventually underpin the Dacia models across the range.
Also Read: New Renault Duster Could Launch In India In 2019
The Asia-bound model will continue to have the same components and bodywork as the latest Duster sold internationally. However, it won’t be as cheap as the raise in production costs due to the new platform will make an impact. Chances of the “more refined” Duster to arrive in Europe are also high but only as a Dacia. No concrete decision has been made on it yet as the Captur based on Clio’s underpinnings is already sold there.
Courtesy of increased localisation, Renault drastically reduced prices of the Duster by over Rs. 1 lakh a few weeks ago in India. The move could further delay introduction of the second generation version as Renault tries to make the most out of its existing resources.
Source: Challenges