Next-Generation Renault Duster SUV – 7 Seater in the works for 2016

The next-generation Renault Duster is under development. The SUV will said to make its debut by the end of 2016. The new SUV could hop onto a new platform, most likely the M0 platform that hosts new Dacia cars such as the Sandero, Logan and Lodgy. There’s a fat chance that the next-generation Duster will also use this platform, along with the range of turbocharged petrol and diesel engines that are already a part of the mix.

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The new Duster is likely to grow in size, to liberate extra room for two more passengers. This will effectively make the vehicle a 7 seat SUV, taking the length up to nearly 4.5 meters, up from the current 4.3 meters. The additional length of the SUV could be supplemented by a corresponding increase in width and height, as the Duster would otherwise look more station wagon than an SUV, and this is something that Renault would want to avoid at all costs.

Styling cues from concept versions of the Duster, notably the Oroch concept, could make the jump from concept to production in 2016. New elements are also expected to be added to the insides of the Duster. Since Dacia is predominantly a brand meant for emerging markets of the world, expect the new Duster to toe the low cost SUV approach in most parts of the world where it sells in. In India though, the new Duster could be positioned as an upmarket compact SUV, as it currently is.

The India-spec Duster will receive a mid life makeover later this year, which means that the all new model will not make it to Indian shores before 2017. If the Duster indeed hits the 7 seat button in its next iteration, Renault has a realistic chance on taking on 7 seat ladder frame SUVs such as the Mahindra Scorpio and the Tata Safari Storme with the Duster, especially considering the latter’s monocoque bodied, AWD equipped remarkable prowess off the road.

CarToq’s Comprehensive Review of the Renault Duster AWD