All-new Duster + 2 new Renault cars coming to India next year: Details revealed

Seems like 2019 is going to be big on launches for French auto maker Renault. The company plans to bring in new versions of the Duster, Kwid and an all new MPV based on the Kwid platform. The Kwid MPV, which had been codenamed RBC, was recently spied testing, suggesting that Renault will complete thee production ready version in the coming months. It is expected that the company will let out the official name of the MPV by the end of January, 2019.

Of lately, Renault has been registering dwindling sales across its range of vehicles. Models like the Duster, which once were excellent sellers, are now not on the buying lists of people anymore in the face of better competition. The Kwid is the only car for Renault which is still holding ground but it also is in dire need of a facelift. Maruti too has planned for an all new Alto soon and without a facelift, the Kwid will start losing the edge it has over the competition.

The RBC will be a compact MPV and will challenge the Datsun Go+ upon its arrival. The sub-4 meter MPV is made on the company’s CMF-A platform, which also underpins the Kwid hatchback. Based on the various leaks, the RBC will come with LED DRLs up front and a new grille. It will most probably be powered by the same 1.0-litre engine that currently powers the Kwid hatchback but will be tweaked for more power. On the interiors front, it will come with a touchscreen infotainment system and a similar digital instrument cluster as the Kwid. In terms of safety, the new Renault MPV will feature ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) along with dual airbags and rear parking camera.

The Duster will feature a refreshed design like a new grille and tail lamps but will most likely retain the same profile. There is also a possibility that Renault may bring it with a seven-seat configuration option. It will be powered by the same 1.5-litre dCi and a 1.6-litre diesel engine which are present on the current gen car. Talking about the company’s best selling car, the Kwid, it will be the last one to get launched among the three. It will be based on the same platform and come with a same design theme, albeit some tweaks to make it look new. The car will continue using the same 800cc and 1 litre engine, though it may be tuned a bit to increase its efficiency

It is expected that the company will launch the Kwid based MPV first, which will then be followed by the launch of 2019 Duster and 2019 Kwid by the start of Diwali season next year. The pricing will be the key in these launches, and Renault knows that well. However, since these will be new launches, expect the pricing to bump up marginally.