A new one built in India Renault Duster The SUV was launched with a different design and powertrains, as well as a more luxurious interior than the version sold in Australia and Europe, but won’t be heading Down Under any time soon.
The five-seat Duster SUV was launched here in July 2025 as a rival to the Suzuki Jimny and Subaru Crosstrek, but Renault has now unveiled an Indian market-specific Duster as part of its broader global growth strategy.
Renault says the new Duster should be available in showrooms across India – a right-hand drive market like Australia – sometime before April 2026, followed by exports to South Africa and the Middle East.
While this appears to open the door for the Indian-made version to either complement or replace the current Romanian-made model in Australian showrooms, the local Renault dealer said Daily Sparkz There are no plans to bring it here.
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“Renault Australia sources the Duster from Europe,” said a spokesman for Renault Australia, which brings the Duster to Australia from the plant in Mioveni, Romania Daily Sparkz.
India has a free trade agreement (FTA) with Australia, with notable Indian-made vehicles already sold locally, including the Suzuki Jimny – among other Suzuki models – as well as a growing Mahindra range.
There is still no free trade agreement between Australia and Europe, one is currently being negotiated.
The India-built Duster is part of the “Renault International Game Plan 2027” announced in October 2023, with the French automaker investing €3 billion (~A$5.15 billion) to launch eight new models outside Europe by 2027.
Apart from the place of manufacture, the differences between the Indian Duster and the European version sold here also include exterior design changes with different treatments to the front and rear bumpers.
Both versions use the same CMF-B platform, with the Indian (Chennai)-made model having virtually the same 2658mm wheelbase as the Australian version, which is listed at 2657mm.
There are slight differences in overall dimensions: the Australian model is 4345mm long, 1813mm wide and 1650mm high, while the Indian model measures 4343mm, 1813mm and 1659mm respectively.
The Chennai-built Duster also offers 212mm of ground clearance – the same as the 4×4 versions sold here – but is only available in 4×2 form at launch, while Australian 4×2 models sit lower at 174mm on the same 17-inch alloy wheels.
Still, both markets maintain their outdoor and adventure-oriented positioning and feature underbody and lower body protection such as front and rear skid plates.
The Indian model has an approach angle of 25.7 degrees and a departure angle of 29.2 degrees, compared to the Australian 4×4 model’s 31 and 36 degree values.
There are more significant changes in the interior: The Indian-made Duster has a significantly different cabin design. The Australian versions’ octagonal motifs and ‘Duster’ branding are replaced with a simpler layout.
The Indian market models feature a digital dual-screen layout, with a 7.0-inch instrument cluster on lower trims, increasing to 10.25-inch on higher variants, paired with a standard 10.1-inch central touchscreen.
These operate a Google-based infotainment system with artificial intelligence (AI) from Gemini and connected services, as well as a 360-degree camera that offers a dynamic 3D view.
Dual-zone automatic climate control, rear air vents and ventilated seats are standard, as are a panoramic sunroof and a power liftgate.
Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) include autonomous emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, lane keeping assist and lane departure warning.
The Australian market Duster has a three-star rating from independent safety body ANCAP, while the Indian model is yet to be assessed by local safety authorities. Both versions feature the same “ADAS Security Personalization Shortcut” that allows users to customize system settings.
Indian buyers can choose from three powertrains, starting with a 74kW/160Nm mild-hybrid 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.
A 120kW/280Nm 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine is also offered with a manual or six-speed dual-clutch gearbox, while a full hybrid option combines a 80kW/172Nm 1.8-litre Atkinson four-cylinder petrol engine with an automatic gearbox.
In contrast, the Australian-market Duster is offered with a choice of a 113kW/270Nm 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic or a 96kW/230Nm 1.2-litre turbocharged three-piston engine with a six-speed manual gearbox.
The Duster is a crucial model for Renault in India, where around 4.3 million new vehicles were sold in 2025. This means the country has overtaken Japan as the third largest new car market in the world, behind China (around 30 million sales) and the United States (around 15 million).
The B-segment SUV class, in which the Duster competes, accounts for about 14 percent of the Indian market, equivalent to about 602,000 vehicles per year – about half the size of the entire Australian new car market across all segments.
MORE: Discover the Renault Duster showroom
