Nip and tuck

New Duster is familar yet more macho

THE NEW DUSTER BROKE cover at the Frankfurt motor show and Dacia’s bread and butter model gets a minor facelift and nothing else.

Retaining the older car’s proportions, Dacia has given it an upmarket feel with flowing lines that blend better than the earlier model, which had started showing its age. The exterior changes include an allnew grille, LED DRLs, new front and rear bumpers with scratch resistant skid plates and new squared LED taillights. The windscreen has been pushed forward by 100mm to create more space in the cabin. The beltline of the car has been moved higher too.

There was speculation about the new car incorporating a third row of seats. Renault has however squashed it. Renault-Dacia has reasoned that the brand wanted to reserve the compactness and off-road capability of the model, the luxury of which, adding a third row of seats wouldn’t afford.

Inside,

the

car

gets

a

complete makeover with the addition of a new touchscreen infotainment system and digital climate control console. The seats get new upholstery and the materials on the inside appear more premium. The dashboard design remains functional, just like the outgoing variant.

The engines are being carried forward and the Duster will continue to be powered by the same 1.5 diesel and 1.2 petrol units, in Europe. We expect it to make it to India some time later next year, as Renault India would obviously prefer to capitalise on the newly launched Captur.