Renault will soon launch its top-selling SUV, the Duster, in a petrol automatic avatar. The upcoming update to the SUV will, however, not just include the two-pedal technology but will also involve a change of heart.
Sources close to the French carmaker inform us that the upcoming Duster petrol with an X-tronic CVT, with 6-step semi-manual mode, will get a 1.5-litre engine dishing out a maximum power of 106PS at 5600rpm and peak torque of 142Nm at 4000rpm. The combination is said to return a claimed fuel efficiency of 14.99kmpl, which betters the petrol manual Duster's claimed figures of 13.06kmpl by a considerable margin.
Currently, the Duster petrol comes with a 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder engine that makes 104PS of maximum power at 5750rpm and 148Nm of peak torque at 3750rpm. This engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission and is available in a 2WD format only.
The petrol automatic Duster will be available in a new RXS variant positioned above the RXL grade. In addition to the features on the Duster RXL, the RXS will get dual front airbags, black front grille and 16-inch alloy wheels. The Duster will also get a new 'Fiery Red' exterior colour with red interior elements on the doors and air con vents.
The Duster 1.6-litre petrol with manual transmission is presently available in RXE and RXL variants and is priced at Rs 8.65 lakh and Rs 9.45 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) respectively. Renault is expected to price the Duster petrol automatic at a premium of around Rs 1 lakh over the 1.6-litre petrol Duster RXL. Bookings for the Duster petrol automatic are underway and Renault is expected to launch the automatic SUV in a week's time.
Source: CarDekho.com
