Renault has just launched the new Duster in India with prices ranging between Rs 10.49 lakh and Rs 18.49 lakh (ex-showroom). However, the company has only announced prices of the turbo-petrol variants, with the hybrid variants set to arrive around Diwali this year. What’s interesting is that even before Renault has announced prices for the Duster hybrid, it has already received an overwhelming response, so much so that its already booked out for 2026.
- Duster hybrid order books closed for now
- Nearly 40 percent urban demand is for hybrid variants
- Duster CNG will only be considered if there’s customer demand
Renault Duster hybrid demand in India
Renault has been taking pre-bookings for the Duster since it debuted in India on January 26. Speaking at the launch today, Francisco Hidalgo, VP, Renault India, said the initial response to the hybrid powertrain has exceeded expectations.
“We have seen an overwhelming response to the hybrid powertrain. As of now, we are sold out for all the production we had planned fo this year and are actively working on increasing capacity at our plant in Chennai,” Hidalgo said.
The demand is being led by urban markets, with the brand claiming that about 39 percent of the pre-bookings from metro cities have been for the hybrid variants. Likewise, Renault has stopped taking orders for the Duster hybrid for now, and has said the order books will be re-opened closer to launch around Diwali.
Duster CNG not off the cards
At its unveiling in January, Renault India Chief of Engineering Dr Vikraman V had said that the brand will consider doing a CNG version only if there’s sufficient customer demand, stating that CNG doesn’t quite fit the Duster’s image.
“CNG is something we have to really see how it fits into the Duster brand. Because some people perceive CNG to be against the sporty nature of the car. We do not want to have any kind of dilution to what the brand stands for,” he said.
“I’m neither saying yes nor no [regarding the Duster CNG], but we’ll be very watchful about the competition, market, and of course, customer requirement,” he added.
However, responding to a question from our sister publication Autocar Professional about the Duster CNG, Hidalgo today said, “I don’t see why CNG would have to mean naturally aspirated. There can be turbo CNG,” without confirming any specific product plans.
Renault certainly seems cognizant of the growing popularity of CNG in the Indian market, although volumes in the midsize SUV segment are still very low. Therefore, it is only likely to materialize if there’s sufficient customer demand.
With inputs from Ketan Thakkar
