Renault confirms cheaper Duster automatics: about time, and still not enough
Renault Group India CEO Stephane Deblaise has confirmed to Autocar India that the Duster will get more affordable automatic variants, slotted below the current 1.3-litre turbo-petrol DCT range. The disclosure came during the media drive of the new 1.0-litre turbo-petrol Duster, which currently has no automatic option at all.
What was announced
Speaking to Autocar India at the launch drive of the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol Duster, Renault Group India CEO Stephane Deblaise confirmed that more affordable automatic variants are on the way. The admission came in response to a direct question about why the new 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine is offered only with a manual gearbox.
A sub-Rs 15 lakh Duster automatic turns the price chart upside down for the Creta and Grand Vitara, and Renault knows it.
"We will introduce less expensive versions of an automatic," Deblaise said. "Ever since we launched the car, there are questions from customers about it, and yes we think there is a kind of gap between the entry versions in the manual 1.0-litre turbo-petrol and the first version we have in automatic, so we will have more affordable automatic versions." Pressed on whether this means an automatic for the 1.0 turbo-petrol or a cheaper trim of the 1.3 DCT, Deblaise declined to specify: "I am not saying what gearbox or engine, but only that we will have a new, less expensive auto."
The current Duster line-up in India runs a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol manual at the entry end and a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol with a seven-speed DCT at the top. There is no automatic option at all on the smaller engine, and the 1.3 DCT is sold only in higher trims, leaving a clear price and feature gap in the middle of the range that Renault has now committed to filling.
The Car Jury verdict
Renault has finally admitted what every Duster shopper figured out on day one: the jump from a 1.0 manual to a fully loaded 1.3 DCT is too steep, and a mid-spec automatic buyer has nowhere to land. Deblaise would not commit to engine or gearbox, but the only sensible answers are a 1.0 turbo with a torque converter or AMT, or a stripped-down 1.3 DCT trim. Either works; both are overdue.
Team-BHP's line that "Renault is not being subtle about it" fits the relaunch energy, but the pricing structure has been quietly working against the car. The Duster remains a BUY on our scorecard for its ride and road presence, and a sub-Rs 15 lakh automatic would turn it into a genuine Creta and Grand Vitara problem. Renault needs to do this before festive season, not after.
