The Renault Duster finally made a comeback in India earlier this year, and it has been quite an impressive one. And now, the French automaker is working on a Mini-Duster – a capable off-road SUV, which will take on the likes of the popular Mahindra Thar. The brand has just filed a design patent, giving us a glimpse of what the Mini-Duster would look like. So, let’s take a look!
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Renault Mini-Duster Patented In India!
Renault recently showcased the Bridger concept, a sub-4m lifestyle SUV, which could cause some trouble for the Mahindra Thar and the Maruti Jimny. Now, we all know that actual production-spec cars do not look like the concept cars that they are based on. However, Renault has just filed a design patent for the Bridger or the Mini-Duster, and it would be quite difficult for many to tell it apart from the concept. The headlights, the front grille and bumper, the side profile – everything is just like the concept, and that is quite impressive.
The only thing that is evidently different is the wheel design, and it suits the character of the SUV. As the Bridger will be a lifestyle SUV, it definitely looks the part with its rugged and boxy design, along with a tailgate-mounted spare wheel. This is quite exciting, considering a design patent is one step closer to the production of this SUV. That said, will the Mini-Duster, AKA the Bridger, cause some trouble for the Mahindra Thar?
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What To Expect?
Renault has confirmed that the Bridger will be its first-ever EV for India. Worry not, though, as the Bridger will also be offered in an ICE as well as hybrid options. Rumours suggest that Renault is working on a new 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine, which will be offered in the Bridger as well as other cars in its lineup. While we expect the turbo petrol engine to be the highlight of the show with impressive power figures, the hybrid might just steal the show. At the Vienna Motor Symposium, Renault was testing a new 1.2-litre petrol hybrid engine on the Dacia Duster (Renault Duster’s sister car), which was able to achieve 30 kmpl mileage.
And considering that the Duster is a bigger car, we can expect to see even better fuel economy in the Bridger, which is a smaller SUV. That’s not all! This Mini-Duster will be based on the RGMP (Renault Group Modular Platform), which can accommodate 4WD as well as E-4WD. Now, being a lifestyle SUV, the Bridger will be built with off-roading and multi-terrain driving in mind, and 4WD is highly likely. We can expect to see the 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine to be offered with a 4WD system, and the EV version to also get 4WD. This will allow the Bridger to be a capable off-roader, and more off-road oriented features like differential locks, terrain modes, traction control, hill-descent control, crawl mode and much more.
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Renault Mini-Duster Patented – What Else?
The Bridger could be a boon for Renault and could bring in great success for the brand, much like the Thar for Mahindra. We expect the Bridger to get additional features like a 10.1-inch touchscreen, a 10.25-inch instrument cluster, level 2 ADAS, a 360-degree camera, powered and ventilated seats and much more. We expect the SUV to be priced between Rs 9 lakh and Rs 15 lakh (on-road, Mumbai), making it one of the cheapest 4WD SUVs you can buy in India. While the launch timeline is still under wraps, we believe that Renault could launch the SUV by late 2027 or early 2028.
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