Renault Duster and 7-Seater Bigster India Launch Timeline Out

Renault has announced that the long-hinted third-generation Duster and the 7-seater Bigster SUV, which it had said will appear on its Indian shores before late 2025, have been pushed to 2026. While this may not make many SUV lovers happy, both these models will arrive with new designs, updated features, and powertrain options when they roll into Indian roads.

Launch of Third-Generation Duster Delayed

New-gen Duster was finally confirmed to hit the roads of India in 2026, after announcing its global market roll out during 2023. Now it is being launched but had anticipated that its Indian rollout would be during Diwali in 2025, apparently the car was delayed without specifying the actual reason for such a delay. Third-generation Duster, constructed on CMF-B Renault platform carries all the rugged feel of the former with some enhancements to features.

The new Duster is sold globally in a range of engine options, including 1.0-litre turbo-petrol, 1.2-litre turbo-petrol, and 1.3-litre turbo-petrol, besides the hybrid variants. Renault is likely to offer the Duster with petrol engine options for the Indian market. The diesel variant will not be offered. The 6-speed manual and a CVT automatic transmission will be offered. It will compete with the compact SUVs like Hyundai Creta, Maruti Grand Vitara, and Skoda Kushaq.

It is going to have modern design elements with more features of the Y-shaped LED DRLs, LED headlights, squared wheel arches, and alloy wheels. Inside the cabin would become more premium as it can house a floating touchscreen infotainment system along with a 7-inch digital instrument cluster inside with premium material finish. Its safety features shall comprise six airbags, TPMS, electronic parking brake, and the ADAS suite as well.

India-spec pricing of the Duster will likely to begin at a base price of Rs. 10 lakh ex-showroom and take the compact SUV space in a pretty competitive way.

Renault Bigster

The other car is Renault Bigster-the 7-Seater SUV for India. The international debut of Renault Bigster happened in October 2024, and the version for the Indian market would most likely be the 7-seater variant to battle with space. The Bigster will carry a resemblance from the Duster but will be a larger SUV, aimed at meeting India's increased requirement for more expansive SUVs. The global variant of the Bigster comes with a rugged exterior, featuring sleek LED headlights with Y-shaped elements, a V-shaped LED tail light, black body cladding, and hexagonal wheel arches.

The India-spec Bigster will likely feature a dual-tone Grey and Black interior theme using sustainable materials. The SUV will be loaded with a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 10-inch digital driver's display, and a 6-speaker Arkamys sound system. It will also feature a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control, rear AC vents, and an electrically adjustable driver's seat with lumbar support. The Bigster will come with multiple airbags, a rear parking camera, and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, which will include Adaptive Cruise Control and Automatic Emergency Braking.

The India-spec Bigster will come with a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine along with an AWD setup and a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine. Hybrid engine options will also be launched in the future by Renault to make its offering in the Indian market even stronger.

What to Expect from Both Models

The fans are going to be very disappointed at how late in coming the Duster and Bigster are, but both should be strong contenders in their own segment. The new Duster is going to come back to India as a much more modern, feature-packed SUV for the compact SUV buyers, while the Bigster is going to address the wishes of customers looking for a larger, more family-friendly SUV.

Both the SUVs promise to hit Indian roads with better designs, upgraded technology, and far more advanced safety features-a thing which will really appeal well to the masses of India. While Duster will bring to the table a ruggedness alongside even more premium offerings to match better with fast-changing needs of Indian buyers, Bigster will be boldly a seven-seater SUV model that will easily compete in the market place with Tata Safari and Hyundai Alcazar.

Also Read: All VinFast SUVs at Auto Expo 2025