Renault has unveiled a special concept model at the ongoing Sao Paulo Auto Show the Duster Extreme. The Duster Extreme Concept has been developed by Renault Design Latin America (RADL). This tough looking concept stands by its name and is a fully loaded off road SUV. The Concept comes equipped with all the features of an off road vehicle including off road tyres, tow hook, high beam LED headlights, Snorkel, extra ground clearance, skid plates, extra roof cladding with LED in itnd a off road paint scheme. On the inside the cabin is finished in all black with a dash of red inserts across. The cabin has` Extreme` lettering on the dashboard and also `4WD` boldly written on the steering.
On the engine front the new Duster Extreme gets power from the 2.0-litre Brazilian spec Duster version with all-wheel-drive. The four-cylinder 2.0L engine runs on flex-fuel (petrol and ethanol) and produces 143bhp and comes mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox.
In India Renault has been selling many Limited Edition Dusters since its launch and it would be interesting to see if the French car maker gets this Concept into reality for this market.
The Renault Duster is the rebadged version of the Duster that sells in European countries under the original brand Dacia which is also a part of the Renault Group. Its been around since 2009 and was launched here in India in 2012. The model has been steadily selling since its launch and competes against the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Nissan Terrano, Ford Ecosport, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza to name a few. Renault had recently given a major facelift to the Duster in India and also introduced an AMT automatic and All Wheel Drive (AWD) versions. The mini SUV market is one of the fastest growing car segment currently in India.