Mumbai, Apr 20: Renault India, a wholly owned subsidiary of French carmaker Renault Group, today announced that the new Renault Duster has been awarded a 5‑star safety rating under the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (BNCAP), underscoring Renault’s commitment to making top‑tier safety a standard offering, and marking a significant milestone in the SUV’s much‑anticipated comeback in India.
The new Duster delivered a highly competitive performance across both adult and child occupant protection categories:
- Adult Occupant Protection: 30.49 / 32
- Child Occupant Protection: 45 / 49
The rating is based on tests conducted on the EVOLUTION (Turbo 160 MT), TECHNO (Turbo 160 DCT) & ICONIC (Turbo 160 MT), with the 5‑star certification applicable across the entire range, reinforcing Renault’s approach of offering advanced safety without variant‑based compromise.
From the early stages of development, the new Duster was engineered to meet stringent 5‑star safety targets, and the BNCAP result decisively validates that ambition. Built on a robust RGMP platform with enhanced structural integrity, the SUV has been designed to deliver consistent and predictable occupant protection across crash scenarios.
At the same time, the new Duster continues to build on its legacy of confident, well‑balanced driving dynamics, with a focus on ride comfort, handling stability, and assurance across diverse Indian road conditions. The 5‑star BNCAP rating now completes this proposition, bringing together driving capability and verified safety performance in one cohesive package.
This achievement aligns with Renault’s global Human First Program, where safety is embedded early into design, engineering, and product validation.
The all‑new Duster comes equipped with 35 safety features as standard, ensuring a comprehensive and consistent safety baseline across all variants. Key features include:
- Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
- 6 Airbags
- Hill Hold Control & Hill Descent Control
- Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
- ISOFIX Child Seat Anchors
- 3-point seat belts for all passengers
- Seat belts reminders for all passengers
In addition, the SUV offers 17 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), strengthening active safety and driver awareness in real‑world conditions. These include:
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Lane Keep Assist
- Autonomous Emergency Braking
- Blind Spot Detection, and more
Francisco Hidalgo‑Marques, VP, Sales & Marketing, Renault Group India:
“Since the moment of its reveal, the Duster has appealed to Indian customers with its strong SUV design, outstanding ride and handling, and confident performance. With this latest achievement, the Duster now also makes a compelling case for rational buyers combining one of the best fuel efficiency figures in the segment with a 5-star BNCAP safety rating for adult and child occupant protection, and the added reassurance of a best in-market 7 year warranty.”
Dr. V Vikraman, Chief of Renault Engineering, India:
“This result is rooted in engineering execution on the ground. The Duster was subjected to extensive simulations, physical crash tests, and system‑level validations, with a strong focus on real‑world Indian driving conditions. From body structure performance to restraint calibration and electronic safety systems, every element was engineered, tested and refined to work together. The 5‑star BNCAP rating reflects the rigour of that end‑to‑end engineering and validation process.”
