Tag Archives: Renault

NEW CARS

Renault Captur Eco-G 120: The 1,400-Kilometer Commuter That Runs on Common Sense

The compact-SUV world is full of big promises—hybrid this, electric that—but Renault has just taken a refreshingly pragmatic approach with the updated Captur Eco-G 120. It doesn’t plug in. It doesn’t need a charging station. And yet it delivers one of the longest driving ranges you’ll find in a mainstream crossover: up to 1,400 kilometers on a combination of gasoline and LPG.

In other words, this might be the most quietly clever powertrain Renault has built in years.

At the heart of the new Captur Eco-G 120 is a reworked version of Renault’s familiar 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder (HR12), derived from the TCe 115. With direct injection and a flex-fuel petrol/LPG setup developed in-house, output rises to 120 horsepower and 200 Nm of torque, gains of 20 hp and 30 Nm over the old Eco-G 100. That might not sound like hot-hatch territory, but in the real world it cuts the 0–100 km/h sprint to 12 seconds, a full second quicker than before—and in this segment, that’s noticeable.

Power goes to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox, and while Renault hasn’t chased performance for its own sake, the extra torque makes the Captur feel more relaxed and more willing when merging or overtaking. This is a small engine doing grown-up work.

But the real headline is efficiency—both financial and environmental. When running on LPG, the Captur emits around 10 percent less CO₂ than its petrol-only equivalent, with emissions rated at 117 g/km on gas and 133 g/km on petrol. Consumption starts at 7.2 l/100 km on LPG and 5.9 l/100 km on gasoline, which makes this Captur cheaper to run than the outgoing Eco-G 100 despite the power bump.

Renault has also made the LPG system more usable. The gas tank grows from 40 to 50 liters, and together with the 48-liter petrol tank, it gives the Captur that 1,400-kilometer theoretical range. For anyone who does long motorway slogs or simply hates stopping for fuel, that’s borderline absurd—in a good way.

Importantly, this isn’t some aftermarket conversion. Renault has been doing LPG systems for more than 15 years, and the Eco-G 120 is designed from the factory to run on both fuels. The LPG tank lives where the spare wheel would normally sit, so there’s no loss of cargo space or petrol capacity. It’s all clean, integrated, and OEM-approved.

And buyers seem to be noticing. In 2025 alone, Renault registered more than 15,600 LPG vehicles, nearly 5,700 of them Capturs, marking a 60 percent increase over the previous year. In markets like France—where about 1,500 LPG stations keep distances between fill-ups below 60 km—the appeal is obvious: fuel bills can drop by up to half.

Renault didn’t stop with the engine. The latest Captur also benefits from a series of tech and safety updates. New aerodynamically optimized rearview mirrors, borrowed from the Clio 6, reduce wind noise and can even project a logo onto the ground when you unlock the car, if you tick the right option box. Inside, a new driver-monitoring camera watches for fatigue and distraction, and if you fail to respond in semi-autonomous driving mode, the emergency stop assist will bring the car to a controlled halt with the hazard lights flashing.

Parking tech gets an upgrade too, with high-definition reversing cameras and a 360-degree 3D view, making the Captur feel more premium than its price suggests. Automatic versions also ditch the old MySense system in favor of a new Smart mode, which seamlessly switches between Eco, Comfort, and Sport depending on how you drive.

Speaking of price, Renault has pulled a neat trick: the Captur Evolution Eco-G 120 starts at €26,400 in France, exactly the same as the outgoing Eco-G 100, or €210 per month on a finance plan. More power, more range, and better efficiency—for the same money—is the kind of upgrade buyers usually only dream about.

The Captur Eco-G 120 won’t headline any Nürburgring lap times, and it isn’t trying to. What it does offer is something far rarer in today’s SUV market: a genuinely smart powertrain that lowers emissions, cuts running costs, and lets you drive from one end of Europe to the other without obsessing over where to refuel.

Sometimes, the cleverest tech isn’t electric—it’s just well-engineered. And Renault seems to have nailed it.

Source: Renault

NEW CARS

2026 Renault Duster

The Renault Duster is back, and this time it’s not just trying to be relevant—it’s trying to remind everyone that it basically invented the game. When the original Duster launched in India in 2012, it more or less created the compact SUV segment before “compact SUV” became the most overused phrase in the industry. Nearly two million global customers later, Renault is rolling out an all-new Duster for 2026, reengineered from the ground up and tailored specifically for a market that now buys SUVs like they’re smartphones.

And make no mistake: India is the main event. SUVs now account for about 55 percent of passenger car sales there, up from just 12 percent when the first Duster arrived. Renault’s answer is a third-generation model that looks tougher, feels more premium, and finally brings hybrid tech into the fight.

Built in Chennai, Aimed at the World

The new Duster will be built at Renault’s massive Chennai plant, which has already churned out more than three million vehicles and supplies over 100 export markets. It’s part of Renault’s broader €3 billion global strategy, with India positioned as one of five key industrial hubs outside Europe.

Translation: this isn’t a niche product. The Duster is once again a core model, with India as the launch pad before it heads to South Africa and the Gulf States.

Rugged, But Now With Actual Design

The old Duster had charm, but subtlety was never its thing. The new one still leans into that rugged DNA, just with sharper tailoring. The proportions are muscular, the shoulder line is strong, and the ground clearance—21.2 centimeters—puts many so-called SUVs to shame.

Up front, a trapezoidal grille and Renault’s latest LED lighting signature give it a modern face, while the rear gets a full-width light bar that visually stretches the body. It’s all very on-trend, but still convincingly tough, helped by skid plates, chunky wheel arches, roof rails, and approach and departure angles that suggest it won’t panic the moment the road turns to dirt.

At 4.34 meters long, it’s compact enough for city life but rides on a long 2.66-meter wheelbase, which pays dividends inside.

Finally, a Cabin That Feels 2026

The interior is where the new Duster makes its biggest leap. Gone is the bargain-basement vibe. In its place is Renault’s OpenR twin-screen setup, with up to a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.1-inch central touchscreen.

And yes, it runs Google. Properly. Google Maps, Google Assistant, and Google Play are all built in, making the Duster one of the most connected cars in its class. You talk to it, it listens, and it doesn’t need your phone to do basic things.

The center console now looks like something from a segment above, with an electronic shifter, wireless charging, USB-C ports, a cooled storage box, and 33 liters of total cabin storage. There’s also ventilated power seats, dual-zone climate control with air filtration, a panoramic sunroof, and a powered tailgate—features that would’ve sounded like science fiction in the original Duster.

Boot space sits at a healthy 518 liters, expanding to nearly 1,800 liters with the rear seats folded. In practical terms, it’s ready for both IKEA and actual adventures.

Hybrid Power Leads the Lineup

The headline act is the new full hybrid E-Tech 160 system, the first of its kind for Renault in India. It pairs a 1.8-liter petrol engine with two electric motors and a multi-mode automatic gearbox that juggles 15 different operating scenarios. Total output is 160 horsepower, and in urban driving, Renault claims the Duster can run in electric mode up to 80 percent of the time.

Fuel savings of up to 40 percent and a claimed total range of around 620 miles put it firmly in the efficiency conversation, without forcing buyers into full EV territory.

For those who prefer old-school turbocharged noise, there are two petrol options: a 1.0-liter three-cylinder with 100 hp and a 1.3-liter four-cylinder with 160 hp, the latter available with either a manual or dual-clutch automatic.

The suspension setup remains simple—MacPherson struts up front, torsion beam at the rear—but tuned to balance comfort and stability. In other words, it’s built to survive real roads, not just smooth press cars and Instagram reels.

Safety Tech That Actually Competes

The new Duster comes loaded with 17 driver-assistance systems, including adaptive cruise with stop-and-go, lane keeping, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, and traffic sign recognition. There’s also a full 360-degree camera system and something Renault calls Flank Protection, which basically helps stop you from scraping expensive bodywork in tight spaces.

Crucially, most of it can be customized through the touchscreen, instead of being permanently annoying.

The Duster, But for a Different Era

The original Duster won by being cheap, tough, and honest. The new one is still tough, but it’s also digital, electrified, and surprisingly sophisticated. It’s no longer just a budget SUV with attitude—it’s a fully modern global product aimed at buyers who expect tech, safety, and efficiency without giving up the ability to leave the pavement behind.

In a segment that the Duster helped create—and that’s now crowded with rivals—the 2026 Renault Duster isn’t trying to start the conversation again. It’s trying to finish it.

Source: Renault

News

Renault’s Global Groove: Electrification Pays Off, and the Numbers Back It Up

If you want proof that Renault’s long game is finally clicking into place, look no further than its 2025 scorecard. Three straight years of growth, a sharp uptick in global passenger-car sales, and a lineup that’s leaning hard into electrification without alienating hybrid holdouts—all of it points to a brand that’s stopped chasing volume for volume’s sake and started playing to its strengths.

According to Ivan Segal, Renault’s Global Sales and Operations Director, the formula is simple: electric momentum plus region-specific products. The result? A company that’s not just surviving today’s brutally competitive market but quietly outperforming much of Europe’s old guard.

Winning Beyond Europe—Finally, for Real This Time

Renault’s long-talked-about international ambitions are no longer PowerPoint dreams. Sales outside Europe jumped 11.7 percent in 2025, reaching 621,435 vehicles and accounting for 38 percent of total brand volume. That’s a meaningful shift, and it keeps Renault comfortably positioned as the world’s top-selling French car brand.

Latin America led the charge, with sales up 11.3 percent thanks largely to the Kardian crossover. Türkiye turned in another strong year as well, where Renault claimed the top sales spot overall, buoyed by a late-year surge and the ever-reliable Duster. South Korea, meanwhile, delivered one of the most eye-catching gains: sales more than doubled, with the Grand Koleos doing the heavy lifting.

Even traditionally tricky markets showed signs of life. Morocco posted a massive 44.8 percent increase, while India—long a sore spot—showed a genuine turnaround in the second half of the year, capped by a strong fourth quarter.

Europe: Electrification Without the All-or-Nothing Gamble

Back home, Renault ranked second overall in Europe in 2025, with just over one million vehicles sold across passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. The real story, though, is how it got there.

Passenger-car sales rose 7.4 percent in a market that barely managed a third of that growth. Renault’s European market share ticked up to 5.7 percent, making it one of the few legacy brands still moving forward as competition intensifies.

The secret sauce is a dual-track electrification strategy that actually makes sense. In 2025, 60 percent of Renault’s European sales were electrified—up 12 points year over year. Battery-electric vehicles surged by more than 72 percent, giving Renault leadership positions in France and in Europe’s B-segment EV class. Hybrids, meanwhile, continued their steady climb, with full hybrids now accounting for nearly 40 percent of passenger-car sales.

This balanced approach has also paid dividends where regulators care most: CO₂ emissions. Renault now posts sub-90 g/km figures in Europe, putting it among the cleanest mainstream brands on the continent.

The Hits Keep Coming

Renault’s product cadence has been unusually sharp. The Renault 5 E-Tech electric has already cleared 100,000 sales since launch, cementing its place as Europe’s best-selling B-segment EV. The Scenic E-Tech electric posted strong growth, while the outgoing Clio 5 went out on a high note, finishing as Europe’s second-best-selling passenger car.

Symbioz emerged as the brand’s hybrid hero, quickly becoming Renault’s top-selling full-hybrid model. And in the all-important B-segment, Renault continues to punch above its weight, leading the hatchback category and ranking second overall.

Value Over Volume—And It Shows

Renault’s renewed emphasis on sales quality rather than raw numbers is paying off in less flashy but arguably more important ways. Residual values are holding steady and outperforming the broader market, retail market share is up in several key European countries, and higher-margin C- and D-segment vehicles are growing worldwide.

Even with fresh competition pouring in from China, Renault has managed to improve its mix and protect pricing—no small feat in today’s market.

Vans, EVs, and What’s Next

Light commercial vehicles were a weak spot in early 2025, but momentum improved in the second half as the new Master range began to roll out. Electric vans, in particular, are gaining traction, with sales up 90 percent year over year.

Looking ahead, Renault isn’t slowing down. New international models like Boreal and Filante are set to expand the brand’s footprint, while Europe will see the arrival of the Renault 4 E-Tech, Twingo E-Tech, Clio 6, and a refreshed Megane.

In a market where many legacy brands seem caught between past success and an electric future they’re still figuring out, Renault appears to have found its rhythm. It’s not shouting about revolution—but quietly, confidently, it’s making the numbers work.

Source: Renault