Hybrid 4x4 power for Suzuki Jimny rival!

While the Renault Duster is only just arriving on Australian shores now, its original European sibling has received a minor update.

Dacia has introduced a new powertrain for the Duster that combines petrol-electric hybrid and LPG bi-fuel technology with all-wheel drive and an automatic transmission.

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The combustion engine is mated to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with paddle shifters, whereas the rear electric motor is mated to a two-speed transmission with a decoupling mode.

All-wheel drive versions of the Duster to date have only been offered with a manual transmission.

The petrol engine is fed by two 50L tanks, one for petrol and one for LPG, allowing for a claimed total range of up to 1500L, according to WLTP testing.

Dacia claims the Duster with the hybrid-G 150 4x4 consumes 5.5L/100km using petrol and 7.1L/100km using LPG, both on the combined cycle.

Thanks to the rear electric motor which is fed by a 48V 0.84kWh lithium-ion battery, up to 60 per cent of urban driving can be achieved using electric power alone.

Dacia has confirmed this engine will also make its way into the related Bigster.

Beyond this new engine, the Romanian carmaker has also made further changes to the Duster’s powertrain line-up.

The regular hybrid powertrain still has a four-cylinder petrol engine, two electric motors, a 1.4kWh battery, as well as an automatic transmission which includes four gears for the petrol engine and two for the electric motors.

Claimed fuel consumption is now 4.6L/100km, which is 8.0 per cent lower than the pre-update version.

The mild-hybrid powertrain now has a new-generation 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine that runs the Miller cycle and is augmented by 48V mild-hybrid assistance. It’s still mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

Claimed fuel consumption for this mild-hybrid powertrain is 5.4L/100km.

Lastly the 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol-LPG bi-fuel engine now produces 89kW, which is 15kW more than it previously did.

It’s worth noting the 1.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine available locally in the Renault Duster line-up isn’t available in European Dacia form.

Beyond the powertrain changes, hybrid versions of the Duster now come with adaptive cruise control. It’s standard on the Journey trim and optional on the Extreme trim.

There is a new interior upholstery that matches what’s available on the Journey trim, plus lumbar adjustment for the driver’s seat.

The Extreme trim also gets new black alloy wheels.

As noted above, the international version of the Dacia Duster, badged as a Renault, has only just started arriving in Australia. However, don't expect these changes to materialise for the Aussie-market model.

“At this stage the variants unveiled in Europe overnight are not available for Australia,” said a Renault Australia spokesperson.

Available in two trim levels and with two powertrains, pricing starts from $31,990 before on-roads and extends to $37,990 before on-roads.