After the SUV developed by Renault and Dacia began its production in Mioveni about a year ago under the Dacia brand, and after seeing some time ago the Renault version dedicated to the Ukrainian and the Arab markets, the Duster changes its appearance for the launch in South America, where the SUV sold under the brand Renault will get a new design, similar to that of Renault Duster sold in Russia.

The Renault Duster version dedicated to the markets in Brazil and Argentina was officially launched at the Auto Show in Buenos Aires and the differences from the European version are pretty important. First we have a completely new face, with grille that stands out by the horizontal silver bars and the back with the horizontal strip where is embossed in chrome the model name. Moreover, the South American customers will be able to order wheels painted gray.

Important changes are also found in the interior of the Renault, which is – according to official press release issued by the French manufacturer – one "improved" with materials and finishes. The aesthetic changes apply to the interior design are also found on the  board, that is completely changed from the one found on the European models.

Renault Duster will be available with two engines in South America, both having the capacity to operate on alternative fuels, very demanded in Brazil. It is the 1.6 and 16V engine and the and 2.0 with 16V engine. If the 1.6 and 16v version engine has an optional automatic gearbox, the only engine that can be ordered with the all-wheel drive system is the 2.0 liter engine.

The Duster version dedicated to South American markets will be produced in the Curitiba factory in Brazil since mid-2011. In addition, since May 2012 the Medelin factory in Colombia will start the production of the new Renault Duster.

Here are the 3 versions of the Duster:

1. Dacia Duster -  the European model produced at the Mioveni factory in Romania

2. Renault Duster – the model available for Ukraine, Middle East countries (Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt) and some African countries produced at the Mioveni factory in Romania

3. Renault Duster – the model available for the South American countries and that will be produced in Brazil and Colombia

On the backside, the door get a chrome, replacing the plastic plate provided on the Dacia Duster. We can also see a logo discreetly announcing a new in the engine range: 2.0, which means a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated production of Renault Nissan, which features most likely 140 HP and 195 Nm. The Renault Duster will be offered in both manual transmissions with six reports and all six-speed automatic transmission, which is not yet offered in the range of the Romanian car manufacturer.

The Duster’s interior is also changed for the Russian version. More specifically, the center console has a different  air conditioning control, which looks more modern. In addition, the central air vents have been repositioned, and above them was created a storage space. Also, the audio system is more complex, equipped with a large display. The windows controls have been also moved on the doors. According to some rumors the wheelbase has increased by 40 millimeters, but the luggage space is still 475 liters. If the rear seat is folded, the cargo volume reaches 1,600 liters, so the 40 mm above have been assigned to the rear passengers.

The Russian version of the Duster will also benefit from the new 2.0-liter petrol engine and 140 horsepower, assembled in Pitesti, which was announced yesterday. Along with this engine there will be the 1.6-liter and 16-valve unit, and all the diesel engines, who, like the petrol engines, will be available with 4×2 or 4×4.

Compared to the model sold on the other European markets, the Russian Duster will adopt a slightly modified design, at least in the front, where the grille has been replaced with a classic chrome, more impressive, and that has the Renault logo in the center.

The Renault Duster will be produced at the Avtoframos factory, where the first images have been captured by some workers. In addition to items found on the European model, the Russian Duster will also have USB, Bluetooth, phone and several body colors, including red.

There are rumors that say that the Dacia Duster will be launched in Australia, but to avoid overcrowding the local market with multiple brands of the same manufacturer, the Romanian SUV will be sold under the Renault logo. The biggest problem for importing Dacia models in Australia will remain the cost of the transport and distribution.

Thus, exporting the cars produced in Romania is not a viable solution as the transport from Romania to Australia would lead to extremely high costs, which could lead to an increase in the selling price and thus would eliminate the price advantage of the Dacia models. The solution for selling the Dacia Duster in Australia would be to import the cars from the Renault factory in Mahindra, India.

For now, the code name of the future Renault crossover is X87 and will become, according to British from Autocar, a substitute for the Koleos SUV, a model that did not rise to the claims of the French car manufacturer.

The Renaul Crossover will be presented in concept form at the Geneva Motor Show 2011 and will be characterized in the design chapter by the lines that are present in the recently-launched prototype Renault DeZir. The series version will be presented in 2012 and the model will be produced, most likely at the Renault factory in Valladolid, where the French will produce the series version of the electric model,Twizy Z.E.

The grill of the SUV was replaced with one with more chrome stripes across the Renault logo. The Chromium was used to modify the rear part of the car too: the band on the trunk, made in plastic for the European version was replaced with a chromed one with shiny ornaments that emphasize the logo of the car. The rear window wiper was also improved with a chrome strip.

The Renault Duster for the Russian market will be powered by a new 2.0 liter petrol engine along with the other engines.

The Renault Duster will be produced in Russia in 2011, at the Avtoframos factory near Moscow where now are produced 160.00 units of Sandero and Logan. Until then, the French will assembly the model based on parts made in Romania.

Photo by р|d

In Russia, the Dacia models are sold under the Renault brand and assembling these models in Romania ensures a competitive market price. According to the official announcement from Renault, the Duster version dedicated to the Russian market will suffer some minor changes that will bring the model up to the Russian customer preferences. These include some minor changes to the interior design, the equipment and the engines.

Along with Duster, Renault will assemble in Russia the Magane and Fluence compact models, which will arrive at the Moscow factory in the form of SKD (Semi Knocked Down) assemblies.

"In markets where Renault and Nissan is are not present, it is possible for Duster to get the Nissan logo. This will happen but only in circumstances where there is a fair production capacity of sub-assemblies," said a Nissan official quoted Autocar. This could mean that Duster could be launched in the U.S. market, where the Renault-Nissan group activates exclusively under the Japanese brand.
It wouldn’t be the first time that Nissan would sell Dacia models under it’s logo. The best known example is Nissan Aprio, the  model sold in Mexico, which is actually a Logan with a Nissan logo.