Renault India has announced that the new Renault Duster has secured a 5-star safety rating under the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (BNCAP), highlighting the brand’s focus on making top-tier safety a standard offering and marking a key milestone for the SUV’s return to the Indian market.
The new Renault Duster delivered strong 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), and ICONIC (Turbo 160 MT) variants. The 5-star safety certification applies across the entire model range, reinforcing Renault’s approach of offering comprehensive safety features without variant-based compromises.
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, said, “Since its reveal, the Renault Duster has attracted Indian customers with its strong SUV design, capable ride and handling, and confident performance. With this latest achievement, the Duster further strengthens its appeal for practical buyers by combining one of the best fuel efficiency figures in the segment with a 5-star Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (BNCAP) safety rating for both adult and child occupant protection. This is complemented by the added reassurance of a best-in-market 7-year warranty.”
Dr. V Vikraman, Chief of Renault Engineering, India, added, “This result reflects the strength of our engineering execution in India. The Duster underwent extensive simulations, physical crash testing, and system-level validations, with a strong emphasis on real-world Indian driving conditions. From body structure performance to restraint calibration and electronic safety systems, every component was engineered, tested, and refined to work seamlessly together. The 5-star BNCAP rating highlights the rigour of this end-to-end engineering and validation process.”
