10 months after announcing the Duster Hybrid, Renault has finally launched it at Rs 16.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The hybrid is the third powertrain that’s available with the midsize SUV, following the 1.3-litre turbo-petrol and the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol. It is available in three variants — Evolution, Techno and Emotion — and prices go up to Rs 19.49 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Duster Hybrid is powered by a 1.8-litre petrol engine, mated to two electric motors and a 1.4 kWh battery pack. Renault claims that combined (petrol + e-motor), the Duster Hybrid has a range of more than 1400 km on a full tank. The combined output is rated at 158 bhp, and the electric motor is capable of 208 Nm of torque. Renault is also claiming a fuel efficiency figure of 29 kpl.

Renault has also added a Formula 1-inspired technology for the automatic transmission. It has two electric gears and four engine gears. It also gets six drive modes — all-electric, energy recovery, petrol only, charging via petrol engine, series parallel hybrid and series hybrid. All of these modes are achieved through 15 different combinations from the two types of gears in the transmission.

Cosmetically, the only changes on the Duster Hybrid include an illuminated Duster logo on the grille and a new dark brown interior (and both changes are exclusive to the Duster Hybrid). Otherwise, the Duster Hybrid is identical to the standard Duster. Another change is the lack of ADAS on the hybrid powertrain and a 360-degree camera.

Compared to its hybrid rivals, the Duster Hybrid is cheaper than the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder and Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara. However, the Maruti Suzuki Victoris’ starting price is Rs 6,000 less than the Duster’s, but the top-spec variant is Rs 50,000 more expensive.