Renault Duster Gets 5 Star Bharat NCAP Safety Rating

The Renault Duster has received a 5 star Bharat NCAP safety rating, with 30.49 points out of 32 for adult occupant protection and 45 points out of 49 for child occupant protection.

The test fact sheet lists the Evolution and Iconic manual variants and the Techno automatic variant, built in India on the Renault Group Modular Platform (RGMP), with a test weight of 1,621 kg.

In the adult category, the Duster scored 14.49 out of 16 points in the frontal offset deformable barrier test and 16 out of 16 points in the side movable deformable barrier test, while the side pole impact test was rated “OK”.
For child safety, the Duster earned a full 24 out of 24 dynamic score, 12 out of 12 for child restraint system (CRS) installation, and 9 out of 13 in the vehicle assessment score, taking the total to 45 out of 49.

The fact sheet notes dual frontal airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners and load limiters, side chest airbags for the front seats, curtain airbags for all outboard occupants and ISOFIX with i-Size compatibility in the second row. Electronic stability control, pedestrian protection and seat belt reminders for all seating positions are listed as standard safety assist features across the variants covered by the rating.

How rivals score at Bharat NCAP

Several direct rivals have also secured 5 star Bharat NCAP ratings for both adult and child occupant protection.

Bharat NCAP scores: Duster vs rivals

The Duster’s adult score is close to the top end of the scale but sits slightly below those of the Seltos, Sierra and Victoris, which all cross 31 points out of 32. On child protection, the Duster matches the Seltos at 45 out of 49 points and stands above the Curvv, Sierra and Victoris in total COP score.

The full 16 out of 16 score in the side barrier test suggests strong performance for side impact protection in the Duster structure and restraint systems. The slightly lower 14.49 out of 16 score in the frontal offset test points to some scope for improvement in load management in a frontal crash when compared with rivals that cross 15 points in the same test.

For child occupants, the perfect dynamic and CRS installation scores indicate secure retention of both the 18month and 3year dummies in rearwardfacing seats, with no penalties in the installation checks. The vehicle assessment score of 9 out of 13 shows that there is still room for Bharat NCAP to award more points for additional child-oriented features or labelling in future updates.

The Duster is the first Renault model in India to use the RGMP architecture, which is a modular platform derived from CMFB but reworked for markets such as India and designed for future electrification. Renault says that the frame uses about 57 per cent high tensile steel and has been tuned for crash energy absorption while also supporting multiple body styles and powertrains.

Renault has said that RGMP was engineered with a five star Bharat NCAP target, and communications around the Duster launch highlighted this focus along with Indiaspecific localisation of the structure and electronics.