Renault Duster, Nissan Tekton post their lowest monthly wholesales in August

The Renault Duster and its badge-engineered sibling, the Nissan Tekton, recorded their lowest monthly wholesales in August since their respective launches earlier this year, according to SIAM data. Renault launched the new Duster in March, with its highest monthly wholesales of 2,359 units recorded in April. Sales then declined over the following months, falling to their lowest level of 406 units in August. On the other hand, Nissan launched the Tekton in July, when it recorded wholesales of 1,670 units. However, they fell to 491 units in last month. 

New Renault Duster wholesales since launch

As mentioned earlier, Duster wholesales fell to 406 units last month, down 21 percent from 512 units in July. The Duster accounted for 44 percent of Renault India’s total wholesales of 5,413 units in April. In August, its share came down to just 14 percent.

The drop in monthly wholesales has also resulted in the Duster falling down the rankings in the carmaker’s four-model passenger vehicle portfolio in India. It was the brand’s best-selling model in April, outselling even the Triber. However, its ranking declined over the following months, and it was fourth in August. With 406 units, the Duster recorded lower wholesales than the Triber (1,536 units), Kiger (474 units) and Kwid (426 units).

Nissan Tekton wholesales since launch

Speaking of the Nissan Tekton, the SUV’s wholesales of 491 units in August were down sharply by 71 percent month-on-month from July’s 1,670 units. July was the Tekton’s first month of showroom dispatches, and it emerged as Nissan Motor India’s best-selling model, accounting for 37 percent of the carmaker’s total wholesales of 4,518 passenger vehicles. It was followed by the Magnite (1,462 units) and the Gravite (1,386 units).

In August, the Tekton dropped two positions to third. It was outperformed by the Magnite (1,495 units) and Gravite (1,440 units). As a result, the Tekton’s share of Nissan India’s passenger vehicle wholesales fell to 14 percent.

Exports tell a different story

Interestingly, exports of the made-in-India Renault Duster and Nissan Tekton tell a different story. Renault India began exporting the Duster in June and shipped a total of 1,457 units to overseas markets between April and August 2026. This helped the company record 102 percent YoY growth in passenger vehicle exports, which rose to 10,499 units. Meanwhile, Nissan India exported 1,340 Tekton units in August. These were the first batch of Tekton exports to South Africa, Nepal and Bhutan.

Possible reasons behind the wholesale performance

As seen in the table above, the Duster and Tekton’s August wholesale figures were lower than even the MG Astor, which has become dated compared to the competition and is offered with just one petrol engine. Even the Tata Curvv and Curvv EV, whose coupe-SUV styling may not appeal to everyone, recorded more than double the combined August wholesale figures of the Duster and Tekton.

One likely reason for the weak wholesale figures of both SUVs is their limited powertrain range. Both are sold only with turbo-petrol engines, while an automatic gearbox option is not available with the more affordable 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. At present, the choice of an automatic gearbox is offered only with the 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine.

There are also no naturally aspirated petrol and CNG options, the latter of which has gained popularity in recent times. A diesel engine is not offered either. Diesel played an important role in the success of the first-generation Duster, and while demand for the fuel type has declined over the years due to stricter emission norms, some carmakers continue to offer diesel engines as there is still demand for them. 

A hybrid powertrain is due for the Duster around Diwali, but it is likely to sit higher in the trim matrix and may not significantly increase its wholesale figures. The Nissan Tekton will miss out on a hybrid powertrain altogether, which further limits its appeal.