Nearly three years after the production of the first-generation Duster ended, Renault India has brought back the third-generation version of the Duster. The India-spec version of the rugged SUV has several distinct differences when compared to its foreign counterparts, the most noticeable being right upfront. In markets across Africa, the black grille spells out ‘Renault’ in bold letters, but the India-spec car has this replaced with ‘Duster’. While the company brand is conspicuous by its absence in India, clearly the model’s name has greater recall in the Indian market than the French carmaker’s name.

While this is off-trend, given that most production cars feature prominent front logos, there is now a new trend, especially among electric vehicle makers, to move towards cleaner, logo-free front ends or subdued branding inside the cabin. The Hyundai Ioniq 5, for instance, features a very clean front, and it notably removed the Hyundai logo from its steering wheel, replacing it with a minimalistic four dots. Increasingly, in case of EVs, the industry is generally moving towards simpler, more minimalist branding, even though the total removal of the brand name is somewhat unusual.

The Duster has developed a “cult” brand following after Renault was credited with pioneering the midsize SUV segment in 2012, which featured a rugged, modern design, a peppy 1.3L turbo petrol engine, and a 5-star safety target. The Duster developed its status for dependability on account of its rugged design, excellent ride quality and ability to handle tough Indian terrain due to superb suspension setup, resulting in over 200,000 units of the first-gen Duster being sold in its initial run.

And the return of the car, which began the mid-sized SUV segment in India in 2012, has been received with widespread anticipation in the market. The hybrid version of the car, which will be launched around October this year, has already been sold out for 2026. The prices of the car range between Rs 10.49 lakh and Rs 18.49 lakh (ex-showroom). However, the company has only announced prices of the turbo-petrol variants as of now.

When a model becomes the brand

Like the Duster, there are other models that sometimes have a bigger brand recall than the company names themselves. This includes F-Series pickup trucks by Ford, which has been the best-selling vehicle model in the US for over 40 years, and the Corolla, the Toyota flagship model with over 50 million units sold worldwide. Similarly, the GT-R carries more weight in car culture than the overall Nissan brand and the 911 for Porsche.

Another trend is new models from major brands are also seen to be deploying simpler and minimalist logos, which are going ‘flat’ and are seen to lend themselves more in the digital medium.

Across the global auto industry, carmakers are quietly redesigning their logos — making them flatter, simpler and more minimalist. From Volkswagen and BMW to Kia and Nissan, several brands have dropped glossy, three-dimensional emblems in favour of cleaner, two-dimensional designs. The shift reflects a broader change in how car companies present themselves in the digital age.

Changing brand aesthetics, courtesy smartphones

One key reason is the growing importance of screens. Logos today must work across a wide range of digital surfaces, such as smartphone apps, infotainment systems, websites and social media profiles. Flat designs are easier to reproduce on small screens and remain clearly visible even at very small sizes. Traditional 3D metallic badges, designed for physical car grilles and advertisements, often lose clarity when scaled down for digital use.

Automakers are also increasingly positioning themselves as technology companies rather than purely vehicle manufacturers. As firms pivot towards electric vehicles and software-driven mobility, a minimalist visual identity helps signal modernity and innovation. When Volkswagen unveiled its flatter logo in 2019, the company said the redesign was meant to represent a “digital-first” brand. Similarly, Nissan introduced a simplified logo alongside the launch of its new electric vehicles, emphasising a cleaner, more futuristic aesthetic.

Another factor is global branding consistency. Modern logos must appear across a wide variety of contexts including vehicle badges, charging apps, dealership signage, marketing campaigns and even smartwatch notifications. A simple, flat design ensures the logo looks consistent across all these platforms without losing recognisability.

Minimalism is also part of a broader design trend across industries. Technology companies such as Google and Apple have long favoured clean, simplified visual identities. As the automotive sector increasingly overlaps with consumer technology — particularly with connected cars and autonomous driving systems — many car brands are adopting a similar aesthetic language.

However, the shift is not only about design trends. Carmakers are also trying to refresh their brand identity at a time of major industry disruption. With the transition to electric mobility, software-defined vehicles and new entrants in the market, a redesigned logo offers a symbolic way to signal transformation.