[Guna]

Originally Posted by StarScream

There is another reason for this ugliness. Straight lines and panels are cheaper to make and Dacia is their basic, cheap car brand.

On the contrary, Duster doesn't have straight lines or flat panels. It has in fact very organic form with bulges and flares, some subtle, some very bold.
In any case, modern car shells are deep drawn and are not not simple press work like you see on a Tempo Trax. There wont be any cost cutting they can achieve even if they make it bit boxy.

[Mister_M]

Originally Posted by kumarsiddhi

Hi All, i have booked the Duster and have been informed that the car will be launched on 4th of July and will be available for TD from that day. I can TD and choose the variant.

There are apparently 300 bookings in Bangalore already and delivery time for my booking would be around 2-2.5 months

Congrats on your booking kumarsiddhi! Do post a brief TD report + pictures as soon as you do it.

Any official details regarding the car's pricing and variants available?

300 Bookings already done at Bangalore???

[faithless_1984]

Great pics Damodar. It totally looks the part. Especially liked the white on.
The Ecosport may be more modern but its not as imposing as the Duster.
Will go and check it out as soon as it lands at the showrooms. Just hoping they don't mess up with the pricing.

[srishiva]

Originally Posted by Guna

On the contrary, Duster doesn't have straight lines or flat panels. It has in fact very organic form with bulges and flares, some subtle, some very bold.
In any case, modern car shells are deep drawn and are not not simple press work like you see on a Tempo Trax. There wont be any cost cutting they can achieve even if they make it bit boxy.

I agree. It has a lot of bulges.
In the case of Logan, they did the straight ones so that they can ship more of them at one go, I read.

[sumeshmani]

Originally Posted by kumarsiddhi

There are apparently 300 bookings in Bangalore already and delivery time for my booking would be around 2-2.5 months

Its going to be a long line for test drives...let alone delivery
Good news is that on 4th it wont just be the demo cars. I'm eager to take a test drive. Please do share your test drive experience.

[kumarsiddhi]

Originally Posted by Mister_M

Congrats on your booking kumarsiddhi! Do post a brief TD report + pictures as soon as you do it.

Any official details regarding the car's pricing and variants available?

300 Bookings already done at Bangalore???

Going by the SA's information the diesels will be priced between 10-14 L OTR, but that's in Bangalore.

[m_upreti]

Originally Posted by kumarsiddhi

Hi All, i have booked the Duster and have been informed that the car will be launched on 4th of July and will be available for TD from that day. I can TD and choose the variant.

There are apparently 300 bookings in Bangalore already and delivery time for my booking would be around 2-2.5 months

Congratulations on the booking. After seeing the way XUV5OO went I would prefer to be a fence sitter after doing a TD of the vehicle and see how it performs on the Indian roads and how charitable the comments of the owners are. So as of now options are still open between the Duster & XUV5OO.

[StarScream]

Originally Posted by Guna

On the contrary, Duster doesn't have straight lines or flat panels. It has in fact very organic form with bulges and flares, some subtle, some very bold.
In any case, modern car shells are deep drawn and are not not simple press work like you see on a Tempo Trax. There wont be any cost cutting they can achieve even if they make it bit boxy.

I don't contest that the Duster has curves but that's why it is more expensive than the Logan. There might be a lot going on under the shell but more curves translates into more expensive dies and then more expensive parts to fit the design theme. There is a reason why the Logan looks like a car from the 80s. Let me clarify my statement - it doesn't have to be boxy but simple. Simple design lowers cost, case in point is the Etios. To say that car design has little bearing on the cost is a little incorrect.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by StarScream

To say that car design has little bearing on the cost is a little incorrect.

Of course cost of the car will depend on design in many ways (best example is symmetrical side mirrors of Ford Ikon). But what I pointed out is, when a body shells of 2 cars are made from the same process, subtle design differences do not create that much cost differential.

[octane_100]

For me, the looks of both Duster and Eco-Sport serve very different purposes.

Duster looks good parked in your farmhouse and the Eco-Sport looks good in your office car park, pub, mall and the likes where you expect urban crowd.

[h.s.r]

Originally Posted by 84.monsoon

I would say the relative looks of Duster versus Ecosport are a matter of personal opinion. In my opinion, the Duster looks about a decade older in design than the Ecosport. Although the Duster is recently designed and launched, it seems cobbled together without a unifying theme from various late 90s/early 00s SUV designs. Almost as though the project was started and put on deep freeze a decade ago and then resurrected and rushed to market without any updates. For instance, the flip type door handles popular in the old Ford Rangers, the Korean-style rounded rear windows popularized by Hyundai in the previous generation Santa Fe (Hyundai has itself left this theme far behind now for more edgy designs), narrow tail lamps popular in late 90s-model Nissan Pathfinder, square head lamps of the 90s vintage Ford Explorers etc. Also, from the side profile you can spot the confusing combination of curves and straight lines in the overall visual design, as though the designers just could not decide which way to go with the design ethos and so ended up with a compromise to use both. The rounded AC vents are classic Nissan-small-car (e.g. Micra) and the "kinetic" alloy wheel design is hardly innovative anymore.

On the other hand the Ecosport has a much more "unified" and well thought out design - every aspect of the design is really edgy and sets the bar for a futuristic look. The focus is on flowing straight lines throughout. The narrow headlamps are very contemporary. The tail lamps look as stylish as the Audi Q3.

A French colleague, on a recent India-visit, explained to me why Dacia-sourced designs such as the Logan and Duster are so ugly

Yes looks are purely matter of personal opinion & i am not saying Ecopsort is ugly but Duster is more appealing to me as now and that's my personal opinion.
I dont think there is anything wrong in using tried & tested technology/design.Even Ecosport' headlight and tail lamp looks like lifted from Audi.
I fear Ecosport will not capable of doing what Duster is capable of in terms of Offroading.Lets not make assumptions on what is on papers and pictures.

Originally Posted by aseem

Whilst I agree with you about EcoSport being more contemprary design as opposed to Duster. I feel that Duster comes out to be more imposing design as opposed to EcoSport thanks to its length and flared wheel arches.

Duster reminds one of a smaller version of Fortuner and EcoSport comes across as a small CRV (soft roader). Therefore all the hardcore SUV fans on a budget will go towards Duster...

I Agree Duster has hardcore looks & looks like go anywhere SUV.

Originally Posted by faithless_1984

The Ecosport may be more modern but its not as imposing as the Duster.

+1

[ajit_72]

I read that Ranault is not launching the 4X4 version in India, nor the car will come with Automatic Transmission.

This is really sad. Automakers are still treating India like a third world country but still making a beeline to launch new vehicles.

Looks like I will have to for an XUV only or wait for Storme.

Originally Posted by m_upreti

Congratulations on the booking. After seeing the way XUV5OO went I would prefer to be a fence sitter after doing a TD of the vehicle and see how it performs on the Indian roads and how charitable the comments of the owners are. So as of now options are still open between the Duster & XUV5OO.

[rajshenoy]

Got to drive along side the Duster twins on the Vellore-Kanchipuram stretch.

Just wondering why they are still doing test runs with striped car? last minute touch up ?

I was doing steady 100 and that is when these two cars overtook me in no time(First i thought it was Hyundai santa fe or old Tuscon) Once i realized it was Duster, i decided to get a closer glimpse but they just vanished in no time.

I increased to 120-130kmph to get closer but the two beasts just disappeared, so i am sure they were doing in excess of 140-150kmph

+ ve :
Good road presence and high speed stability looks awesome(they were overtaking and switching lanes with ease at 140kmph+)

Cars look very spacious from outside and well planted

only - ve:
Wish they had provided side facing seats like Safari for occasional extra passengers for short distance(boot surely has space for two side facing seats)

[himadrimondal]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

Got to drive along side the Duster twins on the Vellore-Kanchipuram stretch.

Just wondering why they are still doing test runs with striped car? last minute touch up ?

I was doing steady 100 and that is when these two cars overtook me in no time(First i thought it was Hyundai santa fe or old Tuscon) Once i realized it was Duster, i decided to get a closer glimpse but they just vanished in no time.

I increased to 120-130kmph to get closer but the two beasts just disappeared, so i am sure they were doing in excess of 140-150kmph

+ ve :
Good road presence and high speed stability looks awesome(they were overtaking and switching lanes with ease at 140kmph+)

Cars look very spacious from outside and well planted

only - ve:
Wish they had provided side facing seats like Safari for occasional extra passengers for short distance(boot surely has space for two side facing seats)

Good lord, you are making the 'wait' even more uncomfortable with such reviews. Thats awesome news in terms of stability.
As for your -ve point, I am tired of those seven seaters

[DieselDon]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

Got to drive along side the Duster twins on the Vellore-Kanchipuram stretch.
+ ve : Good road presence and high speed stability looks awesome(they were overtaking and switching lanes with ease at 140kmph+)
Cars look very spacious from outside and well planted

That gives a lot of confidence to my Duster hopes ! Coming from a TBHPian ! +1

For the 'N'th time : Am really seriously eagerly excitedly impatiently expecting the TBHP Review. (Forgive the excessive use of adjectives)

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

only - ve:
Wish they had provided side facing seats like Safari for occasional extra passengers for short distance(boot surely has space for two side facing seats)

Yeah. True. Even one would do. I am sure the aftermarket guys will have something for us. Some kind of temporary seats.
My entrepreneurial brother would have more use for the space without the seats at times. A Car & light-cargo mover in one !