[coolboy007]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

rest of them are actually compromising on driving pleasure of a sedan or the convenience of a hatch and trading this for the higher GC of the Ecosport.[/b]

Well i dont know if you own a suv or not but we have a Linea, Vento and a Scorpio and believe me when i say this, the only time i enjoy driving sedans is after midnight or out on the highways, far away from the city rush. Hatch people are still better off, am a sedan lover but that love is slowly fading away, almost every one bullies sedans in city traffic, bikers, buses, trucks etc.

I feel that Indian roads are just not meant for sedans, love my cars being in pristine condition and its impossible to save the car from bikers here, infact my neck starts paining trying to lookout for ways to escape big craters and potholes (out on the highways and hills) to save the underbody, monocoque construction cars with high ground clearance lose out a bit on handling but you dont need planning to take them out.

Ecosport is under 4 m and offers good ground clearance, should be an apt city car and also for those random outstation trips. For some people ground clearance is not an important factor while for some its the biggest priority in decision making, wonder which sedan got this crazy response from indian markets like Ecosport and Duster got, Indian roads need the 200mm GC

As for Duster, if you seat more than 5 adults regularly and always carry loads and loads of luggage, then its the other alternative but if i was to spend 13-14 L on this car, would have stretched a bit more and got the XUV (if its niggles list ever ended), XUV is a proper big car and does get a lot of respect on road + oodles of space every where.

[ahmad.007]

Originally Posted by coolboy007

Well i dont know if you own a suv or not but we have a Linea, Vento and a Scorpio and believe me when i say this, the only time i enjoy driving sedans is after midnight or out on the highways, far away from the city rush. Hatch people are still better off, am a sedan lover but that love is slowly fading away, almost every one bullies sedans in city traffic, bikers, buses, trucks etc.

I feel that Indian roads are just not meant for sedans, love my cars being in pristine condition and its impossible to save the car from bikers.

Excellent point!
Sorry mods, OT, but the other day I drove my friends Elantra (P). The car is very good, ultra luxury, but got to tell you, I was more scared than enjoying the car the entire drivd. Its quite wide, so I always had to look out for those bikers who overtake from left, missing the ORVMs by a few mm.
And the car really started pulling off only after 4k rpm, but I could hardly reach 3.5k during the city round about.
Then, later on when I got back into my Beat (D), boy the nimbleness, compactness and peppiness literally put a grin on my face, I could take it anywhere, swerve it like anything and bully anyone (I promote safe driving, and I drive safe though), it gave me a sense of freedom, which I think is missing in big cars today, sedans, SUVs, etc. I feel the fun still hides in the hatchbacks. :-)

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by coolboy007

Well i dont know if you own a suv or not but we have a Linea, Vento and a Scorpio and believe me when i say this, the only time i enjoy driving sedans is after midnight or out on the highways, far away from the city rush. Hatch people are still better off, am a sedan lover but that love is slowly fading away, almost every one bullies sedans in city traffic, bikers, buses, trucks etc.

I own a range of sedans and an Innova. And trust me its only in your mind that you get bullied by bigger cars. I never get bullied by a SUV. He wants to hit my car then so be it. Its not like SUVs won't get damaged. If he gives me a dent, even he will get a dent. Once you let the other vehicle know that you mean business too they won't bother you. And I am not bragging but till date I haven't got a single scratch on my car while I am driving.

[ACM]

^^^
^^^

Well this is indeed going off topic but I have bullied others while in the Safari and the Aria and felt bullied in the Laura, Cielo and i10. (most in the Laura thanks to the expensive side view mirrors, bumpers and headlamps) If the sedan extremities are not too expensive even a sedan can get by but in general the parts for the India manufactured SUV are quite aggressively priced and not too much a worry vs a premium sedan.

[VeluM]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Apart from the small group of people who actually wade through 3-4 ft of water regularly, the rest of them are actually compromising on driving pleasure of a sedan or the convenience of a hatch and trading this for the higher GC of the Ecosport.

I don't wade through 3-4 feet of water in my car ever, but still look at ground clearance as an important consideration an potential deal breaker because of the "roads" on which I regularly travel.

Getting back to Duster vs. Ecosport, I will reserve judgement until I have test driven them. Based purely on external looks, I like the Duster better

[princey]

Originally Posted by ACM

^^^
^^^

Well this is indeed going off topic but I have bullied others while in the Safari and the Aria and felt bullied in the Laura, Cielo and i10. (most in the Laura thanks to the expensive side view mirrors, bumpers and headlamps) If the sedan extremities are not too expensive even a sedan can get by but in general the parts for the India manufactured SUV are quite aggressively priced and not too much a worry vs a premium sedan.

Again going off topic, feel it has to do with the general attitude of the other drivers. Somehow we can never get over with who's big. Personally feel much safer cocooned in my SUV than sedan.

[nilanjanray]

Guys,

There is much ado about that delta difference in ground clearance. The GC of both vehicles is good enough - a Scorpio gets around the country with lesser GC, and Grand Vitara - a 4WD - has to do with similar GC. And these vehicles are longer too.

I am not able to imagine how that extra 10mm GC - without considering other factors - would become so important. Going on a rocky trail? Playing around with water crossing? Your technique and other vehicle factors would matter a lot, not that 10mm of GC. Would you risk going over a rock that stops a 195mm GC vehicle but doesn't stop a 205 mm GC vehicle? Lol. Please do so at your own risk.

Water logged streets - other factors/vehicle features come into play here. A wave from a passing truck can negate that 10mm in an instant.

Forget 3-4 feet of water unless you want to commit vehicle suicide or are extremely masochistic. While the big SUVs sometimes tackle such water, adequate vehicle preparation is done, and precautions are taken before and after.

This heated debate about Duster vs. EcoSport GC is pointless. Reminds me of those gadget comparison threads (e.g. in a camera forum) where multi-page fights happen over insignificant delta differences.

Better to focus other vehicle characteristics when comparing.

[Neil Roy]

After reading all the posts I feel that we as a forum have a bigger responsibility of stating our opinions in a way that it is useful to any other forum member or the general public who chances upon this discussion (thanks to our forum's popularity and google.) So here is my take on Duster vs ecosport, advantages of SUV, need for ground clearance etc.
My previous rides
a)Ambassador -(sedan - 200000 Kms-sold) b) Maruti esteem(sedan - 105000 Kms-sold) c) Mahindra Bolero (SUV - 70000 Kms- Total loss accident) d)Chevy Beat - Hatchback- 25000 Kms - Sold) and e) Duster - 32500 Kms and loving it.
Importance of useful Ground Clearance
Cant be stressed enough.Granted, if we have the luxury of time, patience and civic road sense from our fellow drivers, any bad road can be negotiable even on a sedan. Of late, Iam seeing bikers who are suicidal, autos, buses and SUVs who bully you into putting your vehicle where you dont want it to go, it is better to have a ride which has a go anywhere attitude.Many people misunderstand ground clearance.It is the lowest point of the vehicle with respect to the ground. In the bolero the rear differential is bang in the middle.So if I were to negotiate a boulder or a raised sewer lid in the middle of my path, a duster inspires more confidence, not just because of the higher ground clearance, but because of where the lowest point of the vehicle is. In a sedan, during monsoons in chennai, ground clearance really does not make much of a difference. You are done anyway because of the bullying around you.This brings me to the next point.
Advantages of SUV
No bullying. Period. If there is one singular thing that I miss most about my Bolero, I would say "Respect".None even dare come near my left front fender.The peace of mind that this entails overshadows whatever comfort a low slung sedan can give you inside the city.One can still drive a sedan with an eye for an eye attitude, but when you are meeting deadlines, or going to drop your kids at school, you could do without the additional time delays if you were to nick somebody.
Duster vs Ecosport
To be fair, I have not driven the ecosport , and I am a Duster owner. Hence my opinions here might not go down well,or in fact be outright wrong.(I do intend to take a test ride though, once the rush dies down).
On paper at least the Duster seems to offer a more comfortable and a safer ride. All other structural parameters being similar, a car with a bigger wheel base offers a more comfortable ride with better control at high speeds.My take on safety is more on preemptive approach(read ABS, a better handling car, performance under panic braking etc) than post accident scenario(read Airbags, curtain airbags, autodial for help etc).My only concern is the various reports of toppling that have cropped up on the ecosport review.I firmly believe that these incidents reflect purely on the inability of the driver rather than the machine, but what is there to ensure that some of these drivers dont end up buying the ecosport and landing belly up on our roads? I think the ecosport demands more effort and concentration from the driver in comparison to the Duster at high speeds and on highway runs (Please dont trash me guys- I may wrong). The interiors of the ecosport look a class apart(cant comment about the feel though) and in comparison to the Duster the lesser said the better.
The pricing of Duster is ridiculous at the launch itself. I still feel cheated when I think about how much I had to pay but where there is a demand, there is always a premium.You cant blame the manufacturers though. If we were to take away the price factor alone from this debate and compare the ecosport and the Duster, I wonder how it will go.
These are interesting times. When the Duster was launched, it was compared to the safari and the scorpio, and the general opinion(including me) was that it was too small to be considered an SUV. Now, just one year later, come the ecosport, the Duster is labelled huge, big etc. Talk about perceptions.The needs of the individual car buyer is evolving and so are the products that are on offer.Under such circumstances opinions will vary.I for sure do look at the ecosport with some interest but I never regret my choice of Duster as my ride(except on the price band alone).It does not mean that ecosport is a bad vehicle. It just does not suit my needs/was not available when I bought it. So let's have more meaningful insights on what each vehicle has to offer and leave the ego aside(If I have the liberty of saying so).
I hope my post is meaningful and useful. Cheers and peace.
And yeah, I would want the Duster with all the goodies and gizmos of ecosport at the Duster price, given a chance.

[s.prashanth]

I am puzzled with this comparison. It is not the same segment IMO. You cannot compare ecosport to a vehicle bigger in dimensions, it is to be compared to other hatchbacks with petrol engines which fall in the same price bracket. The diesel ecosport is in a different segment totally. It can be compared to Scorpio, safari, Quanto of the variant closest to its price. This is my opinion.

[Imran Ahmad Ali]

Greetings everyone,

Ok my vote goes to the Duster 😁. Yes it may not have the features yet when you drive it. You feel safe. Sadly the eco sport does not give you the " grounded " feel maybe I am skeptical due to
The fact that it had toppled before launch. Maybe driver error or whatever I still feel the duster certainly looks sturdy for the price bracket its launched in. I have seen a few Eco sports on the road and it just feels like a hatch on stilettos IMO the only thing that helps it look like a Mini SUV its the back tyre.
The Eco Sport has a fan following which you can understand by the votes and the bookings it has received but with the Recall over the glow plug module in which all diesel eco sports have been recalled. Personally if I would've bought one I would certainly be disappointed taking my brand new car back to the dealership to get anything changed in my first month of ownership . They aren't the first company to have a recall yet a product that took a lot of time in R&D and testing this was the last thing I expected.
Also the duster is a 5 seater and Eco sport is a 4 seater so if space is a deciding option you'd be better off with a Duster.

Regards and best Wishes
Imran

[KrishD]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

My vote goes for upcoming Duster AWD. For me if it is a crossover, it has to have 4wd system or else i am happy with a sedan/hatch.

Between current variants, i'd pick Ecosport because of the pricing advantage, and because of the fact that it does not have cost cutting evident everywhere(thereby justifying the price).

Is the Duster AWD actually going to be launched anytime soon? Even the Terrano seems to be coming without the AWD. Unfortunately Anshuman, unlike you or me, most Indian users dont place value on an AWD/ 4X4.

[rajamuneeb]

Originally Posted by KrishD

Is the Duster AWD actually going to be launched anytime soon? Even the Terrano seems to be coming without the AWD. Unfortunately Anshuman, unlike you or me, most Indian users dont place value on an AWD/ 4X4.

No the Duster 4WD is not round the corner any time soon. I inquired from The customer care and they said "No"

[EagleEye]

Originally Posted by rajamuneeb

No the Duster 4WD is not round the corner any time soon. I inquired from The customer care and they said "No"

The customer care would be the last people to know of any such development.

If the Terrano is bringing a 4WD, the Duster's can't be far behind.

[rajamuneeb]

Originally Posted by EagleEye

If the Terrano is bringing a 4WD, the Duster's can't be far behind.

Is it confirmed that Terrano is bringing a 4WD? If it is then thats good news

[KrishD]

Originally Posted by rajamuneeb

Is it confirmed that Terrano is bringing a 4WD? If it is then thats good news

I dont think they are. The focus seems to be more on giving better interiors than the Duster!