[s_pphilip]

I went for a short drive in the Ecosport and it took me 2 days to get one due to the time taken, at any point there are many waiting, since it is a duster vs ecosport argument, my 2 cents, though I think they cater to different mindsets all together.

ENGINE: I somehow felt the diesel engines of the Duster better for pickup (diesel turbo effect) and speed, I haven’t driven all the Ecosport engines as only the Ecoboost is available for drives (Ecoboost is their most powerful one though) hence can’t clearly comment, also the test drive was short as there were others waiting.

DRIVE: I feel the Duster is better - more comfortable and powerful too at normal speeds. I liked the Duster suspension better to absorb road irregularities. Your body sways in Ecosport on turns hence feel more confident in Duster at higher speeds. I found the Ecoport however easier to drive slow/park. This could also be because all through the earlier Duster Drive I was super cautious of the bulging arches. For city the Ecosport seems more perfect than any other car.

SPACE: Duster is decently spacious like any mid-sizer, though not leagues apart, Overall more comfortable with softer headrests. It is commendable that Ford is giving all this space in 4 meters. Duster is wider too to accommodate 3.

LOOKS: Ecosport looks modern but the Duster looks rough and tough, I personally like the Duster not because of the design in particular (it could be designed better) but for the overall proportion, low slung and proportionate length, however many may find the Ecosport combination of sub 4 meter length and GC advantageous.

INTERIORS: The Duster dash is designed to be practical but the Ecosport sports a much better design flow. It has better storage spaces and feels better with everything at hand. There isn’t any 1 ltr bottle holders in Duster which is stupid for a mini-SUV. The plastics in the Duster is pathetic, does not feel like a million plus car.

PRICE: Duster is clearly overpriced. The Ecosport redefined price as we assumed the base Ecosport will be launched at a higher price (this came from the Duster effect). The comparable new Fiesta sedan now feels convincingly pricier. Base versions of Ecosport feels VFM in a huge way, the Duster never gave this feeling. My cousin who is expecting delivery of the Amaze soon was under the impression Amaze is the most VFM car even compared to Dzire, with the introduction of the Ecosport, suddenly all cars seem overpriced. Duster at 13L is way too overpriced and the interiors for that price is real cheap. I wish the Duster was cheaper by 2.5L comparable to a Rapid. I am really happy for the Ecosport as it brings a better future.

BUY: As a product I like the Ecosport, feels like designed for the current day, but to drive and enjoy would go for the Duster, so between the two I’d still choose the Duster, it just feels right in everything except for the interior plastics. However I would not pick either as I love the Yeti if I can afford anything close (I just find it perfect) and that apart I prefer sedans though I do agree with the public opinion that having an SUV means less bother about other road users and conditions. Maybe Nissan may do a better job at pricing, features and interior finish for their new mini SUV as fundamentally the Duster is a good product.

[Neil Roy]

Originally Posted by s_pphilip

BUY: As a product I like the Ecosport, feels like designed for the current day, but to drive and enjoy would go for the Duster, so between the two I’d still choose the Duster, it just feels right in everything except for the interior plastics. However I would not pick either as I love the Yeti if I can afford anything close (I just find it perfect) and that apart I prefer sedans though I do agree with the public opinion that having an SUV means less bother about other road users and conditions. Maybe Nissan may do a better job at pricing, features and interior finish for their new mini SUV as fundamentally the Duster is a good product.

OT +1 to your preference of YETI. Now that is a compact SUV/crossover with a 4WD option too. But sadly it is a skoda.

Your analysis with the VFM that ecosport brings to the table puts the whole picture in perspective. I too was under the impression that the ecosport is not just a rival to the Duster. It is a rival to anything that runs on four wheels within a price band of 6-10 lakhs on road- be it a hatch, sedan,Crossovers etc.Reminds me of the bowling ball knocking down all 10 pins in one go.

Coming to the Duster, the entire plastics used for dashboards,door pads, door knobs, door handles, panels etc weighs around 10 kgs totally. The price difference between virgin premium plastic pellets and second grade plastic pellets used for making these trims is hardly around Rs.150/kg. Had Renault used the same mould with a different raw material and coloring agents, they will have to spend a maximum of Rs.1500/- to get a new set of trims which feels and looks premium. Experts in the field of plastics and moulding, please correct me if my surmise is wrong.

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by Neil Roy

YETI. Now that is a compact SUV/crossover with a 4WD option too. But sadly it is a skoda.

So...??

Can you point at one Yeti on the forum & say it is not performing as per expectations because it is a Skoda?

[HillMan]

A lot has been spoken of the Duster's interior plastic quality. But lets see, page 2.9 of owners manual states the Duster is 85% recyclable and 95% recoverable! The vehicle incorporates numerous parts made from recycled plastics or renewable materials.
This is feel is pretty much a tall order and justifies the hard plastic. That said, I personally feel the quality of material is built to last and pretty much sturdy and squeak free, might have been designed to provide structural strength to the monocoque chassis.
Guess time will tell that.

[Neil Roy]

Originally Posted by Sheel

So...??

Can you point at one Yeti on the forum & say it is not performing as per expectations because it is a Skoda?

Sorry mate. I did not mean to offend anyone. My opinion is that YETI is a wonderful piece of equipment with a very competitive pricing (It is a completely built unit) and the best ride comfort in it's class. MY skepticism is in the way in which skoda india is inspiring customer confidence.I dont think taking customers to court and challenging open forums on individual opinions is the right way forward in going about getting customers.We are a democratic country after all.I really hope I am not off topic and I am once again sorry if I have offended you.

[ACM]

Originally Posted by HillMan

This is feel is pretty much a tall order and justifies the hard plastic. That said, I personally feel the quality of material is built to last and pretty much sturdy and squeak free, might have been designed to provide structural strength to the monocoque chassis.
Guess time will tell that.

Using recycled plastic is normally cheaper along with normally not that great a end product finish - which if it were the case the Duster should have actually been cheaper. If it was meant the otherway that it is virgin recyclable plastic then on the other hand the finish should have been much better though expensive. Don't see either of this attributes on the Duster. Also doubt how a plastic dashboard or door pad could contribute to the structural strength of the monocoque chassis. Though can't rule it out it just seems too far fetched and idea. Besides one close the EcoSport door vs. the Duster Door give exactly the opposite Idea. Actually even the Renault Logan Plastics feel built to last and do last, but we do know that it is just by coincidence the intention there was to save costs and build a cheaper car.

Originally Posted by Neil Roy

YETI is a wonderful piece of equipment with a very competitive pricing (It is a completely built unit) and the best ride comfort in it's class.

The Yeti is NOT a CBU as per what I am aware of it, if it is and am wrong Pls. share a link to clarify otherwise.

[s_pphilip]

Originally Posted by Neil Roy

Sorry mate. MY skepticism is in the way in which skoda india is inspiring customer confidence.

I am sorry to discuss something off topic, but I believe what Neil means is though Skoda's products are highly competent, (in fact even I find every model of Skoda much better than 80% or all the competition), the company management and the rumors do it no good. Neither is the company despite mass acknowledgement of poor or inconsistent service taking proactive confidence inspiring steps to negate the earlier damage. It may be easier for me to say, but I think Skoda is one company which with accountable service, easily can be a manufacturer who can top the satisfaction surveys. They can easily do much better than what they do now.
People who buy Skoda's are always happy and proud of it until they hear 'spares are not available' or stories from service guys, (I don't own a Skoda and this is based on other people's talk, blogs). As 'Sheel' earlier mentioned, there are hardly any owners who are unhappy with the car, their unhappiness only arises from how their issues are handled even if it means failures and repairs. The mass notion is the buyer must be someone who is technically knowledgeable if you want to own a Skoda.
Again sorry to go off topic, I am a Skoda fan and would love to own a Skoda Sedan some day, not today as I just don't feel confident enough, unless I plan to get lots of money and time. I must add that there are a few Fabia owners among my friends and they are really happy but all are in their 2nd/3rd year of ownership, treading carefully hence.
I know some day I too will own a Skoda, and I hope it is the Yeti 4x4, I would love to see Skoda do better, it will be better for us. My best wishes.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Neil Roy

OT +1 to your preference of YETI. Now that is a compact SUV/crossover with a 4WD option too. But sadly it is a skoda..

Why 'sadly' Neil? I, for one, am extremely happy with my much loved Skoda Yeti over the last one and a half years plus, of ownership! In every single aspect, the Yeti completely outclasses anything else available at the moment in its price segment and indeed, perhaps even in a segment or two higher as well! Believe me when I say I would be hard pressed to find a suitable replacement for it because it is really such a first class vehicle.
And, to my knowledge, I do believe that Skoda is trying sincerely to look after their customers, mostly because of good blokes like Sudhir Rao, their MD, who takes consumers very seriously indeed!

[condor]

Originally Posted by HillMan

A lot has been spoken of the Duster's interior plastic quality. But lets see, page 2.9 of owners manual states the Duster is 85% recyclable and 95% recoverable!

At a high level - Main types of material in a car -
metal - recyclable
plastic - recyclable
rubber - not likely
fabric / synth material like seat cushions & carpets - not likely
glass - not likely
composites - ?


Since most of a car is either metal or plastic, pretty much recyclable .. isnt it ?

Regarding the %'s mentioned - did they clarify the basis of the measurements - number / weight/ volume .. ?

[HillMan]

@ACM: I agree with you on cheap equipment front. There is no doubt of cost cutting in the Duster. It was designed as a low cost global cross over. In India Renault went for few cosmetic changes to place it in a premium category. But that wouldn't change the core components and build. The car was designed for long run with low maintenance. The duster sales all over the globe brings home the point. The 4x4 variant elsewhere has its own fan following, I believe the build is the same.

Yes the car is pricey. The top of the line EcoSport costs less than the mid variant of the duster. But end of the day Duster has far more interior and luggage space for a family to carry over a long drive, without a roof top rack. The duster handles much better than the EcoSport.

Oh! and the biggest positive on Bangalore roads, the auto wala is afraid to come close and cut across on bumper to bumper traffic. They wish to keep their distance

The only thing I miss in the Duster though is the auto central locking, you have to remember to lock the doors or the boot also remain unlocked.
And one more, no alarm on manually opening a locked car without keys. Situation where a window might have been left rolled down.

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by condor

At a high level - Main types of material in a car -
Regarding the %'s mentioned - did they clarify the basis of the measurements - number / weight/ volume .. ?

No they have not mentioned any numbers and volumes.

The manual says,
"Your vehicle is 85% recyclable and 95% recoverable.
To achieve these objectives, many of the venicle components have been designed to enable them to be recycled. The materials and structures have been carefully designed to allow these components to be easily removed and reprocessed by specialist companies.
In order to preserve raw material resources, this vehicle incorporates numerous parts made from recycled plastics or renewable materials (vegetable or animal-derived materials such as cotton or wool)"

[condor]

Originally Posted by HillMan

No they have not mentioned any numbers and volumes.

The language that they have used is quite generic. If you take apart any car, it can for most part be recycled. Heck, they recycle ships .. what's a 1 tonne car ?

[HillMan]

Agreed @condor, any vehicle or machinery is recyclable. Can crush them and break them apart. But a conscious effort in the direction by a manufacturer in selection of appropriate material and putting them together on an assembly line for easy recovery at a later date is what gets my brownie points.

[Neil Roy]

Originally Posted by HillMan

the Duster is 85% recyclable and 95% recoverable!

Renault is a very environmental conscious company. In fact they spend huge amounts of money in recycling and recovering used parts and the carbon emission of all Renault vehicles are usually the lowest in their respective segment.That is the only way i console myself, given the high price that I had to pay for the Duster. Iam an environmentally conscious citizen of the world.

Originally Posted by ACM

....... Though can't rule it out it just seems too far fetched and idea. Besides one close the EcoSport door vs. the Duster Door give exactly the opposite Idea. Actually even the Renault Logan Plastics feel built to last and do last, but we do know that it is just by coincidence the intention there was to save costs and build a cheaper car.
The Yeti is NOT a CBU as per what I am aware of it, if it is and am wrong Pls. share a link to clarify otherwise.

In comparison with the Logan the interior plastics of the Duster feel funny. Last week, I swapped my Duster with my friend's 6 year old 135000km driven Logan and everything in the Duster felt very flimsy and cheap in comparison. Wonder if it is the same in Dusters manufactured in other countries. Two issues stuck out like a sore thumb. 1)The interior door levers felt very flexible and thin in the Duster compared to the logan 2)The noise level inside the cabin is higher in the Duster compared to the logan. In fact I had to check my rear window twice to see if it was down, when I heard someone behind me honking.
The Ecosport is smaller but it's body - weight ratio is higher. Simply translated it means that the profit margins for Ford is significantly lower than what Renault is making for every Duster.
OT- Till date I thought that Yeti was a CBU. That was the sales pitch given to me when I TDed the Yeti way back in 2010 and it stuck on my mind.My mistake.

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by aviorp

I would pick the Ecosport for two reasons :

1. Futuristic styling against the old school design of the Duster

I first read this about a week ago and was a bit surprised to hear the Duster being called "old school"... but what do I care, these are wanna-be image-type vehicles anyway, and I'm not interested in either one.

Before stating my own opinion, let me say that I'm American, and that French cars have utterly failed in the U.S. market for good reasons. That's all apart from the traditional disdain that people of these two lands have sort of had (impersonally / prejudicially, of course) for each other for a long, long time...

And my grandfather did factory training as a Ford tech back in the days of the Model T (1915, maybe?). So I should be naturally biased towards the Ford, right?

Yes. But having finally seen a new EcoSport in real life this past week, and several more Dusters, I really cannot for the life of me imagine how anyone would think the Ford is the better looking car in terms of aesthetics or design. Looks very clunky and toy-like to me, too tall and too short. My wife (who hails from one of the more trendy parts of India) and I both think the Renaults look great - big, low, sleek, and very much up-to-date. The Ford is decidedly frumpy in comparison. I'm speaking of externals, of course. And I'm not one willing to spend much of anything to stay in fashion (which is why we own a timeless work of automotive design genius - a thirteen-year-old Mahindra Jeep Marshal 4x4). Just saying that the French seem to have come up with a beautiful design here, which I THINK is going to continue to look good long after whatever trend the Ford is based on is forgotten.

I can't - so won't attempt to - comment on any other merits / dismerits of either car. But they would appear to be in very different categories. An extra two seats is hardly something to wave off as an insignificant detail.

Definitely no plans to buy either, just my two cents...

Thanks,
-Eric