Team-BHP - Ford EcoSport versus Renault Duster

KTM 390, And now, EcoSport. Can't believe I am in India! For heaven's sake, let all other players take a look on pricing lessons.

What I expect from other big players...

1. Hero Honda and Honda will release new colors (in case of extreme reaction, new stickers)
2. Maruti / Toyota will release a sports edition (sticker only jobs)
3. Kinetic will lose its Mojo :D
4. Renault will release a campaign against Ford
5. Tata will release how Manza, with its boot from 1970s, will release an internet campaign on how it makes sense to buy Manza instead of EcoSport (following the huge success of Manza vs DZire, Manza vs Amaze..)

I voted for Duster ( not only because I own one) but because at 6' 2" I care about space. I want a car which has butch SUV feel seated inside.
Today while returning with colleagues from office we passed by a test drive Ecosport on GB Road and both my friends said in tandem "Itni chotti hai" (it's so tiny), and that my fellow friends is the road presence that Ecosport offers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by engrohit (Post 3162463)

Today while returning with colleagues from office we passed by a test drive Ecosport on GB Road and both my friends said in tandem "Itni chotti hai" (it's so tiny), and that my fellow friends is the road presence that Ecosport offers.

+1. This poll doesn't carry any meaning honestly at this point. Most people haven't even TD the Ecosport and if have then for extremely short distances. Its the new car effect thats taking place now. We can only tell after a few months if Ecosport is really as good as Ford claims it to be. Right now its being proclaimed to outshine the hatches, sedans and Suvs all at once which I feel is at best childish.:eek:

Test drove both the Duster and Eco Sport within a span of 2 days.

ES just head and shoulders above the Duster in term of equip and quality. Plastics were falling apart in the Diesel 110 TD vehicle that Duster showed up in. Inside plastic door handles were squeaking, could hear a mouse squeaking everytime I depressed the clutch ("Sir TD car hai itna to hoga" was the excuse given). Granted the Duster was 14K kms old compared to the ES which was only 600 kms or so done but Duster quality at least on the inside seems a few notches below the ES.

Driving experience however better with the Duster although my time with the ES was limited due to the long lines at the dealership.

Duster was more stable over bumps.
Greater back seat comfort.
Turbo Lag however was evident in both Duster and ES Diesel variants.
Both are very easy to drive.
The steering in the ES however has absolutely no feedback.

Bottom line at ~3L less for top line variants ES would be my no-brainer choice hands down in the battle of mini SUVs. ES is certainly going to dent resale value of the Duster.

Mod Note : Please do NOT use acronyms (e.g. ANHC, T-Fort, ANHV, ES) when referring to cars. You are ONLY permitted to use the full Make & Model name for cars. This will make our content useful, searchable & easy-to-understand for experts & newbies alike.

Any further usage of acronyms will invite Moderator action on your account.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vnabhi (Post 3162460)

I voted for EcoSport simply because of its VFM pricing and better looks. As regards Duster, I can only recollect the song of Queen : Another one bites the dust.

I voted EcoSport because it is far better packaged and the absolute need of the hour is compactness, toughness, ground clearance and the ability to drive on our non existent Indian road infrastructure, especially in our cities and towns in the monsoons.

I also love the Duster, but though it is a vehicle that was originally engineered to a 'cost', they tried getting too greedy too soon on its pricing, while offering very little in exchange,other than the SUV nature of the vehicle, which the Indian consumer will take a long time to forgive.

Voted for EcoSport purely based on looks.

Having done that, I find this poll meaningless. Its apples to oranges. How can a 4 seater, size M, mini-SUV be compared with a 5 seater, size L, compact-SUV in all fairness? We don't really compare a i10 with a i20 and say that both are hatches and i10 is better because it is priced fantastically (read lower), do we?

I believe, the correct pricing of the Ecosport is the main reason why people are excited about it. Renault did goof up on that front by increasing the prices too early and too much.

I like both the vehicles for what they offer in their own segment and at that particular price point. Based on one's need for size, style, performance, intended-use and budget, one should pick up whichever one likes. Comparison is inevitable, especially in India, where people habitually cross-shop across segments based on their budget (and not based on their need). But for esteemed TBPians on this forum, comparison across segments is an exercise in futility.

My vote goes for EcoSport.
Having been working with European gentry for quite some time, I am quite aware the general European opinion and outlook to duster as CHEAP and that cheap duster with even more scaled down nature was pitted as a premium brand in India.
My dekho at EcoSport in Ford showroom impressed me with the vehicle to the core. It is in sync with recent world trend on smart sized vehicles, name any gadget and you will find it there. It is utter VFM vehicle in Indian context and hence has to get my vote.
I am looking at selling my SX4 and go for ES AT but getting conflicting reports on whether it is sale or not.

As of now, 76 votes for ES vs only 9 for Duster. I had expected a slightly better mandate for ES, but not this great. Was really surprised !!!

I have not voted yet, because I have not even seen the ES in metal - so maybe later after a proper dekho. But overall I am not sure why so much interest for ES.
Is it the pricing ? Because road-presence wise there is no comparison at all - the Duster would leave the ES behind. Same for the dimensions.

Anyway time will tell whether our poll-results are in line with market interest. For now, good to have some competition for the Duster, else they would keep dragging the price north-wards.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkdas (Post 3162634)

Wondering were Scorpio and Storme stands now. Want more space and size, get these?
Would Ford up the price once they have collected enough booking? I guess Renault will wait to see that ?

agree: If you want space look at Storme/scorpio. I have voted for Ecosport as it is better looking, has decent kit in every trim and is sensibly priced. Though would love to see the 4wd of Duster.
But after looking at Ecosport at the malls it was displayed, I was very happy on my decision of going ahead with Storme, because of space, feel, road presence, Value for money and now after 10k km on odo, I am going gaga about the ride quality, handling, drivability and Tuning radius.

For the people who voted for EcoSport considering Duster is "too common" wait for 3-4 months, i have a feeling that EcoSport will be more common than Duster in about that time.

Voted for EcoSport because of the pricing. VFM compared to Duster. 1.5L engine cannot cost 12+ Lakhs in my viewpoint.

Kudos to Ford! Finally they got the pricing bang on. They had to.
My vote goes to the EcoSport. If the price differential would have been 1 lakh to 1.25 lakhs, Duster would still have an edge, since it's a proper SUV (slightly higher ground clearance, seating an additional adult in comfort + a bigger boot).
Sure, with the expected 2014 'refreshed' version of the Duster, most of us are hoping that it'll address many of its shortcomings (i honestly don't think we will get all the fancy gadgets that the ES comes loaded with, only a few cosmetic trim changes are expected). But still, 2.5l is too much money in my opinion. You can buy a well maintained 2nd hand car for that amount, or better, put it in an FD, earn ~2.2k per month & use that as fuel money for the ES :D
Lastly, Nissan should be really really scared, as according to reports, they plan to launch their version of the Duster with a higher price. :Frustrati