Revolution is a fundamental change and it can not be denied by the human generation. As in the last few decades the whole world is redefined by the advancement of technology as computers are converted into tablets, traditional land lines into smart phones and so on. Now this revolution has come to the Indian automobile industry where hatchbacks are being stretched while the SUV’s are compressed and contrived into a smart segment called compact SUVs. The current best offering in the segment is the Renault Duster, however the most awaited car of the year, the Ford EcoSport is very close to launch which is expected to be a game changer and glimmered as a Duster’s nemesis.
The Renault Duster is doing well in the market and holds around 90 percent share of total Renault sales in India. The main reasons behind the splendid sales are absence of a potential competitor and crave of Indian customers for the compact SUV. But post the launch of the EcoSport, the sales figures of the Duster might be fall down as the former would be a great competitor to it in several ways.
Both cars are based on the similar concept and shared the same foothold. In terms of appeal, the EcoSport has sharply designed headlights and large hexagonal shaped grille at the front, the character lines at the side with black rocker sills enhance the SUV feel. The wings shaped tail lights and spare wheel mounted on the rear looks brawny and shows the tough side of the car. While the Duster is more on the side of sober and matured styling. The headlights are in box shaped design with the wide chrome grille engraved between them. Broad design of the wheel arches makes the vehicle look sturdy, although tail lights seem out of proportions but the chrome plate with embossed ‘DUSTER’ on it is earmarked to allure customers.
In the interiors department, the EcoSport takes the dashboard from its sibling, Fiesta. The quality of plastic is decentand the car features a rear parking sensor with display on dashboard, audio controls on steering wheel, push start button, airbags and ABS. Climate control is featured on the top end variants. The color tone of the car interior is dark and the company hasn’t used the traditional dual tone interiors to add more sporty touch to the interiors, whereas it might not be liked by the more mature customers.
The interior quality of the Duster is good although some features are missing like climate control which is offered on many entry level hatchbacks in the country today. The ergonomics are mediocre as the audio controls for driver are placed behind the steering wheel making it difficult to operate while turning. Awkward placement of door lock button and rear view mirror controls are other low points of the Duster’s cabin.
The Renault Duster offers three engine options out of which two are diesel and one petrol. The petrol motor is a 1.6-litre engine and churns out the power of 104 PS and 145 Nm of torque. The diesel variants are offered in a well planned manner to enchant the customers with different priorities. The diesel motor employed in the Duster is the same 1.5-litre engine which is powering the complete range of cars under Renault and Nissan’s stable in India. However both the variants are tuned differently.
The basic variant produces 84 PS of power and 200 Nm of torque while the other variant features a Variable Geometry Turbo generating 110 PS of power and 248 Nm torque. Ford features an award winning 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine on the EcoSport that produces power equal to traditional 1.6-litre engines with 20% less consumption of fuel. The car will also be offered with 1.5-litre diesel and 1.5-litre petrol engines, with the latter getting a 6-speed PowerShift gearbox.
As far as driving and stability is concerned, both the cars are based on a monocoque chassis that ensures better stability. The Duster behaves very calmly and feels stable even at high speeds. The EcoSport is expected to perform in the same manner but we will reserve our judgement till we drive the car. The ground clearance of the Duster is 205 mm, while the EcoSport has 200 mm of ground clearance, which is ample to run over bumps and deal with some basic off-roading. Both cars are front wheel drive.
Renault priced the Duster between Rs. 7.7- 11.50 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) which is quite on the expensive side while the price of the EcoSport has not been declared yet. However rumours point to a Rs. 6-9 lakh price bracket and if Ford succeed in pricing the EcoSport aggressively, it will surely grab the potential customer of Duster.
