Renault Duster Vs Ford Ecosport

Content Play

Renault Duster Vs Ford Ecosport

 Renault Duster is already roaring success in Indian market and thousands of Dusters are racing on roads proving to be an awesome SUV for its exciting pricing and premium features. Similarly, Ford Ecosport is also an awe-struck SUV which will challenge Renault Duster and also has ability to beat it. Both the Renault Duster and Ford EcoSport are arch rivals not only in India but also in global market. Compact SUV' s are those cars which have characteristics of a typical SUV but comes in smaller size and low pricing.  These vehicles are very similar, yet so different that deciding one among them can be tough. Both are simply fantastic. So without much hype, lets find out which SUV comes on top.

Ford EcoSport vs Renault Duster Styling
Exteriors
Exteriors of Ford Ecosport looks very premium and very stylish from every angle you look it. Despite its 4 meter length which is sightly smaller than Renault Duster, Ecosport looks very aggressive and actually looks like a dazzling unique piece. Ford has done great job with its creative styling which makes Ecosport a real head turner. On the other hand, Renault Duster is not far behind with its macho looks. Duster looks very sporty and classy. Although Renault Duster is a very good looking SUV, Ford Ecosport is best looking car in its segment and truly outstanding and very modern, something you haven't seen on Indian roads till now. The Duster’s hatch door open upwards while the EcoSport’s opens sidewards. To open the EcoSport’s boot, you press the button on the right tail light, while on the Duster, you press the key hole on the boot.

Interiors
Ford Ecosport has well designed interiors which is inspired from New Ford Fiesta. Dashboard looks very stylish and material quality used is little dissappointing but you can ignore that. Despite its shorter length, interiors feels roomy and comfortable however leg space on rear seats is little cramped whereas Renault Duster comes with dual tone interiors in beige and black colour which looks very classy like a premium sedan. Styling of Dashboard is very futuristic and quality of materials used is top notch. Duster has very spacious interiors with proper leg room and head room for all the passengers. Interiors of both Ecosport and Duster are on par with each other.
Compared to the EcoSport, the Duster feels more solildly put together and nothing feels flimpsy, although quality is not going to win any accolades. Neither will the EcoSport’s quality win any applauds. Cost cutting is evident at certain places and although there are no panel gaps, some parts feels loose and you feel they won’t last the test of time. However the EcoSport’s door feels heavier than the Duster’s.

 

Ford Ecosport Interiors

Duster Interiors

Duster Interiors

The front seats of the EcoSport are more comfortable than the Duster’s, offering excellent back support and a fantastic driving position (you sit slightly higher in the EcoSport but you do witness some blind spots due to the quarter glass in the A-pillar, rearward visibility is poor too). The Duster’s seats are not bad at all but the EcoSport just outclass it. While the Ford offers a driver seat armrest, the Renault doesn’t. However the Duster gears up with a rear seat arm rest, which is missing in the EcoSport. The rear seat of the EcoSport offers very good comfort but can’t match the Duster’s in terms of legroom. There is decent legroom in the EcoSport but the Duster offers generous space for rear occupants and also has an AC vent for faster cooling (only in the 110 PS version) along with bigger rear windows. Headroom is not an issue in either cars and seats offer good under thigh support. Being wider, the Duster can easily accomodate a fifth passenger, who is a squeeze in the EcoSport. Both cars offer good amount of storage spaces on the inside but the EcoSport has more cubbyholes.
Just because its spare wheel is mounted on the tail gate, don’t even think for a second that the EcoSport has more boot space. The Duster simply beats the EcoSport in terms of boot space, offering 475-litres compared to the Ford’s 346-litres. The EcoSport offers more flexibility as the rear seat can be folded in 60:40 ratio while the Duster’s rear seat folds in just one piece.

Engines and real performance
Both feature 1.5-litre common-rail units but it’s the Renault that brings out more power. The Duster produces 110PS at 3900rpm while peak torque is an impressive 248Nm produced at a low 2250rpm. The Ford meanwhile delivers a lower 91PS at 3750rpm and 204Nm from 2000-2750rpm. This difference on paper is quite evident on the road as well. Power delivery is stronger in the Duster while the turbo lag is less evident.

Duster Engine

However, in bumper to bumper traffic the EcoSport is effortless to drive and is less tiring compared to the Renault thanks mainly to a much lighter clutch operation. The EcoSport is happy to take on the highways as well, but the Duster comes across as the more accomplished car for the job. Its engine feels less strained and more alert and thanks to a higher torque rating and an additional sixth gear, it makes for a more relaxed cruiser.

Ford Ecosport engine

We also prefer the gear shift quality on the Duster; while the Renault offers short throws and crisp shifts, the EcoSport’s five-speed transmission feels more rubbery in its operation.
In terms of outright performance, the Duster is slightly quicker. The sprint to 100kmph comes up in 12.7 seconds while the EcoSport does the same in a respectable 13.2 seconds. The Renault also has a slightly higher top speed. It maxes out at 175kmph, 5kmph more than the EcoSport.

Fuel  efficiency
It’s a close fight in this category too.  On the highway, however, the Renault did better. It returned 21.8kmpl, 1.4kmpl more than the Ford. This means the Duster’s overall fuel efficiency of 14.3kmpl is 0.5kmpl more than the EcoSport. Clearly, there’s nothing to choose between the two in the real world when it comes to fuel efficiency.
The Ford EcoSport will be cheaper to maintain with Ford using its child parts strategy to reduce spare price costs. Ford also has more service centres and thus a better reach which makes the EcoSport the more practical vehicle to live with. Renault offers a 4-year / 80,000 kms standard warranty, the EcoSport comes with a 2-year / 1 lakh kms warranty which can be extended by another 2-years / 1 lakh kms, which is excellent. Being a newer vehicle, expect the EcoSport to have better resale too. Both cars (diesel versions) will return very similar mileage figures but the EcoSport is marginally more frugal with 1 km/l more fuel efficiency. Expect around 14 km/l in city driving conditions and 16 km/l on the highway.

Riding and Handling
For everyone's surprise, in dynamics department, the Renault has the better ride quality. It glides over rough roads and potholes with pliancy, and on the highway over undulating roads, it remains completely planted. The EcoSport on the other hand doesn’t really drive like a typical Ford, which is not a good thing at all and is slightly stiff and doesn’t soak in the bumps as well. Handling is sharp in Duster and has simply outstanding body control which the EcoSport can’t match.

How about going off-road? Both vehicles put down power though the front wheels and don’t offer four-wheel drive even as an option, so we wouldn’t recommend one going off-road. But if you still decide to drive on rough terrain and small boulders, the Duster will be the better choice since it offers slightly more ground clearance and even features a metal sump guard.The EcoSport has good stability but the Duster is just better. You simply don’t feel the speeds in the Duster

Which one should you buy?
It’s very difficult to predict a winner here. Both are solid built, offer similar mileage, are good-looking and have both, petrol and diesel fuel variants. While the Ford EcoSport is more contemporary in design and slightly more powerful at 118BHP, the conventional looks and emanating sturdiness of the Renault Duster can’t be ignored either. While Ford has priced Ecosport well below Renault Duster, Ecosport may be the first choice of the buyers but comparing between both the SUV's one may decide on Duster even.

Choice is up to the riders!!!

Ford EcoSport vs Renault Duster Technical Specs compared

Specifications	Ford EcoSport 1.5 Diesel	Ford EcoSport EcoBoost Petrol	Ford EcoSport 1.5 Petrol	Renault Duster Petrol	Renault Duster 85 PS Diesel	Renault Duster 110PS Die
Length	4170 mm (with spare wheel)	4170 mm (with spare wheel)	4170 mm (with spare wheel)	4315 mm	4315 mm	4315 mm
Width	1765 mm	1765 mm	1765 mm	1822 mm	1822 mm	1822 mm
Height	1708 mm	1708 mm	1708 mm	1695 mm	1695 mm	1695 mm
Wheelbase	2520 mm	2520 mm	2520 mm	2673 mm	2673 mm	2673 mm
Ground clearance	200 mm	200 mm	200 mm	210 mm	210 mm	210 mm
Boot space	346 litres	346 litres	346 litres	475 litres	475 litres	475 litres
Kerb weight	1290 Kg	1259 Kg	1268 Kg	1240 Kg	1258 Kg	1281 Kg
Engine	1498 cc, 4-cyl common rail	998 cc, 3-cylinder turbo	1499 cc, 4-cyl MPFI	1598 cc, 4-cyl MPFI	1461 cc, 4-cyl common rail	1461 cc, 4-cyl common rail
Power	89 bhp @ 3750 rpm	123 bhp @ 6000 rpm	110 bhp @ 6045 rpm	102 bhp @ 5850 rpm	84 bhp @ 3750 rpm	108 bhp @ 3900 rpm o]
Torque	204 Nm @ 2000-2750 rpm	170 Nm @ 2500 rpm	140 Nm @ 4500 rpm	145 Nm @ 3750 rpm	200 Nm @ 1900 rpm	248 Nm @ 2250 rpm
Gear Box	5-speed manual	5-speed manual	5-manual / 6-speed DC automatic	5-speed manual	5-speed manual	6-speed manual
Tyres	205/60 R16	205/60 R16	205/60 R16	215/65 R16	215/65 R16	215/65 R16
Turning Radius	5.3 metres	5.3 metres	5.3 metres	5.2 metres	5.2 metres	5.2 metres