Touted as the one of the more exciting battles, neither the Ford EcoSport nor Renault Duster is ready to throw the towel in the ring yet. Both belong to the sub-R10lakh category, are compact SUVs that have already been launched in a different avatar internationally, have almost the same price range, and have been teasing us with their launch dates that are near, yet so far!Ford is ensuring that the EcoSport will be road ready by June 2012, while the expected time of launch of the Renault Duster is around Diwali (October). Will the rabbit win this race, or will the tortoise take over and leave everyone else behind? With Premier RiO expected to further add drama, this space is getting hot as more and more compact SUVs join this race [TABLE] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD]Ford EcoSport [/TD] [TD="width: 235"]Renault Duster [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 169"]Engine Size [/TD] [TD="width: 234"]1.5L Diesel Engine/1L 3 cylinder Eco Boost Petrol [/TD] [TD="width: 235"]1.5 CRDi diesel engine/ 1.6 litre of petrol engine [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 169"]Price Range [/TD] [TD="width: 234"]Rs. 9,00,000 (approx) [/TD] [TD="width: 235"]Rs. 9,00,000 (approx) [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 169"]Power [/TD] [TD="width: 234"]118 BHP [/TD] [TD="width: 235"]85 BHP [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 169"]Gear box [/TD] [TD="width: 234"]5 speed manual transmission/6 speed Powershift automatic transmission with dual clutch [/TD] [TD="width: 235"]6 speed manual transmission [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 169"]Mileage [/TD] [TD="width: 234"] 16 kmpl [/TD] [TD="width: 235"] 7 kmpl [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 169"]Transmission [/TD] [TD="width: 234"]Manual/Automatic [/TD] [TD="width: 235"]Manual [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 169"]Top Speed [/TD] [TD="width: 234"]175kmph [/TD] [TD="width: 235"]164kmph [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
The Verdict: 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. As the saying goes…only time will tell!