[vroom666]

The visual comparo by Rehaan was awesome. Puts things into perspective.

The Ecosport has absolutely killed any hope that the Terrano had. Duster sales are already on the decline as well. I was hoping to see better interiors since the pricing will be higher than the Duster - but from whatever has been seen in the launch vehicle today, it seems to be a distant dream. Again no 4x4 confirmed to differentiate it in the market.

I don't see the Terrano doing any great shakes in the market.

[raj_5004]

This looks much better and more premium than the Duster and should be the default choice over the Duster. Even the dashboard looks better.

Originally Posted by amtak

Ford, take a bow! You have changed the market dynamics altogether From Mahindra, Maruti, Renault, Nissan, and other players, you have taught them a few lessons. Only threat to the Ecosport would be Hyundai Mini - SUV as it would be equally feature rich.

I have heard a lot of people saying that the EcoSport is so well priced that the competition should run for cover. Frankly, I dont know how!

Agreed, the Ford is well equipped, but features are not everything in a car. The EcoSport is basically a small 4m car with a 1.0/1.5 engine. On the other hand, if you comparing it to the Scorpio/Ertiga/Duster, they are full fledged big cars. The EcoSport enjoys an excise benefit on account of being a small car, still it is priced on par with a Scorpio, which is not only a full fledged SUV with 7 seats, but is also more powerful.

I am not saying the EcoSport is a bad car. Fact is, it is a hatch on steroids which is priced equivalent to most of the bigger UVs in the market. That does not make it bad, but that does not make the competition pricey either. If anything, M&M, Maruti and Renault should be applauded for offering bigger and more spacious cars at the same price as the small EcoSport.

P.S.: I love the Ford, but I dont think it is fair to compare it to a bigger car on account of pricing.

[HighwayofLife]

Looks like no 4WD again- it's interesting that a so called SUV comes without a 4WD option in any variant. The same applies for the Ecosport as well.

[thoma]

The Duster's squatting stance has been lost to a more tall boyish stance on the Terrano. This is more because the horizontal slats on the grill has been changed to more of vertical in the Terrano. And the subtle curves around the lamps, both front and back, have been changed to abrupt ones. So is with the metal panel on the bonnet and the sides (in my view, the smiley connected the protruding front and back wheel arches well). The exterior black plastics has given way to silver painted ones. The air con vents are a combination of rectangles on the middle and still circular on the sides. The steering controls have vanished in thin air! Personally, I hate all the above.

Duster is my dream design, a squatting mini SUV, though I'm not buying it for the price they ask. Leave alone the Terrano.

Originally Posted by jkdas

Air intake and other plumbing parts etc look different too.
Is there a change in engine specs/gear ratio etc?

I'm also wondering the same. Some plumbing seemed to have changed.

And on top of that, did these small exterior changes really warrant an extensive on the road testing before the launch?

[siddarthbh]

On the styling front, the Terrano looks way better than the Duster. It has a more boyish stance as well. Looks like there is an improvement in the interiors, but was actually expecting more refinement given that this is the premium of the two and Nissan would have had time to look at the feedback the Duster's interiors got.

It will be interesting to see how Nissan prices this. From the looks of it so far, its not going to make any dent in the EcoSport sales and Nissan can blame Renault for that!

[ACM]

A Total of 3000 units in 6 months - is any one prepared to predict a higher sales figure?

Seriously it is effectively like paying 70K extra for a facelift kit over the Duster - yes cheaper than going to DC but not really a value proposition and how many go for such a face lift kit.

Actually though the Nissan looks more in keeping with the times there are aspects of the Duster that seem better.

[Equus]

Well, the 4 metre length criteria is defined by the GOI for small cars. The Industry/World standard term is mini-SUV, and I think ES/Duster/etc are all more-or-less in the same bucket.
Having said that, space indeed matters! No doubt the ES is short here, but is that a deal-breaker? Hell NO and it already showing in the sales numbers! Offcourse, the market is always right.

The Sunny is priced under the Scala.. Scala understandably has better interiors, brakes, looks, etc.
But the Terrano would be placed above the Duster? I dont get it..

Is Nissan-Renault thinking of Scorio Vs Duster, and Terrano Vs XUV500? Naa..

[coolboy007]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

I am not saying the ES is a bad car. Fact is, it is a hatch on steroids which is priced equivalent to most of the bigger UVs in the market. That does not make it bad, but that does not make the competition pricey either. If anything, M&M, Maruti and Renault should be applauded for offering bigger and more spacious cars at the same price as the small ES.

I dont think that buying a car according to its size is the sole criteria that one may have. Duster top end is more expensive than XUV W6 - its smaller in size, has way less features but it still sold twice the numbers of a XUV till the last month. The reason is that people prefer companies like Renault/Nissan to Tata/Mahindra because they know that cars from the Tata and Mahindra stable have constant niggles and service quality is nothing to talk about. If a car has a service interval of 10,000 kms/year then it should go once a year, you cant keep running to service centers every 3 months for something or other.

Not every one wants a large 7 seater like a Scorpio or Ertiga, urban people mostly need a good 4 seater which is refined, gives a good fuel efficiency ( which is poor with cars like Scorpio or Xuv due to their big engines and size) and can serve for atleast 5-6 years without any issues. The same reason why the overpriced Innova at 16 lakhs still sells in good numbers - the Toyota badge. I have a 2006 Scorpio which has done 1 lakh kms and recently had the liberty to drive a 07 Innova done 70k for a good 1200 kms - that car had zilch niggles, no rattles and is a much better car than our Scorpio.

I wonder how Scorpio is priced at par with ES - variant to variant, both cars with airbags have a price difference of atleast 2-2.5 lakhs, definitely not at par. I wont go into the handling, refinement etc as the Scorpio is a million years behind and both cars cater to different segments.

Its time for these compact SUV's now, theres a reason why Duster was selling 4k to 5k units a month and Ecosport started with around 5k units, market wants compact suv's from brands like Nissan, Ford, Renault and not big bulky suv's from Indian manufacturers.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

I have heard a lot of people saying that the ES is so well priced that the competition should run for cover. .....
The ES is basically a small 4m car with a 1.0/1.5 engine. The ES enjoys an excise benefit on account of being a small car, still it is priced on par with a Scorpio, .....If anything, M&M, Maruti and Renault should be applauded for offering bigger and more spacious cars at the same price as the small ES.

Originally Posted by Equus

Well, the 4 metre length criteria is defined by the GOI for small cars. The Industry/World standard term is mini-SUV, and I think ES/Duster/etc are all more-or-less in the same bucket. ......space indeed matters! No doubt the ES is short here, but is that a deal-breaker? Hell NO and it already showing in the sales numbers! Offcourse, the market is always right.

Ford has packaged the Ecosport quite well under 4Mtr and is selling well too. It too is powered by a 1.5L engine like the Duster. The reason for the success of ES could be that, people were on the look out for mini SUVs even if it is a hatch on steroids or stilts. Look at the sub 4mtr Maruti Dzire, it even stole the No1 spot on sales charts two months ago. ES has won the first round and if feedbacks are encouraging we would come to see more ESs on the roads. The Premier Rio would have sold well if it is not the juggad as it is from a juggad company.
So price and reliability and SUV clothes are the factors prospective buyers, who do not have enough money to buy the around Rs 20L SUVs, focus on.

[raul]

Too much of the same thing, but I guess this is to be expected for badge engineering. I think it boils down to price. The differences are too superficial to drive a buying decision imho.

If its less than 10 then Duster numbers falling from the high of 5000 may get a respite. The Duster/Terrano can be max 1 lakh more then the competing Ecosport to create at least some indecision for buyers inclined to both or the Duster.

It has some advantages over the Ecosport on a car to car basis, but the current price difference is way too large, until or unless Ford decides to hike prices.

[kiranvakati]

Being a Duster owner, i was eagerly waiting for Terrano for comparison.
Before opening this post i was convincing myself mine was not a bad buy.
My observations:

Exteriors :
Front Grill : I like duster's for its butch look. This might look good under the lighting but on road im not sure. I had seen x-trail on road and always felt it lacked the butch look.
Tail Lights : Looks fresh and awesome. Duster's is outdated. But i dont care what people talk behind my back.

Interiors: This is were i was worried. But i dont see big changes to interiors.
Audio player: player on duster looks better in terms of colour combo but the controls on terrano are much better. Volume change on terrano is much better as front co-passenger always rotate the center knob (meant for tuning and file change) to adjust volume. No steering controls ? I love the stalk controls on duster, im sure whoever calls it a quirk hasn't used it yet.
A/c Vents : Duster's center vents are much more practical than rectangular vents on terrano.
Doors/floor: Im not sure about quality but looks same as duster except that black colour plastics/floor are replaced with light colour which definitely looks premium to me but i fear maintainence of the same.

Overall im happy with my duster and there is not much of an improvement in terrano (except for tail lights).

[krivbel]

Originally Posted by parrys

Interiors:

Dashboard is visually different from the Duster's unit, apart from the instrument cluster.

Audio controls are absent! (The Duster gets a short stalk for controlling audio). Silver accents on the horn pad are not very pleasing to the eye.

Instrument cluster is identical to the Duster.

Air vents are rectangular and get chrome surrounds. Small storage bin above.

The 5th occupant repellent; air con vent for rear passengers.

Exterior has a macho feel to it, but the interior seems like a big let down. I enjoy power and performance in a car as much as the other guy, but I also would like the interior have a classy feel to it for the price being charged for a car. Terrano should have had better interior fit and finish as opposed to what is being offered. The crudeness in finish is obvious with the floor not being completely carpeted. Even the center console, particularly the ICE does not look like it belongs in this price range. The airvents reminds me of the whacky mods made by few gentlemen in this country, I mean round, and rectangular! really! I really expected much better interiors in the Terrano. What's up with the rare air con vent anyway, a lot of people have criticized it in the Duster, so why have it in the first place, take it away I say! I like the boot size though, and I loved the test drive of duster, I guess, Nissan is hoping that the ride quality, and the superior fun to drive aspects would make up for the interior short comings. Like I said, I personally prefer classier interior as well.

[kiranvakati]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

Ford has packaged the Ecosport quite well under 4Mtr and is selling well too. It too is powered by a 1.5L engine like the Duster. The reason for the success of ES could be that, people were on the look out for mini SUVs even if it is a hatch on steroids or stilts. Look at the sub 4mtr Maruti Dzire, it even stole the No1 spot on sales charts two months ago. ES has won the first round and if feedbacks are encouraging we would come to see more ESs on the roads. The Premier Rio would have sold well if it is not the juggad as it is from a juggad company.
So price and reliability and SUV clothes are the factors prospective buyers, who do not have enough money to buy the around Rs 20L SUVs, focus on.

I agree. Indian market is driven by price, especially sub 10 Lakh segment. But I always buy based on my requirements. I upgraded from swift to duster as I travel between chennai and Bangalore heavily(every 2 months with hefty luggage). Also every other week I travel to my village. In addition I go on tour every quarter again with hefty luggage and at least 4 ppl.

Duster suited my requirements to the tee. I couldn't find any other match at that price range. Eco sport is no Way closer to my reqs. I cannot call a move from swift to ecosport an upgrade, coz my swift meets almost all the reqs of what an ecosport can do except for the ground clearance.

IMHO ecosport is for first time buyers who are eying for b2 hatch or for those who want to upgrade from A segment.

Duster is a sedan crossover whereas ecosport is a hatch crossover.

[zen kobane]

Im so angry, I cant express.

Why Nissan, why? Why cant you just launch a 4x4 or a CVT edition of Terrano, you even have the tech in place... What is stopping you? Atleast care about the joke you are making of your own past SUVs by launching an SUV that you are calling part of NISSAN's SUV legacy and not even offering a 4x4 option...

Demand? I think there's enough demand, please look at sales of THAR, XUV, Scorpio, Safari, and other 4x4 in India. Imagine that section of market that Nissan can benefit from a 4x4 Mini-SUV!

I think its about time the consumer wakes up and starts petitioning online for a 4x4 Mini-Suv...

This is so not done.

[Na_sh]

Originally Posted by zen kobane

....I think its about time the consumer wakes up and starts petitioning online for a 4x4 Mini-Suv...

This is so not done.

I hope our prayers would be answered by Maruti Suzuki and their upcoming XA Alpha.

Even Nissan might have thought a lot about what you said. But then, this car has to be more VFM than the car it is based on. (Value and not Price)
They have done it fairly well by making lot of sheet metal changes. Any hardware changes would make it even more expensive. Nissan has played it safe i guess. Once Terrano gets percived as a good value product, they can take the plunge to go upwards.

They dont want a Tata Aria to happen with them! Thats what I fsee things as!