Renault Duster overtakes rivals aschallenge looms from Ford EcoSportDespite a smaller sales network, Renaults Duster has outsold both Ertiga and Scorpio for past three monthsAmrit RajFirst Published:Tue, Jun 04 2013. 11 34 PM IST

Dusters success is clearly part of the wider Indian fondness for UVs. Indian buyers bought 52% more SUVs in the last fiscal, according to Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers data, while passenger car sales dropped 6.69% to 1.89 million units. Ramesh Pathania/Mint

Updated:Wed, Jun 05 2013. 02 51 PM ISTNew Delhi: Renault India Pvt. Ltdhas upstaged the countrys biggest carmaker three months in a row and its biggest maker of utility vehicles two months out of the past three by correctly betting that a budget compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) is what the market wants.TheRenault Dusterhas sold more thanMaruti Suzuki India LtdsErtigaandMahindra and Mahindra LtdsScorpiothrice this calendar year to emerge as a strong contender in Indias fastest growing utility vehicle segment.The model is less than a year old in the Indian market, having been launched in July 2012, and its performance has to be seen in the backdrop of Renaults sales network thats dwarfed by the dealership structure that Maruti andMahindrahave in place.Renault has about 100 dealers in India while Mahindra has 250 for the Scorpio alone. Maruti has as many as 1,206 dealers in India. The Duster starts atRs.7.99 lakh, the Ertiga atRs.5.98 lakh and the Scorpio atRs.8.04 lakh in New Delhi. Scorpio is only available in diesel variant.The Duster is a rare success story in a market that has seen few such amid a slowdown and rising fuel prices that has kept buyers away. UVs are among the segments to thrive, although a recent increase in excise on them has led to higher prices.In the utility vehicle segment, the Duster is second only to theBolero, which has a large following in rural India.While the Duster outsold the Ertiga three months in a row to May, the Scorpio was marginally ahead of the Renault vehicle last month after trailing it in the February-April period, according to model-wise data obtained byMint.In May the Duster sold 5,146 units, the Ertiga, 4,306 and the Scorpio, 5,165.Duster is a right product that was brought to the Indian market at the right time, saidSumit Sawhney, executive director, Renault India. All I can say is that it is meeting customer expectations.The Duster will face competition this month whenFordlaunches its compact SUV, theEcoSport, which is also shorter than 4 metres, giving it the advantage of a lower excise bracket.Meanwhile, sales of the only sub-4 meter SUV, MahindrasQuanto, have declined from 2,954 units in January to 1,279 units in May.Experts are waiting to see whether the EcoSports launch will dent Duster sales, although its likely to eat into the share of other models as well.A questionnaire sent to Maruti remained unanswered till press time .According toAutocar IndiaeditorHormazd Sorabjee, no one has anything to offer that a Duster offers.It opens up a new segment for small SUVs at around the same price as a mid-size saloon, he added. It is a case of clever packaging. While it offers the emotional appeal of an SUV, it has got all the practical elements in terms of pricing, design, engine and off-roading capabilities, Sorabjee said. They have managed to hit a sweet spot.Renaults success is prompting others to push their compact SUV offerings.The Duster is derived from a model made by Renaults Romanian unitDacia. Other models that Renault sells in India are thePulse, theScala, theFluenceand theKoleos, which together account for just 10% of total sales.Dusters success is clearly part of the wider Indian fondness for UVs. Indian buyers bought 52% more SUVs in the last fiscal, according to Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers data, while passenger car sales dropped 6.69% to 1.89 million units.Pradeep Saxena, executive director, TNS Automotive, an auto sector specific research firm, said Mahindras launch of theXUV 500in September 2011 also helped Dusters cause.The XUV 500 cannibalized the Scorpio to an extent and secondly, the Scorpio seems to be getting dated in terms of design, Saxena said.A Mahindra and Mahindra spokesperson said the company continues to update the Scorpio by launching variants and facelifts at regular intervals.Additionally, one can expect something new happening in this area in due course of time, the Mahindra spokesperson said. We havent seen any pressure on the Scorpio from the new launches so far.He added that Scorpio volumes have, in fact, not seen any decline. For the period January-May 2013 vs same period last year, Scorpio has grown by 6%. In fact, in May 2013, Scorpio registered its highest ever monthly sales of 5,165 units, which incidentally is higher than the Renault Duster for the same month as we see it.Of the three vehicles, while the Scorpio gives the impression of being a heavy car, its ride and handling are a notch below that of the Duster, while Ertiga is nimble and gives you a car feeling, Sorabjee said.Saxena of TNS Automotive said that there was always a set of customers who wanted to drive an SUV priced belowRs.10 lakh. While price may not be a concern for these buyers, the sheer size could be, he said. There have always been customers who wanted a real SUV but were not very comfortable with the ride and handling of a big SUV. Scorpio in that sense is a real big SUV with a 2.5 litre engine.Ford India may have to fight hard to ensure that the EcoSport translates the high level of interest in it to sales, when it launches the product in the middle of the month. The firm tasted some success with the launch of its small carFigobut that seems to have fizzled out in a slowing market.Still, aggressive pricing and packaging could see some prospective buyers of the Duster opting for the EcoSport.Sawhney of Renault India is unperturbed. For any competition, it is a big market. We see enough space for every product, while we will continue to grow on a month-on-month basis, he said.Sorabjee ofAutocarIndiadoesnt see the EcoSport having much of an impact on the utility vehicle segment. This vehicle will eat into the sales of premium hatchbacks and entry-level sedans, he said.Ford will be hoping that will hit another sweet spot for Indians.Source: http://www.livemint.com/Industry/TulRbd7QUMyDYVcxyAO74L/Renault-India-hits-sweet-spot-with-DusterEcoSport-maypose.html, Accessed on June, 6th 2013.

Source: http://www.autocarindia.com/Feature/345946,ford-ecosport-vs-renault-duster.aspx/0, Accessed on June 12th, 2013.Jun 6, 2013The Renault Duster opened up the compact SUV segment in India like never before, and it has been a huge success ever since its launch. But now it has a credible rival in the form of the Ford EcoSport. Its even smaller than the Renault (its under four metres long), but what it lacks in size, it claims to make up in premium feel. So, is it enough to topple the reigning king?PerformanceRenaults Duster is powered by the familiar 1.5 dCi engine weve seen in the Logan, Fluence, Scala and Pulse, as well as a number of Nissans, and in the top-of-the-line variant we are testing, it produces 108bhp. The Duster takes a bit longer than the EcoSport to spool up its turbo, so when you cross the 2000rpm mark, theres surge in power that can be a bit irritating in stop-and-go traffic. However, if you keep your foot down on the throttle pedal, it is the Duster that is the more rewarding car to drive. The engine builds revs quickly and the Duster does the 0-100kph sprint quicker (11.88sec versus the Fords 13.72sec). Its on an open road that you can enjoy the Renault the most and it is a very good cruiser too. But in the city, the combination of an unprogressive, heavy clutch and turbo lag spoils the fun.

On the contrary, the EcoSports 89bhp, 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine is at its best in traffic. This has a lot to do with this motors ready responses and instant delivery of power at low to medium engine speeds. The Ford is happy to amble around in third gear, even at speeds as low as 30-40kph, and tap the accelerator and it picks up the pace quite rapidly. This is in contrast to the Duster, which needs you to execute almost twice as many downshifts. Its also got the lighter clutch of the two and its gearbox has a nice mechanical feel to it.However, the EcoSport tends to run out of breath on the highway, particularly when you have to execute a high-speed overtaking move.

The Ford is by far the more refined car, but this is down to the sound insulation rather than the engine. Where the Dusters motor has a sharp clatter at idle and feels gruff when worked hard, the EcoSports motor feels composed. It only gets noisy closer to the redline, and for the most part, it sounds and feels almost petrol-like on the move.Ride and handlingBoth cars really impress in this department. Despite their tall stance with high ground clearance, they are as easy to drive as your average hatchback. The Dusters suspension feels very absorbent over potholes and large speed breakers alike. The thick tyres also do their bit to cushion you from surface blemishes. Whats also nice is that the Duster maintains its poise over big bumps, which can catch the EcoSport out. Straight-line stability is also really good, but then the Ford doesnt disappoint on this count either.

The EcoSport delivers a somewhat pliant ride too, but it does thunk over big bumps and there is a constant pitter-patter over broken roads. The Ford doesnt iron out surface imperfections quite as well as the Duster. However, the EcoSport is more fun to drive. The stiff suspension setup lends it a certain agility, its got the better-weighted steering and, thanks to its good body control, its really entertaining to drive on twisting roads.

By contrast, the Dusters soft suspension makes it roll quite a bit in corners, but it always feels in control and you get good feedback (sometimes too much) from the steering. Still, for day-to-day city driving, youll like the lightness of the EcoSports steering, while the Duster requires more effort to steer.InteriorsCabin ambience is where youll find a stark difference between these two. The Dusters dashboard was updated for India to feature a fresh design, two-tone colour scheme and slightly better ergonomics, but it still falls short on quality, and this is one of the cars weakest points. The plastics all over the cabin feel hard and cheap, controls like those for the air-con are fiddly to use, and the ergonomics are still pretty woeful (the electric mirror adjuster is under the handbrake, for example). Moreover, the overall design and layout looks a bit plain and not special enough.The EcoSports interior is in another league; it is very similar to the Fiesta saloon, and thats no bad thing. The dash has a modern, angular design, dominated by the V-shaped centre console. However, there are a lot of buttons here, and the dashboards sharp angle means they can be hard to read on the move. The advantage of this raked dashboard, which stretches far ahead to meet the windscreen, is that it gives a better sense of space than the Duster, which has a more upright dash. The downside is it makes it hard to judge where the front of the EcoSport ends.

The Fords front seats offer a lot of leg and head room, and are very snug and supportive. The Dusters front seats are larger, and although they are quite flat and unsupportive, they are very comfortable.

Move to the back and the Duster wins some more points. The interior is wider, so sitting three abreast here is comfier than in the narrow EcoSport. However, the chunky AC unit between the front seats does eat into the middle passengers legroom. On overall rear legroom, the two are pretty evenly matched, with neither being exceptional. But the Ford makes better use of vertical space, and in addition, your thighs are better supported. These being tall SUVs, both have plenty of head room in the back. The EcoSports 3999mm length comes back to bite it in the boot however, where its 362-litre space is trounced by the Dusters 475 litres.Equipment & safetyThe Ford EcoSport comes in four trims Ambiente, Trend, Titanium and Titanium Optional. In terms of equipment, the base Ambiente trim comes with tilt and telescopic steering, a music player with Aux-in, USB and Bluetooth, electric wing mirrors, remote locking, a multi-function display, front power windows and 15-inch alloy wheels. The top-spec Titanium Optional trim gets 16-inch alloy wheels, climate control, a cooled glovebox, front fog lamps, keyless entry and reverse parking sensors. It also gets push-button start, which doesnt feature on any of the Renault Dusters four trims. The Duster RxZ gets a lot of the goodies the EcoSport has, including electric mirrors, a fully connected audio system, steering-column mounted audio controls (steering wheel-mounted on the EcoSport), drivers seat height adjustment and front fog lights. It even gets a rear air-con unit, which the EcoSport misses out on. The Duster also has an available option pack on the RxZ trim that replaces the integrated audio system with a touchscreen sat-nav system. Theres no climate control, though.

In terms of safety, the EcoSport gets dual airbags and ABS with EBD on the Titanium trim. Titanium Optional adds Emergency Assist side and curtain airbags, which brings the total count to six. The Duster, on the other hand, only gets dual front airbags, even on the top-spec RxZ trim that comes with ABS with EBD and brake assist.VERDICTThe Dusters SUV looks and car-like driving manners are rather strong points. As a result, its few misgivings like the rough-around-the-edges build and basic interiors seemed like a small price to pay. However, the EcoSport does everything the Duster does, but in a more sophisticated, up-to-date and desirable manner. Sure, the Duster feels the more powerful of the two and even rides better, but at the end of the day, its the Ford that comes out on top, especially considering the price advantage the car is likely to have when launched.

GM India halts sale of Tavera, Sail models over quality issuesThe move may trigger a product recall of all diesel models of the Sail and U-VA produced over a certain periodAmrit RajFirst Published:Tue, Jun 11 2013. 02 42 PM IST

A file photo of a Chevrolet showroom. Photo: BloombergUpdated:Wed, Jun 12 2013. 09 15 AM ISTNew Delhi:General Motors India Pvt. Ltdhas asked its dealers to stop selling the diesel variants of its newly launchedSailsedan and theSail U-VAhatchback, suspecting problems with the 1.3 litre diesel engine used in these cars, according to two dealers.The company has also asked dealers to stop sales of the BS III variant of itsTaveramodel, although the multi-purpose vehicle hasnt faced problems, the dealers said, speaking on condition of anonymity. BS III is an emission standard.The move may trigger a product recall of all diesel models of the Sail and Sail U-VA manufactured over a certain period.As per a voluntary recall policy adopted by the Indian auto industry in July last year, companies need to inform industry lobby Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, or Siam, the government and customers about any fault in its products, which may require a recall.The industry had recommended that the government take action if members failed to declare any defects or faults in their vehicles.GM India did not say if a recall of the cars was likely.P. Balendran, vice-president at the company, only said, We will come back to you with an update after thorough investigation in the coming days.

The Indian subsidiary of the US carmaker has never exercised a product recall in the country since it was established in 1995.GM India launched the Sail U-VA hatchback in November and the sedan version in February.The hatchback competes withMaruti Suzuki India LtdsSwiftandHyundai Motor India Ltdsi20, and the sedan with MarutisDzire, HyundaisVernaandVolkswagen India Pvt. Ltds Vento.While there have been issues with diesel variants of Sail and Sail U-VAs engine, Tavera doesnt have any problem, said one of the two dealers mentioned above. Yet, Taveras sales have been stopped on a precautionary note.Balendran said the company stopped production of Sail sedan and Sail U-VA on 5 June and that of Tavera on 6 June.As part of General Motors stringent manufacturing and quality control processes, we have identified a potential emissions performance issue with the Chevrolet Tavera BS-III and a quality issue with the Chevrolet Sail HB (hatchback) and NB (notchback or sedan) Diesel variant. Neither issue is safety-related. said Balendran in an email reply.Balendran said he could not rule out the possibility of delays in delivering the cars to customers. We are working hard to resolve these issues as quickly as possible, he said in the email.The Tavera BS-IV and petrol versions of the Sail sedan and hatchback models are unaffected and production of these vehicles is continuing, he said.GM Indias other multi-purpose vehicle,Enjoy, too has not faced any problem although it uses the same engine, said the second dealer mentioned earlier.Ever since the auto industry in India adopted the recall policy, there have been as many as seven recalls from companies includingRenault India Pvt. Ltd,Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd,Nissan Motor India Pvt. LtdandFord India Pvt. Ltd. At least 150,000 cars and 11,500 bikes have been recalled since July last year, theEconomic Timesnewspaper reported on 31 May.Sugato Sen, deputy director general, Siam, hailed auto firms decisions to proactively announce auto recall.We adopted a voluntary code of recall last year and the proactive steps taken by various companies show that it has been a success, Sen said. Such steps make the industry credible and enthuse confidence in the customers.To be sure, cost incurred during replacing faulty parts during a product recall is not significant. Also, with auto recalls becoming voluntary, the impact on a companys brand is minimal.

Car sales dip for seventh month; SIAM warns of job cutsByChanchal Pal Chauhan, ET Bureau | 12 Jun, 2013, 04.37AM IST14 comments|Post a CommentREAD MORE ON suzuki|SIAM|Renault|Maruti Suzuki|Kotak securities|JobThe Indian car market slipped into its longest period of slump in May with sales declining for the seventh straight month despite high discounts on offer.Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.NEW DELHI: The Indian car market slipped into its longest period of slump in May with sales declining for the seventh straight month despite high discounts on offer, forcingcarmakersto cut production and triggering fears ofjoblosses. Car sales in May fell 12%year-onyear, the steepest fall since February's 25% decline, data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) showed.

"This is a grave sign for the automobile industry as it's the longest stretch of consecutive car sales decline witnessed ever," Vishnu Mathur, director general at the carmakers' association, said. "Even during the 2008-09 downturn car sales dipped for a few months and recovered back strongly. These are worrying trends for the Indian automobile industry," he said.

According toSIAM, carmakers sold 1,43,216 vehicles in May, the lowest monthly sales since December last. The association now expects job losses as the once booming domestic car market is now witnessing regular production cuts by various companies as sales have been declining for the larger part in the past one year. Market leader Maruti Suzuki, for example, had announced closure of all its five plants for eight days in June to reduce its swelling inventory at factories and dealerships as well as for periodic maintenance. "The initial signs are not good. For the first time, in May, retail sales or deliveries to customers were weak," said a seniorMaruti SuzukiBSE -2.59 %executive.

"The traffic at our showrooms had declined and the conversion to actual sales has also shown a declining trend," the person added. Maruti Suzuki's domestic sales declined 8.25% year-on-year to 66,342 units last month, while its closest rival,HyundaiMotor India, posted a marginal increase of 0.35% to 32,052 cars. Tata Motors' passenger car sales slumped 49% to 8,927 units in May.

Utility vehicle maker Mahindra & Mahindra,General Motors,HondaCar India and French carmakerRenaultwere among a small group of carmakers that managed to remain positive on the sales chart last month. Analysts tracking the industry say that the worrisome aspect of automotive sales in May is that except for utility vehicles and scooters, all the segments posted negative sales. "Auto volumes last month were not very different from the trend that had been witnessed in the past few months.

Overall weak economic growth continues to keep demand sentiment subdued," Arun Agarwal, auto analyst atKotak Securities, said. "We expect volumes to stay weak in the near term, though factors such as monsoon and economic recovery will play a key role in reviving demand sentiments over the medium term," he said. Sales of commercial vehicles such as trucks and buses, three-wheelers and motorcycles, too, declined year-on-year in May.