Renault is on a roll in the Indian market. It seems to have made its presence felt in almost every segment in the market with at least one vehicle and now wants to enter the MPV market. The French automaker’s representative will be the Lodgy, a product of its Romanian subsidiary Dacia, the same people who created the Duster. The Lodgy seems to get tick marks on all the required boxes to make it proper MPV- petrol and diesel mills, seven seat configuration and oodles of space all around.
The Romanian subsidiary of Renault says that the name has been derived from the English word ‘Lodge’, implying that the car can accommodate a family and its luggage comfortably. Just like its name, the looks of this MUV are also slightly unconventional. The MUV certainly looks and feels premium and it will compete directly with the Toyota Innova in India.
The overall design of the Lodgy is clean and simplistic; just like the Duster it has ample chrome on the front. The rear design is arguable, but that can be ignored looking at the Renault badge and overall utility of the vehicle. The interiors provide ample space to seat a large family. In fact the third row has 144mm legroom and 866mm headroom, so even adults can comfortably manage in the last row.
The Indian Lodgy will share components with the Renault Duster, so expect similar beige interiors. Hopefully Renault will improve the fitment quality before the next launch. Renault may offer only the diesel engine in India – it will be the same 1.5-litre K9K diesel engine that powers the Fluence and the top-spec Duster diesel developing 110PS and 240Nm of torque.
The Lodgy prices will be close to that of the Toyota Innova, with a premium over Mahindra Xylo and Nissan Evalia. There is no confirmation from Renault regarding India launch, but the car is expected here by early 2014.
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