The Lodgy launch is not too far away, and Renault now wants to get people excited about its new MPV, and has released its first official image. The headline, of course, is that it is massive, and has a long 2,810mm wheelbase – an ideal combination for freeing up interior space in an MPV. Like the Renault Duster, this car started its life as a Dacia, and with the switch to the Renault badge for India, it has been given a few changes.
There’s a new chrome bar grille with a massive Renault logo, a new chin (unpainted, since it is often easily scratched) and updated tail-lights too. On the inside, there will be a lot of bits borrowed from the Duster, including things like the instrument cluster, infotainment system, control stalks, steering wheel, gearlever and air-con controls. Here too, expect a few subtle differences from the Dacia version of the global markets, including a bump up in quality.
Power is expected to come from the same 1.5-litre dCi engine as the Duster, in both its 85bhp and 108bhp guises. While this may not seem like a lot, bear in mind that the torque – 25.3kgm – is more than what you get from the Toyota Innova’s 2.5-litre engine. It also has the advantage that, at 1,350kg, this monocoque MPV is a whole lot lighter than the ladder-chassis Toyota. However, actual driveability with the car fully loaded up remains to be seen.
However, we’ve driven this car, and can tell you that its highlight is the space it offers. There is plenty of useable space on offer in the second, and even the third row, and comfort level is good too. Even with all the seats in place, there is a decent amount of boot space available, thanks to the very upright tailgate.
When it goes on sale around March 2015, we expect the Renault Lodgy to cost between Rs 8 lakh and Rs 12 lakh, which could make it not only a viable rival to compact MPVs like the Maruti Ertiga and Honda Mobilio, but also to the expensive but popular Toyota Innova.
SHAPUR KOTWAL
Rivan RS 
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
