You already know that Renault India has been testing their 7 seater MPV Lodgy in India to challenge the likes of recently launched Honda Mobilio and Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. Essentially a rebadged Dacia, Renault’s Romanian subsidiary, the Lodgy follows the footsteps of the Duster.The compact SUV has been pretty much the bread winner for Renault and has been clocking some handsome numbers.
And in an official communication moments back, Renault has shared the first official picture of the car with the media and has also confirmed its launch in 2015. Lodgy, like other MPVs in the market doesn’t have a very striking design but it doesn’t look bad at all.
The Lodgy which is to be sold in India is surprisingly not very different form the Dacia badged one. Apart from the obvious Renault logo instead of the Dacia one, the front grille gets just a small chrome treatment and the lower under lip of the front is in black plastic while the international model gets it in body colour. The alloys also have been retouched a bit it appears.
The international version of Lodgy is 4,494 mm in length, 1,733 mm wide (without ORVMs) and has a wheelbase of 2,634 mm. While the length and width seem to be bigger than the Ertiga as well as the Mobilio, the smallest wheelbase may mean a slight compromise in terms of legroom.
Powering the MPV will be the proven 1.5 L dCi diesel engine and we await to understand what tune will Renault bring it in on the Lodgy – 85PS or 110PS. Chances are that the regular variants of the car may come in the 85PS versions whereas the high-end variants may get the 110PS tune of the same diesel engine. We are unsure if Renault will plonk a petrol engine on the car.
Also expect a lot of part sharing with Duster which will keep costs under check and allow for easy availability. Launch, we believe is scheduled for sometime during the first 2-3 months of 2015 and if Renault can price the MPV well, they may finally have a worthy competition in hand…
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