Renault Lodgy, a minivan or what we know well as an MPV, was launched in Europe under the Dacia badge. But, as Dacia is a fully owned subsidiary of Renault, in countries like Latin America it is marketed under the Renault badge. A couple of months back we shared with you that Renault is considering introducing Lodgy in India as a Maruti Ertiga rival.
This Lodgy was safety-tested by the European New car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) and awarded a disheartening 3 Star! Euro NCAP is an independent organization which assesses and rates vehicles safety. This Euro NCAP has presented test results of 15 new cars at the recent Paris Motor Show.
The Dacia Lodgy was the only one among others not having a 5 Star safety rating. Lodgy was rated a mere 3 Star by the Euro NCAP. The organization criticized Renault by saying “budgets on safety” and added that the absence of features like Electronic Stability Control (ESC) as standard. The car has also scored low on child and pedestrian protection.
Dr. Michael Van Ratingen, Secretary General of Euro NCAP, said: “It is disappointing to see the Lodgy do badly in our tests, especially coming just a week after the Sandero, branded a Renault in South America, was given a poor one star rating by Latin NCAP. The Lodgy is a budget vehicle and customers will accept compromises in comfort and performance, but not safety. Euro NCAP believes that occupants’ safety should be paramount, regardless of how much they pay for their vehicle”.
Fiat 500L, Ford Fiesta, Ford Kuga, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Mitsubishi Outlander, Opel/Vauxhall Mokka, SEAT Leon, the Skoda Rapid and its twin sibling, the SEAT Toledo, Subaru Forester, The New Range Rover, Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid, and the new Volkswagen Golf MK7 were the other cars that were tested by Euro NCAP and all have been awarded 5 Star safety ratings! Among them, Volkswagen was appreciated for offering several driver assistance programs.
How would Lodgy fare in India remains to be seen, but this is not the kind of word Renault would be happy spreading!
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Source: Carscoop
Arghya Pan
