Renault Lodgy to unleash excitement on Indian Roads

Renault, the French automaker, had already revealed its plans of bringing in the Lodgy MPV in India. While internationally, the Lodgy is sold under the Renault owned Dacia brand, in India it would be re-badged as Renault Lodgy. The vehicle is expected to be launched in the first quarter of this year for an estimated price of Rs 8-12 lakhs.



This Indian variant gets a slightly different front grille, black plastic cladding on the underlip (for lower variants) and a silver skid guard for the flagship variant. The car also gets a new design for the alloy wheels.



Technically, there are chances that the Lodgy might inherit Duster's configuration, which means it would get the K9K turbo diesel and the 1.6 litre petrol. Duster in India offers K9K turbo diesel in 85PS and 110PS form. As the Lodgy is a three-row-seating vehicle, the 110PS would give it the requisite muscle. The 110PS version gets the snappier variable geometry turbo charging with inter-cooler delivering 248Nm of maximum torque. On the performance side, the Lodgy edges out its fiercest rival of the segment; the popular Toyota Innova which delivers 100.6bhp and 200Nm torque.



The 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.



Renault stated that the Lodgy would redefine the segment as a complete "Multi-Purpose Vehicle" and deliver the best-in-segment performance. The company also said that it will enter the volume and growth segments to strengthen its position in the Indian markets.