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Sunday, July 27, 2014

Renault (Dacia) Lodgy showcased at Geneva


The Dacia Lodgy is expected to launch in India by March 2015 (though it will be called the Renault Lodgy here).The Lodgy is a 7 seat MPV that’s powered by the 1.5 liter K9K turbo diesel engine and 1.2-liter turbocharged TCe engine.

Based on the Logan’s platform, which is well localized in India for the Duster, the Lodgy shares many an interior part with the Duster such as the steering wheel, door trims, handles, etc, besides the chassis. It measures a substantial 4,498 mm in length, making it longer than the upcoming Honda Mobilio (4,400 mm), though its still much shorter than the Innova which measures 4,585 mm.

In Europe, the Lodgy is offered with petrol and diesel engine options. The petrol motors in question are the 1.2-liter turbocharged TCe engine (turbocharged engine) which makes 115 hp and a 1.6-liter naturally-aspirated engine producing a modest 85 hp. The diesel engine powering the Lodgy is the familiar 1.5-liter four-cylinder K9K motor found in the Duster as well. Like in the Duster, this engine is offered in two power states of 90 hp and 110 hp in the Lodgy.


The Indian version is expected to come with the 1.5 liter turbo diesel engine with a 5 speed manual gearbox. Internationally, the MPV is also sold with a 1.6 liter petrol engine. As Renault uses the same engine on the Duster, offering this petrol engine might not be a bad idea on the Lodgy as well. The Lodgy is a 7 seater. So, its competition in India will come from MPVs like the Maruti Ertiga, the Chevrolet Enjoy, the Mahindra Xylo and the Toyota Innova. Since the Lodgy is based on a low cost platform, the MPV could undercut the Innovas and Xylos of this world. So, a pricing close to the Ertiga and the Enjoy is what seems to be the ballpark figure for the Lodgy.


The Lodgy may not look as stylish as competitors, and the interior cannot be termed luxurious either. However, we expect an aggressive pricing to make up for these shortcomings in an MPV which is otherwise spacious and comfortable.

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