Team-BHP - The Renault Lodgy

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Originally Posted by ACM (Post 3218093)

To me the Lodgy looks quite good - as good or bad as the Maruti Ertiga

True… I guess that’s the segment which Renault will target. And being a Dacia they’ll have enough room to price it competitively.

Not that it will impact the success/failure in India, but its key to point out that car has the dubious distinction of scoring the lowest rating in 2012 Euro NCAP tests.

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Dr Michiel 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.”

Source: Euro NCAP

Renault Lodgy production will start at Renault-Nissan’s Oragadam plant near Chennai in December with sales scheduled to begin in early 2015. he Renault Lodgy, for India, is likely to receive a reworked cabin with better materials and more features such as rear air-con vents.

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At launch, the Lodgy will be available with Renault’s ubiquitious K9K 1.5-litre turbo-diesel in its 85bhp avatar. The 105bhp version of the same engine will be offered too, though at a later stage.

Source:ACI

Adding more options in MPV segment, Renault decides on the Loday for India. Could be exported to other international markets.

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The Renault Lodgy MPV will arrive into India in early 2015. The car will be built at the Renault-Nissan joint manufacturing facility at Oragadam, off Chennai. However, the Lodgy will be sold only with Renault badges and will not see Nissan sharing the MPV under a badge engineering exercise.

Lodgy is based on the second generation Logan (Dacia M0) platform and will feature a 1.5 liter K9K turbo diesel motor as the major engine option. A five speed manual gearbox will drive the front wheels of the 4.5 meter long Lodgy. Although the Lodgy is longer than the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, and is a little short of the Toyota Innova in terms of length and cabin space.

Pricing expected to be between the Ertiga and the Innova!

Renault is also likely to sell the Lodgy with a 1.6 liter petrol engined option, though volumes will be low , but incase petrol car demand improves due to diesel dergularization, then it would help.

http://www.cartoq.com/renault-lodgy-...ches-in-india/

Link to ACI's 2012 European Test Drive review of the 110ps Lodgy:

http://www.autocarindia.com/auto-rev...-371841,0.aspx

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The Lodgy’s greatest strength, however, is the space on the inside. There’s ample room in the cabin for even large passengers and space in the first two rows is all but unrivalled. Even tall passengers can stretch out and be comfortable on these massive seats. The third row has a surprising amount of room as well, and it’s relatively easy to access.

IMO this is one of the toughhest competitors in the Ertiga, Mobilio segment, despite a 3-Star rating in Euro NCAP.

Good move I would think. The smaller sized people mover segment is a burgeoning one.

It would be nice to have a more manageable size in the city, without compromising on the space and capacity.

The idea of offering a Petrol engine is also sound, because one can see that slowly but surely, Diesel prices are creeping up to meet Petrol.

There is always going to be some kind of difference between the prices of these fuels - just enough to keep the truckers lobby quiet.

Therefore, the ROI on a Diesel vehicle will take a much longer time to manifest itself, given the substantial price differential on the acquisition cost of petrol and diesel vehicles.

Unless of course, the manufacturers bring the prices of both Petrol and Diesel variants on par with each other.

This does look huge, almost like a Tata Winger (which is also an old Renault) and much bigger than compact MPVs like the Ertiga, Evalia, Enjoy and Mobilio. Space is bound to be good, and the Innova may finally get a true competitor.

Despite the front wheel driven monocoque structure, a 1.5 lit. diesel may be just about enough to pull this large MPV when it's fully loaded. Given the suspension prowess of the French, I think it would have the best ride quality of all MPVs in the country.

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Originally Posted by RSR (Post 3476078)

Despite the front wheel driven monocoque structure, a 1.5 lit. diesel may be just about enough to pull this large MPV when it's fully loaded. Given the suspension prowess of the French, I think it would have the best ride quality of all MPVs in the country.

The engine works well in the Stile and Evalia although we did not test under full load

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Originally Posted by RSR (Post 3476078)

This does look huge, almost like a Tata Winger (which is also an old Renault) and much bigger than compact MPVs like the Ertiga, Evalia, Enjoy and Mobilio. Space is bound to be good, and the Innova may finally get a true competitor.
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Given the suspension prowess of the French, I think it would have the best ride quality of all MPVs in the country.

Its closer to the size of an Innova than the Ertiga.

Actually there is nothing French about this car, other than the Renault badge. And it scored the lowest in 2012 Euro NCAP tests.

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Originally Posted by ajmat (Post 3476204)

The engine works well in the Stile and Evalia although we did not test under full load

Maybe it would work well in this MPV too, even in its 86PS & 200 Nm guise. At 1240 kg, it has a power-to-weight ratio of ~ 70PS/ton and a torque-to-weight ratio of ~ 160Nm/ton. Comparatively, the Innova (102PS & 200Nm) has only ~ 60PS/ton and ~ 120Nm/ton, because of it kerb weight (1680 kg).

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Originally Posted by vb-san (Post 3476209)

Actually there is nothing French about this car, other than the Renault badge.

True. As a Romanian Dacia, it's only a wannabe-French MPV powered by a French engine. But so is the Duster, and the Logan/Verito as well. The suspension on the Duster is one of the best around (this side of air suspensions) when it comes to ride quality. And the way the Logan/Verito eats up anything the monstrous Indian roads throw at it? Even a wannabe-French car can humble more expensive machinery on ride quality.

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Originally Posted by vb-san (Post 3476209)

And it scored the lowest in 2012 Euro NCAP tests.

3* on the Euro-NCAP 2012 rating - yes, it's quite average. But where are the NCAP (any NCAP) ratings of its competitors? Apart from Nissan's Evalia, which also scored 3* on the 2013 Euro-NCAP.

But what about the Innova? Xylo? Ertiga? Enjoy? Will Honda get even an ASEAN-NCAP rating for the Mobilio?

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Originally Posted by swiftnfurious (Post 2918419)

This is a link I came across in ACI.

Attachment 993194

IMO, the side profile is too flat looking, if you see the attachment above.

However, adding a customised roof rail (similar to the "Rouf Rails" added onto the Ertiga by some BHPians as shown in the Ertiga thread) might make it look a bit more palatable from the side, as shown in my attempted MS paint job done below:

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Originally Posted by vb-san (Post 3476209)

And it scored the lowest in 2012 Euro NCAP tests.

Apart from few enthusiasts or well auto educated buyers, who gives any consideration to safety? I think 7 out of 10 drivers will skip the seat belt if given an option, who will care about NCAP rating in this country? Neither does the Innova have one.

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Originally Posted by RSR (Post 3476299)

But so is the Duster, and the Logan/Verito as well. The suspension on the Duster is one of the best around (this side of air suspensions) when it comes to ride quality. And the way the Logan/Verito eats up anything the monstrous Indian roads throw at it?

Well said. I see Renault cars have the right suspension that India needs, classic example Duster and Logan. Somehow they have got that right, something the Hondas are still not perfect with.

The Renault Lodgy-renaultlodgyspiedinindia1024x574.jpg

Renault Lodgy spied in chennai. It's raining MPVs. :)

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At this point of time, there isn't much information on the Indian specific Lodgy and the heavy camouflaged test mule seen in the spy shots isn't helping either. However, the latest pictures indicate that the French auto maker will be bringing its Lodgy MPV to India's MPV market soon, which is heating up with the launch of Mobilio in the next couple of days.

Source:http://www.ibtimes.co.in/honda-mobil...e-india-604393

Picture credits: Indian Auto blog

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Originally Posted by arnabchak (Post 3477877)

This is a wrong move. Just ask the "musical" Evalia.

Sorry brother, couldn't agree here. Evalia is totally a different story.
When it come to Lodgy it comes loaded with features, acceptable front design (regarding the rear, there are mixed reactions) and regarding Evalia, except space and FE nothing much to say about it.

I don't see anything wrong with Lodgy actually. All that we need is a competitive pricing.