[Tushar]

Renault recently introduced the Duster with an AMT. The new gearbox is offered as an option with the 1.5L diesel engine in its 108 BHP / 245 Nm state of tune and is available only with two-wheel drive. Renault has already confirmed its plans to introduce an AMT variant of the Kwid hatchback and now, the Lodgy MPV may get a variant with an automated manual transmission as well.

According to the report by NDTV, Renault will introduce an 'Easy-R' variant with a 6-speed AMT for the 108 BHP Lodgy. The Lodgy and Duster are based on the same platform and share powertrains as well. The addition of the AMT gearbox will give the Lodgy a much needed differentiating factor as there is a lack of a diesel automatic MPV in the market.

The Ertiga does get the option of an automatic, but it's only offered with the petrol engine, and while the Innova Crysta will get a diesel automatic, it is expected to get a heftier price tag than the outgoing model, which only gets a 5-speed manual gearbox and is already more expensive than the Lodgy. In a way, Renault could give the Lodgy the same advantage over the Innova that the Duster AMT has over the Hyundai Creta AT - a more affordable price point.

Renault may also be looking to take advantage of the Innova's expected price rise to tap into the fleet operator market. The Innova has been the fleet operators' workhorse of choice, but with the prices expected to rise, Renault may launch taxi market-centric versions of the Lodgy that will be cheaper than the current model. These variants will offer the bare minimum in terms of features, have a limited range of colours and may have different plastics and fabrics on the inside to cut production costs.

[Chetan_Rao]

The Lodgy is a competent vehicle even without an A(M)T, and the few rare owners I know who went against conventional wisdom to buy one are very happy with it. A.S.S. is a matter of who you interact with in India, not necessarily the brand. Even the epitome of A.S.S. in India has its share of horror stories.

Lodgy makes a lot of sense for larg-ish urban families or as a people mover with the bullet-proof K9K under the hood and robust mechanicals.

If Toyota prices itself out of the taxi segment with the Crysta, Lodgy may gain some of those lost sales. Perceptions aside, there isn't much an Innova can do that a Lodgy can't. AMT would add a world of convenience in rapidly choking urban traffic scenarios.

[daywiz]

This was my quote last month in the thread. Looks like its coming up as anticipated.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...review-21.html

Originally Posted by daywiz

Is anyone aware of the Lodgy getting an AMT and quickly addressed facelift & interior overhaul, next year in the wake of new competition. I met with the renault engineer who was in town, as they are prepping to launch the petrol version in the Gulf. He said product development is speeding up to rework a few things like interior space, an automatic transmission ( AMT will be applicable for some markets - namely India) and a new face.

So what do you guys think, will it revive its sale in India?

[carwatcher]

We all would like to see the Innova being seriously challenged.
Ertiga carved a niche of its own but is really not at all being considered by any prospective Innova buyer.
When the Lodgy was launched, I was pretty excited but my excitement lasted only 5 mins when I read on the official review that of all seats, the middle row was the least appreciated, I mean come on, are you seriously planning to challenge Innova.
Then the next point is horrible A.S.S. which is mentioned all over on Duster and Kwid thread.
One can comfortably say that while trying to compete with Innova, MPVs like Aria, Lodgy, Evalia etc. end up strengthening the bullet-proof reliability image of Innova.
Also if considering the resale value and maintenance, one can say that the Innova may actually be VFM too.

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

The Lodgy is a competent vehicle even without an A(M)T, and the few rare owners I know who went against conventional wisdom to buy one are very happy with it. A.S.S. is a matter of who you interact with in India, not necessarily the brand. Even the epitome of A.S.S. in India has its share of horror stories.

Lodgy makes a lot of sense for larg-ish urban families or as a people mover with the bullet-proof K9K under the hood and robust mechanicals.

If Toyota prices itself out of the taxi segment with the Crysta, Lodgy may gain some of those lost sales. Perceptions aside, there isn't much an Innova can do that a Lodgy can't. AMT would add a world of convenience in rapidly choking urban traffic scenarios.

[Rajeevraj]

Good Plans, but June/July may be too late. If they want to make an impact, they should have been ready just about now. With the Innova production stopped and the Crysta launch and deliveries 2-3 months away, Renault should have attempted to take advantage of that gap without an Innova in the market.

AMT is a good move. The Duster reviews indicate it is a decent performer. An Automatic full sized people mover should have some takers.

[JayD]

The AMT would give the Lodgy that edge it needs to survive in the market.

History has shown that unless one comes out with an novel concept, the Indian buyer prefers not to stray away from mainstream brands.

Something like this would shift a lot of buyers from the Ertiga, Innova and even the S cross and Creta I feel. The heavy clutch is one of the main drawbacks of the current Renault lineup and this should fix it well.

The Lodge AMT could also sell more than the Duster AMT due to the fact that there is no direct competition for it, unlike the Duster which has to battle with the smooth 6 speed and refined 1.6 of the Creta.

Oh, and while they are at it, they should really introduce a sliding middle row too. These two would do wonders for the Lodge which is struggling to gain any interest from the market.

[Dani7766]

I've always liked the Lodgy. I looks decent enough, has a proven k9k engine. I felt it will do quite well when launched, but I was proved wrong. Hope the AMT does bring a change.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by JayD

History has shown that unless one comes out with an novel concept, the Indian buyer prefers not to stray away from mainstream brands.

Bingo! Renault has tasted success with the Duster first, then the Kwid; both cars were successful only because they had solid differentiators.

The Lodgy AMT certainly has a diesel + AT USP in its segment. Clearly targeting the personal buyer with this combo (not the taxi market). And there's no reason for them not to. Since they've already prepared the Duster AMT, it's simply a matter of cut-copy-paste.

Just hope Renault moves quickly. When everything is ready, I don't understand why it should take another quarter.

[trishul]

All hail competition! this move from Renault ought to push Maruti to soon introduce AMT in Ertiga ZDi variant as well. Maruti already has introduced the Dzire Zdi AMT variant though the engine is in a lower state of tune. In the end its a nice win for the customers with more choices.

[daywiz]

Wonder if Renault will really STEP UP and do changes that make Lodgy as good as the Innova.
1. For starters, a sliding second row.
2. A slightly raised third row ( Is it so difficult?)
3. A larger set of tyres.
4. Lastly, introduce the AMT across the range or at least on the 85PS as well.


I'm hundred percent sure, there will be lots of takers.

The earlier Renault launches it, the better for them.

[mustang_shelby]

Originally Posted by Tushar

The Ertiga does get the option of an automatic, but it's only offered with the petrol engine

I am not an expert in automatic transmissions, and based on my limited knowledge I would think that the 6-speed AMT on Lodgy is better than the 4-speed AT on Ertiga. Although AMTs are not expected to be as smooth as ATs, the one on Ertiga is antique and also misses out on a gear ratio (4-speed) vs its manual counterpart(5-speed), which I think would be a drawback.

Am I along the right lines here, or off the mark ?
P.S. I am in the market for an Automatic 7 - seater and Lodgy is in the contention now after this news. Trying to ascertain if my assumption above about Lodgy's AMT expected to provide a better driving experience than Ertiga's AT is correct.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by mustang_shelby

I am not an expert in automatic transmissions, and based on my limited knowledge I would think that the 6-speed AMT on Lodgy is better than the 4-speed AT on Ertiga. Although AMTs are not expected to be as smooth as ATs, the one on Ertiga is antique and also misses out on a gear ratio (4-speed) vs its manual counterpart(5-speed), which I think would be a drawback.

Am I along the right lines here, or off the mark ?
P.S. I am in the market for an Automatic 7 - seater and Lodgy is in the contention now after this news. Trying to ascertain if my assumption above about Lodgy's AMT expected to provide a better driving experience than Ertiga's AT is correct.

I guess the Ertiga AT will be smoother, but overall drivability will be better in the Lodgy AMT. You can TD the Duster AMT and then take a call as to whether it makes sense to wait for the Lodgy AMT.

For a 7 seater AT, if budget allows, the XUV AT is the best bet. The 6 speed Torque Converter AT box on it is very very good.

[jinojohnt]

Following is the ex-showroom price for Trivandrum, available in Renault site (These are the variants for which AMT is proposed).

LODGY 110 PS RxL (7 / 8 seater) 1054225 Rs
LODGY 110 PS RxZ (8 seater) 1209204 Rs
LODGY 110 PS RxZ (7 Seater) 1240163 Rs
* Local entry tax, LBT and Octroi will be additional as applicable


Add 50K for AMT Variant, Registration and road-tax around 1.6 Lakhs, and Insurance around 35K.

We are staring at an on-road price of at least 13 Lakhs for the base AMT variant.
I think Renault would do good only if they introduce AMT in lesser models.

[daywiz]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

I guess the Ertiga AT will be smoother, but overall drivability will be better in the Lodgy AMT. You can TD the Duster AMT and then take a call as to whether it makes sense to wait for the Lodgy AMT.

For a 7 seater AT, if budget allows, the XUV AT is the best bet. The 6 speed Torque Converter AT box on it is very very good.

The 4-speed is a pain to ride in the maruti. Havent driven the XUV, but till the Duster AMT detailed user reviews are out, we can't pass a final judgement.

Originally Posted by jinojohnt

Following is the ex-showroom price for Trivandrum, available in Renault site (These are the variants for which AMT is proposed).

LODGY 110 PS RxL (7 / 8 seater) 1054225 Rs
LODGY 110 PS RxZ (8 seater) 1209204 Rs
LODGY 110 PS RxZ (7 Seater) 1240163 Rs
* Local entry tax, LBT and Octroi will be additional as applicable


Add 50K for AMT Variant, Registration and road-tax around 1.6 Lakhs, and Insurance around 35K.

We are staring at an on-road price of at least 13 Lakhs for the base AMT variant.
I think Renault would do good only if they introduce AMT in lesser models.

You are right that it might be expensive on first glance, but at the same time, Renault was trying its level best to get rid of the Lodgy stocks with steep discounts. It was prevalent in Cochin & Thrissur, but don't know the situation now. I am positive, they will drop the pricing to ensure that it stays in contention. A steep price for a close-to-dead model is inviting more trouble.

[harishhm74]

Good move by Renault and definitely my choices would be between Honda BRV and Lodgy now. Hope these get launched by May so that will be a perfect time to replace my manual Ertiga with a much awaited 7 seater automatic (don't mind either petrol or diesel). Innova Crysta AT might be too highly priced compared to these cars and hence probably out of my budget now.
Maruti should introduce the AMT on Ertiga diesel as they have done for DZire and it might pull away potential AT customers from Lodgy at a much lower price point. Although for me I am reluctant to replace an Ertiga with another Ertiga.