Renault Lodgy MPV primed for March 2015 Launch

Renault India’s first big launch of the year will be the Lodgy MPV. This MPV is likely to enter India in March 2015 even as test mules have been spotted testing numerous times in and around the French automaker’s factory off Chennai. The Lodgy is based n the second generation Logan (M0, pronounced Emm Zero) platform and its advent into India will mark the first instance of the M0 platform underpinning a Renault car in the country. The Lodgy sold in India will also be the first ever right hand drive version of the MPV anywhere in the world. Thus far, the Lodgy has been selling in Europe with Dacia badges, albeit with a left hand drive layout.

In India, the Lodgy will be a rival of the Toyota Innova in terms of dimensions. Notably, the French MPV with Romanian roots is actually much larger than the Innova in terms of the wheelbase it offers. The MPV gets a 2,810 mm wheelbase and a length of 4,498 mm, figures that acquit themselves well in comparison to those of the Innova, which clock in at 2,750 mm and 2,585 mm respectively. The Lodgy measured 1,750 mm in wdith and 1,680 mm in height. Both five seat and seven seat variants are sold in Europe even as the 7 seat option is most likely for the India-spec model.

The Renault Lodgy MPV has mild India-specific changes

Renault India is expected to serve up the 1.5 liter-4 cylinder K9K turbo diesel engine on the Lodgy MPV sold here, in 85 Bhp-200 Nm and 108 Bhp-248 Nm states of tune. Considering that the monocoque platform equipped, front wheel driven Lodgy tips scales at a relatively light 1,350 kilograms (The Toyota Innova, with its ladder frame chassis and rear wheel drive layout, starts at 1,675 kilograms), the 1.5 liter K9K diesel motor should provide the French MPV with plenty of poke. Five and six speed manual gearbox options will be offered on the low and higher powered K9K engine variants powering the Lodgy.

In Europe, the Lodgy is also available with a 1.2 liter-4 cylinder TCe turbocharged and a naturally aspirated 1.6 liter-4 cylinder petrol motors. It remains to be seen if one or both of these engines will be offered on the Lodgy sold in India as petrol powered large MPVs form a niche market at best. The Lodgy is expected to be priced over the Maruti Ertigas and Honda Mobilios of this world, but lower than the Toyota Innova, with the 8-12 lakh rupee marks being the price points that the MPV is likely to debut at. The Lodgy will be the second big volume vehicle from Renault for India, after the hot selling Duster SUV.

Via AutocarIndia