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Indians love travelling together and considering that an average Indian family is larger than anywhere else in the world (except maybe, China), large, seven-seat MPVs are ideal family cars. Over the years, customers have shied away from people movers as they found them to be too basic, boxy and uninspiring. But not anymore. Newer seven-seaters have their game on and they are not only practical, but are also aspirational, comfortable, have power ful engines and are even quite decent to look at. The budget MPV market in India is quite widespread with the range starting from smaller cars like the Ertiga, which costs around Rs 8.72 lakh and goes all the way up to the ever-popular Toyota Innova which retails at a whopping Rs 15.16 lakh. There are as many as nine people movers to choose from in this bracket, of which, we have shortlisted four here. The Ertiga is the smallest here and like most Marutis, is a great value-for-money package. It offers unbeatable after sales service, looks modern, has a quality cabin and the compact dimensions make it an ideal daily car too. The Honda Mobilio, on the other hand, is slightly bigger than the Ertiga and on the inside, it’s car-like as well. On the upper end of the MPV scale is the Innova and is the one to beat here. It has been on sale in India for more than a decade and is still the undisputed king in this segment. It offers everything that an MPV owner is looking for – reliability, space, quality, comfort and premium value and retails for a whopping Rs 15.16lakh. The newest entrant in this crowded segment is the Renault Lodgy. Based on the successful Duster SUV, the Lodgy’s price puts it bang in the middle of the MPV range and it promises to offer the best of both worlds. It is very spacious yet compact, it has the most powerful engine here, drives well and is easy to use on a daily basis. So, which of these XXL cars would make for the perfect family vehicle?
Performance
Engine downsizing is currently in trend and it doesn’t come as a surprise that except the Innova, the other three compact MPVs are powered by engines which displace less than 1500cc.
The Lodgy is powered by the popular 1461cc dCi engine and it comes in two states of tune. The more powerful version makes 108.6bhp and has 24.98kgm of lugging power which makes it the most powerful MPV in this test. The 1.5-litre diesel motor pulls really strongly once revs rise beyond 2000rpm and carries on till 4000rpm, after which power tails off. On open roads, the really punchy mid-range means it’s easy to overtake cars at typical highway speeds. Although the sixth gear doesn’t help you gather pace quickly, it’s a great tool for efficient fuel sipping as the engine speed at 100kph reads only 1900rpm. The Lodgy sprints to 100kph from standstill in a scant 11.5 seconds, making it, by far, the fastest MPV on sale here. That said, the motor has initial throttle delay and combined with the heavy clutch, makes driving this Renault in stop-go traffic a little cumbersome.
The Mobilio is powered by an all-aluminium 1.5-litre diesel motor. Maximum power is rated at a good 98.6bhp while pulling power is 20.39kgm which comes at a low 1750rpm. The Mobilio’s 1.5-litre diesel engine is at its best in traffic. That’s got a lot to do with this motor’s ready responses and instant delivery of power, but revving it more doesn’t give you as much power as you would expect. It’s also got the most progressive clutch and its gearbox is easy to shift and has a nice mechanical feel to it. The Honda is happy to amble around in third gear, even at speeds as low as 30-40kph; tap the accelerator and it gathers speed quite rapidly. Even on the highway, the Mobilio pulls well, and there is more than enough grunt to execute a high-speed overtaking move. The engine refinement, though better than before, is still a sore point and the motor feels a bit clattery most of the time.
The Ertiga, on the other hand, is powered by the smallest engine in this group and it doesn’t take long to realise that the 1.3-litre motor doesn’t make it the most comfortable car to drive in traffic. There is quite a lot of throttle lag below 2000rpm and you need to keep changing gears to drive smoothly. A full complement of seven passengers further accentuates this drawback. Once past 2000rpm though, there is a sudden burst of acceleration, and this also makes it quite tricky to drive. It gets better on the highway though, and displays enough grunt for reasonably rapid progress. This is also thanks to the 1.3-litre engine’s strong midrange.
The Innova has, by far, the biggest capacity engine in this test, but the unit is a bit of a chink in its armour. The 2.5-litre D-4D unit makes just 102bhp and 20.4kgm of torque and is easily outclassed by its smaller rivals. Still, the advantage is that there is no delay in power and the Innova pulls cleanly from 1000rpm which makes it extremely driveable. What it isn’t so good at is highway speeds. The Innova feels best at 80kph, post which, the engine gets quite noisy and unnecessarily strained. Compounding matters is the short fifth gear which makes it feel uncomfortable while cruising too. Flat-out acceleration isn’t impressive either. 0-100kph takes a leisurely 17.50sec, which makes it by far the slowest car in the group.
The Lodgy impresses when it comes to ride and handling as well. As it’s based on a stretched Duster platform, the Lodgy smothers even the biggest of potholes with ease and you don’t have to slow down for rough roads either. In fact, the faster you go over broken surfaces, the better the ride and it easily is the best in the group. In the Mobilio, you feel more of the road inside the cabin. There is a hint of stiffness at low speed especially compared to the Lodgy and even the Ertiga. But otherwise, the Mobilio absorbs bumps well, especially once you get the speed up. It also feels remarkably stable on virtually any surface, and this makes it great for long distance drives.
In contrast, the Ertiga has soft springs and this means the low-speed ride is pliant; it handles even bigger bumps with aplomb and feels pretty solid. The Ertiga’s suspension works pretty silently too; it’s just over sharp bumps that there is a mild thud from the suspension. It, however, isn’t very stable at speed and there is a fair bit of up-and-down movement over undulating surfaces and this means the Maruti feels best at moderate to medium speeds. The Innova has a bit of stiffness at low speeds and you do feel the bumps on broken surfaces. Up the pace, however, and the ride smoothens out, and the extra stiff suspension means, despite its 1.7 tonne weight, it doesn’t move around like a boat. Even the steering is quite direct and this makes this mammoth MPV quite easy to punt around in town.
As for handling, the Lodgy feels very stable at high speeds and rarely gets out of shape. Even at normal speeds, the handling is pretty impressive for a people carrier and the car’s direct steering is quite rewarding. But it’s so quick that it does take some getting use to and the feel isn’t great, especially off-centre. Even the brakes feel a bit grabby and the pedal lacks progressive feel. The Mobilio feels the most car-like to drive in this group. Agility is very good and it surprises you with how comfortable it is around corners, even if you are carrying a lot of speed. There is loads of grip despite the weedy 175 section tyres and the direct steering is really confidence inspiring. In hectic city traffic, the Mobilio’s lighter, more measured controls make it the easiest to drive of the lot as well.
The Ertiga feels best in a straight line and it’s not particularly eager to dive into corners. The steering is nicely weighted but the soft set-up makes it a car that’s best for comfortable commuting and not for the enthusiast. The Innova, on the other hand, feels quite impressive considering its weight and the fact that it is the only one here with a heavy chassis. The steering is a bit heavy in traffic and you can feel the bulk. Still straight-line stability is good, it feels nice and poised in corners and you can even carry a bit of speed.
What are they like inside?
Slide into the Lodgy’s cabin and you are welcomed by a pleasant ambience. The light colours, low dash and large glass house make the interiors quite airy. The dashboard design is quite similar to the Duster’s, but thanks to the glossy-black centre console and silver inserts, it actually feels more plush. The cabin quality and finish, though not as good as the Ertiga or the Innova’s, is quite acceptable and the large touchscreen display gives the insides a lift too. However, bits like the air-con controls feel a little low-rent and are clunky to operate. Being a practical MPV, there are loads of cubbyholes and bottle holders in the cabin.
The upshot of the large exterior dimension and boxy shape is the amount of volume inside the cabin, and thanks to this, the Lodgy is properly spacious. Front-seat occupants have plenty of room, the visibility out is great and the seats are big and supportive as well. The middle row is quite spacious too with good knee-room, but it’s a shame there’s no option to slide the seats backwards, as this would have given the Lodgy the flexibilty that some of its rivals offer. While the middle row is quite comfortable, the bench is not that supportive and somewhat lacking in thigh support. The last row offers sufficient head, knee and shoulder room, but the rear wheel wells eat into the last row width and as a result, sitting here is only marginally better than in the Mobilio. With all rows up, there’s hardly any luggage space on the Lodgy, so, if luggage capacity is priority, it’s best to travel with five passengers.
The Mobilio’s cabin quality is one of its biggest stumbling blocks. The dashboard plastics don’t have the richness of the others, and the overall design feels really spartan and out of place in this group. The touchscreen audio system and old-school AC controls feel like they were an afterthought and the impression you get is of a last-generation car. However, the driving position is spot-on – you sit low, the gear lever falls perfectly to hand and the dashboard is nice and low for a good view out. Space is quite decent and the first two rows have more than enough room. The front seats are comfy with good support but the rear seats are not very supportive or as accommodating as the Ertiga, or the Innova’s. It’s the third row where the Mobilio falls short of its rivals. It may have more space than the Ertiga but the low seat means it seriously lacks under thigh support and is quite narrow too. On the plus side, even with all-rows up, the Mobilio has enough boot space for two large suitcases.
The Ertiga’s cabin quality is almost as good as the Innova’s and the neat dash looks appealing and up market. The Maruti’s big doors open wide, which makes it easy for occupants to get in and out. However, the middle row seat only slides forward and doesn’t tumble down like in others. This makes accessing the third row inconvenient. But once inside, the last bench is surprisingly comfortable. The other three have more knee room but thanks to the adjustable middle seat, you can liberate enough space for your legs. You also have a nice, upright seating position and under thigh support is by far, the best.
The Innova might be a decade old but the updated cabin still has the best quality in the segment. You get top-quality materials and excellent fit-and-finish and it feels a notch above the others. Interior space is the best too and you’d also appreciate the width on offer in this massive cabin. The seats are comfortable and thanks to the high position, you get a commanding view out. Even the tallest drivers can get comfortable behind the wheel, and this seems to have little effect on rear seat comfort; the second row is the best among this lot. Although in the third row, you sit low, legroom is more than enough and you’ll be comfortable over long journeys.
Buying & owning
The Lodgy only comes with a diesel engine. The top RxZ variant with the 108bhp retails at Rs 11.49 lakh. The standard warranty on offer is a two-years/50,000km. The Mobilio diesel in the V(O) variant costs Rs 10.63 lakh. Standard warranty available is a rather conservative two-years/40,000km. The Ertiga, on the other hand, is the most affordable at Rs 8.72 lakh for the top ZDi variant. Maruti offers the same warranty here as Honda. The Innova, at Rs 15.16 lakh, is, by far, the most expensive here. Toyota offers a warranty of three-years/ 1,00,000km. On the fuel efficiency front, the Mobilio is the most frugal in this test with an overall figure of 16kpl. The Lodgy and Ertiga are closely matched with overall figures of 14.9kpl and 14.8kpl, respectively. The Innova, thanks to its high kerb weight, is the least efficient, with an overall figure of 12.05kpl.
Equipment & safety
All four MPVs in this test are top variants and all come with a long list of standard features. In their top trims, they come equipped with alloy wheels, rear windscreen defogger, washer and wiper, keyless entry, comprehensive trip computers, tilt-adjustable steering, height-adjustable driver’s seat and electrically adjustable wing mirrors (the Innova ZX and Ertga ZDi get integrated turn indicators too). On the safety front, there are a few similarities too, with each of the competitors offering a driver and front passenger airbag and ABS. However, the Mobilio V (O) and the Ertiga ZDi trims get EBD as well. While the Lodgy RxZ is the only one to get Brake Assist. Renault offers ABS standard across the entire range.
Unlike the Lodgy, the other three come with a CD/MP3 player while the Renault only comes with USB, aux-in and radio compatibility. All competitors offer Bluetooth audio and telephony connectivity except the Maruti Ertiga. The Lodgy, Mobilio and the Innova get an integrated touchscreen on the infotainment unit while the Ertiga gets a bare bones, old-school music system.
Apart from the Innova which gets six speakers, the other three come with only four speakers. The Innova and the Mobilio also get a DVD player which add to their entertainment factor. All four MPVs get steering-mounted audio controls, but the Lodgy and the Innova additionally get Bluetooth telephony controls.
All four MPVs get day/night internal rear view mirrors. While all four cars get powered external rear-view mirrors, the Mobilio’s units electrically fold too. The Lodgy and Innova get an option of leather upholstery, but you can have that only in the captain seat-equipped versions. Unlike the Ertiga, the Lodgy, the Mobilio and the Innova get AC vents for the third row too. Surprisingly, the Ertiga lacks a rear-view camera, which the Mobilio, Lodgy and the Innova trims come equipped with. Only the Lodgy gets parking sensors which is very useful on such a large car. In terms of unique features, the top trim of the Innova gets automatic climate control while the Lodgy gets standard roof rails and cruise control.
The Ertiga scores favourably in many areas. It has a premium feel, it rides and handles reasonably well, the seats are very comfortable and is easily the best value car here. What it lacks however, is space and size, which is so important in this segment and the engine with its jerky power delivery marks it further down. The Mobilio, meanwhile, looks the most current of the lot and being masters of packaging, Honda has squeezed out the most cabin space in this tiny MPV. But what you dont get even though you spend more than Rs 10 lakh on a car, is a premium feel. The cost-cutting is glaringly obvious on the inside and so is the lack of insulation and equipment. To make things worse, the cabin feels spartan too. And though the engine is a strong performer, it is the least refined and adds to the utilitarian feeling.
As a product, the tried and tested Innova ticks most of the MPV boxes. The build quality is top-notch, and the comfortable high-speed ride makes it ideally suited for long journeys.
The only hurdle is the price, which is significantly higher than its rivals. Yes, the Innova does offer more space and is the comfiest as a seven-seater, but when you consider its ageing engine
and middling efficiency, it gets edged out a bit.
The Lodgy may seem a size down on the Innova and the third-row may not be as comfortable, but the Renault MPV delivers in areas that matter most. The airy cabin and decent equipment levels make you feel like you’ve got your money’s worth and then some; it’s got the best performance, it’s the most refined, the best to drive and has great efficiency too. What adds to the feel-good factor of the Lodgy is its attractive price which eventually seals the deal. So, while it has its issues, the Renault is the best all-round car and despite its premium price, it delivers the maximum MPV for your buck.
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