Renault's looking to extend its good run in India and up for launch in 2015 is the Lodgy MPV. We got a chance to drive it and here's what we think.
The best-looking bit is the nose. Its wide, smiling grille and neat black overlay blend really well together, and the large, high-mounted headlights look attractive too. The Lodgy also has a neatly executed protruding chin finished in matte black. Also finished in matte black are the pillars that hold up the roof and the pair of roof rails that sits atop it. The sculpted bonnet, subtle wheel-arch flares and descending roofline all contribute to make the Lodgy more palatable, and the tail-lights look pretty neat as well. But it’s not just the details; this car has decent proportions too. Built on a massive 2.8-metre long wheelbase, there are no ungainly overhangs.
When it is launched in India, the Lodgy will initially use the 1.5-litre K9K diesel in its 85bhp avatar with the 108bhp destined for later. It's the latter we drove and it is both smooth and punchy in the mid range. Once past 2000rpm, the torque comes in thick and fast, and it’s difficult to believe that this big MPV is being pushed by only a 1.5-litre motor. You can gather a lot of speed, even when the car is driven in a relaxed manner, and it has more than enough pace for country roads and state highways. The strong mid range also means performance is actually quite good, as long as you are willing to use the gearbox to keep the motor between 2000 and 4000rpm.
There’s a fair bit of turbo lag, though. Be anything but gentle with the throttle initially and the Lodgy will slump instead of taking off smartly from rest. Let the revs fall below 1200rpm and you will have to drop down to a lower gear if you want to get a move on. But that’s the price you pay for using a highly charged small-capacity motor. The upshot is likely to be much better fuel economy.
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