2015 Renault Lodgy review, road test

Read the 2015 Renault Lodgy review, road test from Autocar India; Is Renault's first MPV for India a game changer?

Published on May 02, 2015 08:00:00 AM

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MPVs are more about space and practicality than style, and this is quite evident in the Lodgy’s styling. The Renault doesn’t look as contemporary as the Mobilio, but is pleasant enough. The profile is typically MPV — the short, steeply raked nose meets the large windscreen and massive body, but the car’s ungainly length and brick-like sides make it look more like a mini-van than a family MPV from certain angles. But there are some interesting details. The slightly flared wheel arches give it a more purposeful stance, the smart, large chrome grille looks imposing and the teardrop-shaped swept-back headlamps look attractive too. The rear of the Lodgy is large and very boxy, and the 15-inch wheels look a bit too weedy.

The Lodgy is based on Renault’s hardy B platform that also underpins the Duster, though the MPV’s wheelbase is a massive 137mm longer. In fact, the Lodgy has the second-longest wheelbase in the entire MPV segment, after the Tata Aria. Its monocoque construction also allows it to sit lower than the conventional body-on-ladder MPVs like the Innova and the Aria. Thanks to its large dimensions, the Lodgy is among the heaviest of the monocoque MPVs, but to compensate, it has the most powerful engine. At the front, Renault has employed independent MacPherson strut suspension while the rear is suspended via non-independent torsion beam. Stopping power also comes through a conventional front disc and rear drum set-up.