Friday, June 26, 2015

Renology (A study of Renault Lodgy)


Renault Lodgy the latest offering from Renault in India does have a strange stodgy not really appealing name – Lodgy. I read somewhere that the name is derived from ‘Lodge’ to signify the model’s ability to accommodate a family and its luggage. So be it. It was launched in Europe in 2012 and now makes its appearance in India to make inroads into the MPV market.
I would like to make it clear at the outset that this is a review of the car purely from a user’s point of view as I am no technical wiz. Shall also give a senior citizen’s perspective.
As far as looks are concerned I would not give it a second look when it passes me by on the street 


except maybe for the fact that it moves fast. Looks like any other MPV in the market till you actually


stop and have a close look. It has unique tail lights and a longer than normal wheel base.
Getting in and getting out is a breeze. No need to struggle. Once in, the seat is very comfortable and you get the feeling of space and does not make you feel claustrophobic. Enough of headroom and large windows too. However, while sitting in the driver’s seat, the left arm rest seemed more of an intrusion than an item of comfort. Fortunately it could be folded up.
A comfortable 7 seater if passengers and the driver are not tall as the 2nd row cannot be moved ahead or aft so if the guys sitting in the front seat are tall and have pushed back their seats, the passengers in the 2nd row will feel cramped. And the feedback from the 3rd row was that they had to seat with their knees up. And if you are going to use the 3rd seat you cannot carry much luggage hence it can be used only if you are maybe going for a picnic with friends. But, if you are going for a long drive then all you have to do is fold the 3rd seat and voila! You have enough space for a month long road trip! So ideally, this is good as a 2nd car to go trippin’ over the weekend or some nice long drives as it wont be practical to drive around in the city specially with the lack of parking spaces. So along with the hatchback for your nifty city drives this is perfect for long distance drives.
Drove both the versions, the 109BHP version and the 84BHP version. Both handled very well on the highways and the small potholes were not even noticed. Excellent suspension is a blessing on our roads here. The pickup and the braking, both were impressive. Especially the braking is important as we know how, even on our expressways, we have sudden appearances of cattle, goats and of course humans to remind you they were there before you!



It also has a touch screen entertainment cum navigation console where you can play the radio, or music through your phone via the Bluetooth and also navigate where you want to go on the preloaded maps. The console can be used to assist you in reversing too. 
There are 8 speakers to rock your world and the insulation of the car is so good that there is barely a whisper heard of ambient street noise apart from of course someone honking at you.
Overall a good vehicle if you like to travel with family and friends and maybe a pet in the last row too!
For all technical details please visit Renault at https://www.renault.co.in/vehicles/personal-cars/renault-lodgy.html and then their showroom for a test drive to get the feel yourself. 

I was a part of the #LiveLodgycal Drive by BlogAdda.com in association with Renault India


10 comments:

  1. Hari OM
    don't know that we have this version in the UK - haven't heard that name and I prefer your version of it!!! Confession - I would never willing buy a French car (long story). However, beggers can't be choosers, so when father handed down his old Renault to me, I accepted gracefully. It is not a beauty, certainly and the clutch is a bit of a b*****... but it fairly motors along and does what it needs to do.

    Still wouldn't buy one though - and neither did dad - his new one is a Hyundai!

    That all said, I can see this would be a good alternative to the Innova which predominates in India... YAM xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Certainly is a wonderful alternative to Innova. Cheaper by about 3-4lakhs and apparently much more fuel efficient too! Most importantly keeps the outside noise out unlike Innova.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    3. Hari OM
      (what happened there??? etherwobble....typing on the tablet can be 'interesting'... ) Was saying that yes, Innova are noisy animals - and the Renaults are quite 'hermetic'... though, being claustrophobic, I tend to travel with the window open!!! &*> Yxx

      Delete
  2. Your Facebook posts show that you people have enjoyed to the fullest... :-) Looks like a nice car...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Somehow most Indian buyers will find the looks of French cars - Queer!! Apart from that French automobile companies will have to try very hard to make a foothold in market. Whatever they may think (highly about themselves) Indian consumer don't give a damn about their brand and products for simple reason....except for African subcontinent they have never seen popularity of their cars soar in any major international market! Even duster in its original design was not launched in India else it would have been a flop! so unless these companies are ready to adapt and improve upon their offering vis-a-vis competition, no one is going to give them a second look! Peugeot has already seen their product flop miserably long back... and so has Renault in case of some products like Fluence, scala, pulse, koleos..

    ReplyDelete

Road tripping in Germany - 7 Black forest

  Bühlertal Our final destination on this road trip before we returned to Berlin was the cherry on the cake, rather the cake itself! Yes, ...