Scoop: Renault Lodgy spotted in India

As per our earlier article, Renault had disclosed its intentions of launching the Lodgy in India. IndianAutosBlog reader has spotted a test mule of this MPV being tested in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

The test mule is heavily camouflaged, hence minimum exterior design cues can be identified. However, the Lodgy's design language (as appeared in international markets) clearly speaks of form over function.
 
One of the pictures reveal the interiors of the Lodgy. The dashboard is two toned - beige and black, housing circular air-con vents surrounded by chrome rings. Also noticeable is the storage area above the central console. The dashboard design seems identical to the one found on the Lodgy sold in international markets.

The Lodgy is based on the same MO platform which is derived from the BO platform of the Renault Duster. It is likely to be powered by Renault's 1.5 litre K9K diesel motor which currently does duty in several Nissan and Renault cars in India.

This 7-seater MPV will be Renault's 6th offering in India and will compete with cars such as Honda Mobilio, Maruti Ertiga, Chevrolet Enjoy, Nissan Evalia and Toyota Innova. The Lodgy is expected to go on sale in the first quarter of 2015.