[GrammarNazi]

The Lodgy probably challenges Innova in many aspects, but sure as hell does not defeat the overall package. It's not just the 3rd Row of Innova thats still MUCH better, but also the overall size & feel.

IMO this'll help arrest the ever climbing prices of Toyotas' Innova, but not much more than that. Moreover, the Innova itself is getting updated by next year (Early 2016 IIRC).

(I really liked how Team-BHP is fair to've added TATA Aria in the comparo.)

Infact, in some aspects, I have doubts if it's worth the massive ₹ 2 - 3 Lakh premium over Ertiga, reasons :
1) Number of Service centres.
2) Seating flexibility, the 2nd row isn't adjustable.
3) (for the 110PS variant) Same turbo lag as Ertiga.
4) Awkward design (Just my personal opinion)
5) Safety, got just 3 stars when crash tested (version WITH curtain Airbags), and the A pillar deformed.

Maybe it'll be useful to know the Power-To-Weight ratio *with* ~400kg (~6 People) laden. It'd be easier to assess how it compares to the heavier Ladder-On-Frame lot.

Anyway, the 110PS variant will have quite a painful lag, IMO if the typical driving would be 40% City & 60% highway, and I don't know why Renault hasn't addressed the same! Couldn't they tune it down to 100bhp and widen the turbo zone to start from 1500RPM!

This shows how little Renault has done to make he car suitable for us.

Sheet metal used by Renault has been improved, but safety ratings with Curtain airbags being just 3 stars speaks about how they've compromised on safety too! Should've atleast provided 2 Airbags in the RxL variant!

Anyway, if there's anything I've learnt from years of reading the Monthly Sales Analysis, it's the fact that, in India, the Brand sells. Other important stuff barely matters to the Indian consumer. So NO predictions from my side.

Enjoyed reading the review guys!

Rgds

[Gannu_1]

Terrific snaps Tanveer! The locales somehow reminded me of Breaking Bad!

As regards the Lodgy, I am not sure why these folks missed out on the sliding second row of seats. We have an Ertiga in our car pool and I can tell you, one of the best features in that car is the sliding second row. When there are no passengers on the rear bench, sliding the second row all the way aft gives ample leg room.

Also noticed JK Vectras as the stock tires being offered. Somehow they seemed to have received extremely poor reviews from the users. Related threads - 1 (JK Vectra tyres: Weird Failure), 2 (JK tyres, simply crappy manufacturing quality!), 3 (OEM JK Tyre damaged. Maruti SX4 at 16000 kms).

PS: Belated birthday wishes!

[moralfibre]

Thanks for the wonderful review Tanveer. Rating the thread a well deserved 5 stars.

The Lodgy has the advantage of being an excellent proposal in the 10-15L range right between the Mobilio/Ertiga to the highly overpriced Innova. I've spent quite some time behind the wheel of the Ertiga and the package offered for 10L was a sweet spot that gave it the much deserved sales numbers. That said, the last row in the Ertiga is only good for children less than 4.5 feet in height. With all seats in use, there is absolutely no room for any luggage in the car. The only option that remains sour for the Ertiga is it's inability to have a split fold on the last row. Very recently I pushed down the last row on it and ended up fitting:

4x International travel size suitcases.
3x cabin strollers
2x diaper bags
1x Pram

And still had 5 people travel comfortably in the car.



For the Lodgy, the inability to slide the middle row remains a very sour point. The first company that makes after market seat sliders for the car will surely make big bucks. The Innova remains a grossly overpriced proposition with Lodgy's entry in the market. I guess the price difference between the top end Innova and the top end Lodgy is roughly around 5.2 Lakh rupees. That saving could potentially take care of fuel expenses plus maintenance and upgrades for nearly 3-4 years. Thankfully the number of variants to choose for the Lodgy are far lesser (7 including all combinations) than the number of Innova variants (a total of 14 with BSIII and BSIV options).

The smaller engine displacement also translates to significant fuel savings for the Lodgy. I predict that the Lodgy will be a hit among fleet operators as well. What was surprising was the cost of the seven seater lodgy being more than the eight seater variant which is exactly the opposite in the case of the Innova. Seems like the leather upholstery in the Lodgy 7 seater takes the price over the eight seater variant.

Must drive the Lodgy today to see how it behaves in the real world against the Innova.

[ganesc]

What an attention to detail! Superb review.

The car apart from its looks/proportions seems really good. Like most people said, if Renault can bring in a sliding mechanism for the second row quickly, it would further add to the positives.
Just concerned about the ground clearance. The white Lodgy with 1 or 2 passengers at the middle row is already way low to the ground (Could be the shadow effect in photo but the gap between wheel well & tyre is also low). With full load, I think it will badly scrape its bottom in humps.

In white. Beefed up wheel arch more visible in this colour:

I still don't think Innova has got its worthy competitor. May be another MUV from Maruti based on the Ciaz platform would teach a lesson or two to Toyota.

O.T: We too have an Ertiga back home and if you properly adjust the middle row, it can seat adults in decent comfort in the third row but the problem is most Sales persons don't do that when you test drive and the third row ends up being unusable. This could be one another reason why Renault wanted to not put in a sliding mech in the middle row. With the third row neck restraint removed while folding, the 2nd row can be comfortable and its not that cramped as its claimed to be.

[jvm_1986]

Just back from a test drive of the Lodgy. Drove the 85ps version. Extremely refined and easy to drive. Ride quality is great as mentioned in the review. I feel that the second row space is sufficient for most and the lack of slider in the second row will be a problem only if a family has more than 2 six footers. 3rd row is not bad for short city drives. For longer drives, it can seat either children or very short people.
The on road price in Chennai for Rxl 85 ps is 11.17Lakhs.
This was the model garnering most interest. Overall, I feel it is a good people mover and the pricing is spot on.

Does 90% of what Innova does at approximately 70% of the price.

[WorkingGuru]

Nice review. Belated happy birthday.

It's very expensive. C'mon, 3 big ones more than Ertiga! 1L premium is all it deserves for the ultra-reliable 1.5L k9k /dCi engine.

Although necessary, I think its OK if the 2nd row does not slide. Here's why :

In a family outing, the person most likely to be driving is the husband, the father may, most usually, choose to sit beside (passenger seat). So the possible 6 footers have been taken care of.

The women i.e. the wife & mother would sit in the middle row. Most usually they'll be ~ 5'5" to 5'9". The 2nd row seems to be meant for them.

Kids would most possibly be in the 3rd row. That has sufficient space IMO.

Even when travelling with siblings/friends, it's likely the men would drive & wives would sit in the 2nd row.

But IMHO the price is unfairly high. There's no reason why a regular private buyer will choose Lodgy over Ertiga.

Also, GC of 174mm is not sufficient, that too with such a large wheelbase.

[fusionbang]

Got a chance to test drive the 110PS version of the lodgy today at Trident Renault, Mysore Road, Bangalore. Overall it is a nice car with some impressive features compared to Innova as well as duster.

My observations:

Likes:
1. Overall looks of the car
2. Driveability of the car with good braking power and car like feeling with its monocoque design. I din't feel I am driving an MPV.
3. Cruise control and speed limiter.
4. Steering response was good, it weighs up as speed increases.
5. Good NVH levels overall
6. AC was very effective and it cooled the cabin very quickly.

Dislikes:
1. Seats are not that great but comfortable, not sure how comfortable it is on long drives. I felt the seats are very small for an MPV, the width of the seat is lesser compared to my Santro's seat.
2. 2nd row seats are average. 3rd row seats will be comfortable only for children in long distance drives, adults might feel difficult to sit for long time, which will be a big let down for taxi segment. They are placed very low IMO.
3. Tyres are tad too small for a vehicle with bigger wheelbase. It should have been R16 like the duster.
4. Ingress and Egress is not comfortable as Innova. I saw couple of adults finding it difficult to get down of the vehicle after they came back from a test drive.

Overall an average spacious vehicle with refined engine, easy to drive in city traffic.

I was not impressed by the dealer, as I din't see any enthusiasm to sell the vehicle nor take details of the customer to follow up in future. Also I asked for finance options and there was no proper response from that sales person. Hence walked out of the showroom neither impressed or unimpressed

Few pics from the visit:

Space between B-Pillar and the seat, you can see the foot marks near the door, which happens during ingress or egress



Second row captain seat, width of the seat looks very small



3rd Row bench seat, observe the height from the floor



View from the 3rd row









Boot space when all the 3 rows are up

[swiftnfurious]

I do NOT find a reason why this should NOT sell! Duster was way too overpriced (than this even, personally) and still was a smash hit. I think a fair share of Innova sales come from the taxi segment. If Renault stops that, how would they sell high volumes?! Or probably the plan is to hold it for 6 months to cater to the personal segment and let it loose?

Between, STUNNING photography!!

[AutoIndian]

This has by far been the most comprehensive review of the Lodgy that I have ever come across, hat's off to both of you Tanveer and Vidyut . And yes belated birthday wishes to you Tanveer The bar of TBHP reviews has been raised one notch higher. Photography has been icing on the cake. I don't need to drive one to pass on my judgement. Since I own a pre-worshipped Innova I will try to list down the features/ points where the Lodgy scores over the Innova:

1. Six speed transmission
2. Better fuel efficiency, hence greater touring range
3. Higher power and torque ratings
4. Lesser kerb weight
5. Hence higher power/weight and torque/weight ratios
6. Well controlled NVH levels
7. Superior ride and handling
8. Middle row seats can tumble fold
9. Most important is the price

The Innova has some advantages over the Lodgy as listed below

1. Ladder on frame chasis, hence robust underpinnings and very abuse friendly
2. Shorter turning radius (5.4m) compared to 5.55m of Lodgy
3. Rear wheel drive, hence better load carrying capacity
4. Ages very slowly
5. Better quality and well screwed interiors
6. Fatter rubber (205mm Vs 185mm of Lodgy)

Lodgy has a fairly good chance to carve out a niche for itself. From pricing perspective it is placed spot on, at the middle of the wide spectrum, in which Ertiga is at the lower end and Innova at the higher. Due to the wide price gap between the Ertiga and the Lodgy and no petrol/CNG option like the Ertiga, the Lodgy won't eat into the Ertiga sales at all.

I have a feeling that Innova will also be untouched. Chauffeur driven cars, long tour operators, lease companies and Toyota loyalists will help maintain the monthly sales figures for the Innova. When the all new Innova is launched in 2016 and if the price gap widens further, we may see some downtrend. But even then due to the high premium in the used car market, there will be many takers for the all new Innova.

The Lodgy will have to prove itself and earn a fan following for itself. Only time will tell how far it succeeds in that. My best wishes to Renault.

[m8002?]

Visited the Renault Silk Board showroom. Everything is very well covered in the review.

Space:
I found the leg space adequate. I am 5'8" and felt the leg room good in 2nd and 3rd row. Coming from a baleno, I found the under thigh support low in 1st and 2nd row. I guess its not applicable to 3rd row.
NVH:
A big shout out to Renault for the NVH. Very impressed with the silent cabin.
Fit and Finish:
Built to a cost. The Z trims look decent with silver garnish. Not sure how the other trims will look.
Price:
They have priced it well. You feel you are not getting ripped off.

I feel Ertiga and Innova will continue to dominate the lower and higher end. Mobilio sales will be hit big time. Except the brand, I am not sure what they have to show against Lodgy.

This would definitely entrench Renault in the indian market. At last, Renault seems to be getting the products right.

[aaggoswami]

I had a look at Lodgy today, below is what I felt/observed :

1) The rear seat ( 2nd row ) is not that comfortable. After getting myself comfortable in driver's seat, I sat behind the driver's seat. The under thigh support is not good, certainly not good for a people carrier designed or rather meant to do long distance travelling.

2) Did not dare to get into 3rd row of seats.

3) Boot with all three rows up is very poor.

4) The exposed hinges for hood look bad.

5) Wiper and light stalks felt bad/cheap on top end 85ps version.

6) Sheet metal on panels and doors felt good.

7) A rather odd experience : The sales guy tried to adjust the seat height for me and as soon as I got on the seat, it just came down. This was rather embarrassing in front of others ( may be due to my relativley heavy build )

8) GC had to be more considering super long wheelbase.

9) The dashboard is very high mounted. Innova scores in this area very high IMO as the low dashboard mounting w.r.t driver seat helps.

10) Three adults of average size wont comfortably fit in 2nd row.

All in all, this car does not deserve so much more money over Ertiga. The 2nd row space is strictly average, Ertiga seats are more comfortable I felt and also the sliding row helps.
Innova should remain untouched and rightly so. Lodgy cannot compare to either Innova, Xylo or Aria as far as space is compared.

Felt that orientation of gearstick is towards left.

[scopriobharath]

I test drove the lodgy and things that popup are:

Negatives:

• Power is very less in city traffic compared to Innova. I drove the 85 PS, RxZ model. Third gear @ 30 kmph was juddering the vehicle
• Third row was really bad. I would say, as bad as Mobilio. My wife totally disliked the knees up position.
• 5th Steel Wheel compared to Innova's 5th Alloy wheel.

Positives:

1. Easier to drive than Innova
2. Size seemed smaller than Innova, hence easier to drive around

It WONT hit innova sales, because Innova's third row is unbeatable till date. A 5 seater craver, would probably end-up with a Lodgy. If I were buying a seven seater, I would give the lodgy a miss, because of the third row.

I personally don't believe in buying a 7-seater with a third row meant for kids and make adults sit there, inconveniencing them.

[Steeroid]

This may be a good time to buy an Ertiga at a discount - until the fate of the Lodgy is known for sure. I doubt if the Innova would be impacted at all - it takes more than an extended economy car platform to beat the first (and so far the best) MUV in the market. Disclaimer - this opinion is not based on first-hand experience with the Lodgy.

[chncar]

Had a look at the Lodgy on display at a mall in Chennai. Perhaps the engine/powertrain/suspension are the positives of the vehicle but since I could not test drive it, I could only check out the interiors and the space.

I came away with a negative impression overall:

• Interiors were plain and uninspiring for a car costing close to 15L on road. Nothing wrong with building the vehicle on a low-cost platform, but putting in low-cost interiors as well, is criminal IMHO (something that the Mobilio is guilty of as well).
• Space (for combination of first and second row) is very hatchback-like, and we aren't even talking spacious hatchbacks like the Jazz etc. A basic requirement for a mini-van or MPV is space and flexibility (something, to be fair both the Ertiga and Mobilio are pathetic at by comparison to true MPVs sold in Europe etc) but is all the more galling considering that they had a Duster-sized platform to work with.

So my overall impression (keeping 15L OTR price in mind) of the Lodgy :
Dodgy and Stodgy

[swiftdiesel]

Originally Posted by chncar

So my overall impression (keeping 15L OTR price in mind) of the Lodgy :
Dodgy and Stodgy

Were you able to get exact OTR for top end?