Renault India will soon add a new vehicle in its product portfolio; rumours have been doing the rounds of late that the French auto maker will bring Lodgy MPV in domestic market by next year. The MPV was first displayed a year ago at the 2013 Ukrainian auto show. A suavely designed MPV has a boxy semblance which hints at its capacious cabin. Chrome inserts could be seen in the front and other modifications will also be made to the front and rear profiles of the India-spec model. Built with a capacity to seat seven adults comfortably, the MPV will compete with other seven seater MPVs in India including Ertiga and upcoming Mobilio.
An expected price ranging between Rs 7 lakh to Rs 9 lakh is being speculated for the MPV. Ertiga on the other hand is priced below Rs 6 lakh (Rs 5.80 lakh to be precise) and upcoming Mobilio is likely to come with a starting price of Rs 6.5 lakh, though the actual price will be revealed on the day of launch. Therefore to sustain competition it is extremely important for Renault to price the car competitively.
Renault will house the same 1.5 litre diesel engine in Lodgy MPV that powers Duster compact SUV. The 1.5 litre diesel powertrain produces varied power output of 85 PS and 105 PS. Petrol trims are likely to be equipped with a 1.6 litre motor. A five-speed manual gearbox will be paired with both the engines, except for the 105 PS trim that is supposed to come mated to a six-speed manual transmission.
