Renault Lodgy, the much awaited MPV from the stables of the French car maker, is set to be unveiled at the 2014 Delhi auto expo. While the Duster launched in the country in July this year was an immediate hit, the company have similar hopes from the Lodgy as well. When launched in the country, the Lodgy will take on the likes of Nissan Evalia, which so far has failed to impress buyers. However, it is necessary to make an analysis in order to find out, which of these two utility vehicles is better.
The much anticipated Lodgy will be based on the Logan platform. The Lodgy available in the global market is a seven seater car, known for its elegant exterior and comfortable interiors. The car is 4500 mm in length and 1750 mm in width. On the other hand the Evalia, too has plenty of space and can easily accommodate 7 persons. The car is 4400 mm in length and 1695 mm in width, making the Evalia slightly smaller in size than the Lodgy.
The lodgy will come powered by the K9K 1.5 litre diesel engine, which is already present in the Duster. The 1461cc four pot turbodiesel engine will be mated to a six speed manual gearbox and would power the front wheels. The engine can churn out a power as high as 108.4 bhp at 4,000 and a maximum torque of 247 Nm at 2250 rpm.
The Evalia, too, on the other hand, houses a 1.5 litre K9K diesel engine capable of delivering a maximum power of 85 bhp at 3750rpm and a peak torque of 200 Nm at 1900rpm. Thus, as is clear from the above figure, the Lodgy has a more powerful engine under the hood and definitely takes a lead over its competitor on this parameter.
Lodgy will come with an aggressive front design with chrome grille on its exterior, that gives the Lodgy an appealing look. On the interiors, the Lodgy has more leg room and the option of adjusting the second and third row seats is also available, which would increase the storage space. The Lodgy will also come with MEDIA NAV multimedia system with touchscreen. The exteriors of the Evalia are decent with sleek and stylish front radiator grille. However, the Evalia has a rather van like appearance, which is a demerit of the car. The interiors of the Evalia are finished with elegance and have a good number practical convenience feature.
Thus, the Lodgy takes an edge over the Evalia and is expected to do a good business in the country. The Lodgy is expected to come with a price tag lower than that of Duster and somewhat close to the price of Evalia. The Lodgy is expected to come with a starting price tag of Rs. 9 lakhs.
