Renault India Private Limited (RIPL), the Indian subsidiary of French auto giant Renault, is believed to be working towards launching another low cost product from its Dacia brand in the Indian market. The yet-to-be launched offering is a new 7-seater Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) bearing the namesake 'Lodgy', with which the French auto maker will be targeting to consolidate its position in the Indian Utility Vehicle (UV) market.
Renault is currently on cloud nine with its compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) Duster, which is enchanting Indian audience since its launch in July 2012. The company has already recorded over 20,000 bookings of its immensely popular SUV till date and the upcoming Lodgy MPV will be expected to repeat a similar story.
Industry experts believe that the French auto maker will find it easy to retail the Lodgy MPV in the Indian passenger car market, as the car borrows most of the staple components featured in the Duster compact SUV. The Lodgy is anticipated to feature the popular Renault 1.5 litre K9K diesel powertrain under its hood and is also expected to be launched in both diesel and petrol guises. The K9K engine is found in most Renault and Nissan products in the Indian market and has worked wonders for the Franco-Japanese alliance towards cementing their position in the domestic car market.
The yet-to-be launched Lodgy could bring a distinct flavour in the present Indian MPV segment mix, in which currently Toyota Innova, Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and Nissan Evalia are tussling for the top position. The Lodgy's pricing could be a decisive factor in forecasting its future and the French auto maker is expected to bring another aggressively priced product in the Indian market. The Lodgy is expected to hit the Indian shores towards the end of 2015.
