Renault is the latest entrant into the multi-purpose vehicle space. With the Lodgy, Renault will attempt to take on the segment leader Toyota Innova. But, at the same time, it will also try to pull in customers from the lower-priced, more compact MPVs like the Honda Mobilio and the Suzuki Ertiga, which have essentially been built on hatchback platforms.
The Renault Lodgy has been priced aggressively and officially launched on Thursday. You might have read our test drive report of the Lodgy in these columns a couple of weeks ago. Like we had mentioned there, the Lodgy packs a lot of driver-friendly features and based on the price announcement is also good value for money.
Renault has put to rest early speculation that the number of variants will be few and has instead offered a decent spread of variants under both the states of tune for the engine. But, the Innova is still at the top with the number of permutations and combinations it offers.
The Lodgy Vs Innova bout is fairly balanced with both the competitors being good in the ride quality, NVH and cabin ambience parameters. The Innova just scores a few points more for the material quality in the cabin, especially the dashboard. But, on a variant-to-variant compare, the Lodgy will probably have a couple of more features and a lower price. The shoulder room and overall cabin space is also probably just a bit more in the Renault MPV.
We have chosen the three large MPVs so that the size and price comparison is fair and because these really as the ones that will be facing-off with the Lodgy. Of the three, the Lodgy’s design is the most aggressive and novel. The Innova design’s, though refreshed, is a bit too familiar by now. But, all the chrome elements and paint quality manage to lift the overall look of the Innova.
The Nissan Evalia is based on a global platform and is a very safe design, though not exactly exciting. Its sliding rear doors are actually a good option for crowded Indian parking conditions and should allow for easy exit either to the left or the right based on traffic conditions. Unfortunately though, Indian buyers don’t seem to appreciate this practicality and view this as being MPV-ish. The small sliding glass window for the third row seat in the Evalia still doesn’t completely eliminate the feeling of being cramped there.
Air-conditioning performance is fairly similar across all three brands’ vehicles, with the Innova probably just a bit ahead with its ability to cool the cabin quickly. The fully-loaded Lodgy’s cabin has more bells and whistles to offer than the other two. All three vehicles also offer similar flexibility in terms of seat positions and expanding storage at the rear by flipping and tumbling the seats. The Lodgy’s combination is a bit easier to use.