Indian Car News

Dacia-based, 7-seat MPV to rival Ertiga. Rs. 7-10 lakh. 2014 launch. Buoyed by the success of the Duster, Renault is now considering the launch of another Dacia sourced product – the Lodgy. This 7-seat, three row MPV would be a direct competitor of the Maruti Ertiga, the compact MPV which has opened up an all-new segment in the Indian market. The Lodgy would relatively be easy to manufacture in India as it borrows a lot of its mechanicals from the Duster. It will be powered by the venerable Renault 1.5 diesel K9K that is now the staple engine for most Renault-Nissan products in India.  However, keeping the practical characteristics of the Lodgy in mind, Renault is likely to offer just the 84bhp version of the K9K motor, which would be less expensive and more fuel efficient than the 110bhp option that comes in the Duster.  The Duster’s 1.6 petrol engine is likely to power the entry level Lodgy. According to sources in Renault, the Lodgy’s interiors would be heavily modified fo

The test car came with a sports package that includes low-profile tyres on 18-inch rims and a lowered, sports suspension. The launch car comes with what Merc calls a comfort suspension, which offers higher ground clearance, softer suspension settings and more practical 16-inch wheels on the base petrol variant, while the B 180 Sport gets 17-inch wheels. The sports kit no doubt adds to the ground-hugging looks of the B-class, but look past the eye candy and you’ll see what looks like a shrunken R-class. There’s that low bonnet, steeply raked windshield and high roofline, and despite the unusual shape, it won’t take long for even untrained eyes to tell it’s a Benz. Every current Merc styling cue is present – the oversized grille with the huge three-pointed star in the centre, the clamshell bonnet and the bumper with its integrated LED lamps all point to Stuttgart. Viewed in profile, your eyes are drawn to the sharp upswept kink that runs along the flanks and the unusually long sp