We do an extensive test drive of the Renault Lodgy World Edition. Like one never before. We drove it like we own it. On a weekend road trip with friends!
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I am a sucker for travel. Everybody knows it. Well, almost.
I was seldom one for “frequent” road trips. I love to drive/ride, my friends and family can vouch for that. And sure, I did a fair bit of driving between Mumbai and Pune every month. But ever since I moved base to Bangalore, the opportunities to get behind the wheel were limited. Which is why whenever a long weekend comes along, I throw in some basics into a duffel bag and hit the road. And all of these road trips, came with the limit of people and bags I could fit into my trusty hatchback. It could never be a huge group unless we got out 2 cars and increased our carbon footprint. And that was never ideal. Besides, the joy of us being together would be devoid with that option. A road trip isn’t fun unless all of you are together. Well, it isn’t as much fun.
Imagine my delight, when Renault told me they’d like me to take a quick look at the World Edition of the Lodgy! That vehicle comfortably seats more people, than I have friends. 8 to be precise. Now the only task left was for me to find me some friends. Lol.
I was scheduled to go check out the coastal town of Mangalore which is further down south from the metro that Bangalore is. And I was counting on the rains to favour me with some downpour, torrential or not, because that would make for a beautiful landscape to drive through. I asked around at work and a bunch of my buds were eager to hop along for the ride.
Our bags packed with weekend essentials, we were good to go.
What we enjoyed:
The Renault Lodgy is quite spacious. Despite being built on the monocoque suspension that is also on the Duster, they have increased the wheelbase and width of the MPV.
The World Edition of the Renault Lodgy has been put together well. The build quality, shut-lines, quality of materials used in the interiors, everything comes together pretty well on this vehicle.
The bejewelled grill is something I instantly took a liking to and you see the familial inspiration on the Kwid and the international Duster models.
Because I could fit in all of my friends in the vehicle, the weekend brought us closer to each other. That, I guess, was the highlight of this trip with the Renault Lodgy.
The Renault Lodgy World Edition comfortably seats 8 people across the 3 rows.
This was the first time I was driving any vehicle this big across cities. And yet it didn’t feel like a challenge because the Lodgy did exactly what you told it to. Driving through the twisties was a breeze.
The engine is 110 PS, a whole lot more than my 75 PS hatchback. And because of that much power, it came with an additional 6th gear. The highway, helped me clip the car comfortably. I wasn’t yearning for additional power or a gear.
The vehicle is at home in the city because the steering is sensitive and the slightest nudge will change directions.
The suspension is excellent, it absorbed all the bumps and potholes synonymous with the western ghats and their poorly maintained roads.
What we thought could be better:
A reverse sensor and camera (available on the RXZ variant of the Lodgy) would have been perfect considering the length of the vehicle.
Because I am short in height, the seat belt felt a little uncomfortable around the neck. Seat height adjust would be a good option to have.
Having said that, the long weekend was made a lot more fun thanks to the Lodgy. I was the only person driving the vehicle and didn’t feel in the slightest bit fatigued. For a large family, or someone popular (unlike me) with a lot of friends, the Lodgy World Edition would be the perfect tool to bring you all closer together.
Shot by Vishal Dey for Bowties and Bones.
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