Renault Lodgy

Lodgy at a glance

A Dacia with a Renault badge

Dacia and Renault presented the Lodgy together at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2012. It was the people-carrier of the budget range that began with the Dacia Logan MCV, the estate it effectively succeeded as the family car of the brand. Production went to Renault's plant in Tangier, Morocco, and the badge depended on the market: Dacia in most of Europe, Renault in India, Ukraine and some other countries. Dacia's own story is told in our history of Dacia.

In India the Renault Lodgy was launched on 9 April 2015 at a base price of 819,000 rupees, about €11,500 at the time, in seven versions. It was assembled at the Renault–Nissan plant in Chennai until 2020. In Europe the Lodgy got a mild facelift in 2017 and was replaced by the Dacia Jogger in early 2022, while assembly for the Moroccan market continued until 2024.

Engines and performance

The Lodgy was offered with simple, proven Renault engines. All of them drive the front wheels, through five- or six-speed manual gearboxes in most versions.

The 1.3 TCe turbo petrol, shared with Renault and Mercedes-Benz, arrived in 2019 and made the Lodgy noticeably quicker. By our calculation, the 1.5 dCi 90 uses about 41 % less fuel than the old 1.6 petrol on the official cycle and emits 34 % less CO₂. For high-mileage family use the diesels were the obvious choice. Our fuel cost calculator shows what that difference is worth per year.

Seven seats and boot space

The Lodgy's main selling point is space for the money. The 2,810 mm wheelbase takes up about 62 % of the car's length by our calculation, which leaves room for three rows within a compact footprint. The second-row bench folds and tips forward, and the two third-row seats can be folded or removed completely.

According to the old version of this page, the boot holds 827 litres in the five-seat version and 207 litres behind the third row of the seven-seater. With the rear seats folded or removed, it grows to 2,617 litres. The same source gave a payload of 670 kg, enough for seven adults and luggage, and a turning circle of 11.1 m.

Lodgy or Logan MCV: space compared

Inside the group, the Lodgy's closest relative was the first-generation Dacia Logan MCV estate, which also offered seven seats. The two cars are almost the same length, but they solve the space problem differently.

By our calculation, the Lodgy offers about 267 litres, or 11 %, more maximum load space, mostly thanks to its taller MPV body. The MCV has the longer wheelbase and two side-hinged rear doors, while the Lodgy uses a conventional top-hinged tailgate. For families choosing between them on the used market, the Lodgy is in our view the better seven-seater for adults, while the MCV is the cheaper and lower car to load. Our size comparison tool sets both against newer seven-seat rivals such as the Jogger.

Equipment and versions

European Lodgys were sold in simple trim levels, from the basic Ambiance to the better-equipped Lauréate. The old version of this page named a later top version with a 7-inch touchscreen, navigation and 16-inch alloy wheels. Basic cars had few comforts, so the equipment list of a used car deserves a careful look. In India, Renault offered seven variants from launch.

Safety and crash tests

Safety was the Lodgy's weak point. Euro NCAP awarded it three stars in 2012, the lowest result for any car tested that year. Our earlier version of this page reported the detailed scores as 72 % for adult occupants, 77 % for children, 44 % for pedestrians and 29 % for safety assist.

In India, Global NCAP tested a version without airbags or ABS in 2018. It scored 0 of 17 points for adult protection and 15.67 of 49 points for child protection. Buyers should therefore check the specification of any used Lodgy: front airbags, ABS and stability control make a real difference in this car.

The Lodgy Glace: an ice-racing Lodgy

An unusual chapter was the Dacia Lodgy Glace built for the Andros Trophy, the French ice-racing series. Dacia announced its entry in November 2011, before the road car was even revealed. The race car had a mid-mounted 3.0-litre V6 with 265 kW (360 PS) and four-wheel drive, and with former Formula One champion Alain Prost at the wheel it won the seven-round series, with four victories and six further podiums. It had nothing in common with the road car apart from its silhouette, but it gave a budget MPV rare publicity.

Lodgy against its rivals

The Lodgy competed with compact MPVs such as the Volkswagen Touran, Ford C-Max, Kia Carens and Mazda5, which generally offered more equipment and a more modern feel, but at a clearly higher price. Another relative within the group was the Renault Kangoo, a van-based people-carrier with sliding doors. Since 2022, the Dacia Jogger has taken over the role of the low-cost seven-seater.