Dacia Lodgy MPV

Dacia presented the first official videos of the Lodgy after the first Romanian MPV was launched in Geneva this week.

Dacia announced today the prices for all the versions of the Lodgy: Acces, Ambiance and Laureate and the list of options available.

Dacia Lodgy was officially presented to the press today at the Geneva Motor Show. Dacia has revealed all the information about the new MPV model. The Lodgy will be available in five or seven seats versions and the prices start at 9500 euros (VAT included). The new Dacia model can be ordered form March 7.

The Dacia Lodgy has 4.5 meters long and 1.75 meters high. These figures translate into a generous interior space for five or seven passengers. The Dacia officials say that the Lodgy is "the best in class" in terms of space available for the third row seat occupants. Thus, the knee area is 144 mm and the distance from seat to the pavilion is 866 mm. The three seats on the second row are equipped standard with Isofix system, which allows a safe attachment for child seats. The modularity is an important attribute of the Lodgy model. In the 7-seat configuration, as needed, the third row of sits seat can be removed or folded.

The luggage space is adjusted by the number of passengers on board. Thus the in the five-seater version, the Lodgy offers 827 liters, and in the seven-seater version only 207 liters. If you decide to remove both rows of seats and leave only the two front seats, the luggage space goes up to 2617 liters.

The interior has been treated more carefully and has many improvements as the previous Dacia models. The Lodgy is the first Dacia model that will have a touch screen navigation system, Bluetooth and speed limiter. The multimedia navigation system (MEDIA NAV) is proposed as an option at a price of 300 euros (VAT included). The system includes radio, USB and jack socket, Bluetooth and integrated navigation system with 7” touch screen (18 cm). The USB and jack sockets allow the connection of an iPod or a smartphone. The titles are displayed on the MEDIA NAV screen and the selection is easy either on the touch screen or using the steering wheel satellite control. The Dacia Lodgy offers a second multimedia solution (found on the Ambiance and Laureate versions), called Dacia-Plug & Radio, 2 DIN, which contains a CD with MP3, Bluetooth connection, USB and satellite steering wheel controls.

Another novelty offers by the Lodgy is the speed limiter, available as an option on the Laureate version. This allows the driver to set a driving speed that does not want to exceed and thus drive safely. Another useful technology available optionally in the same package with the speed limiter, is the system rear parking assist. The Lodgy is also the first Dacia model that offer heated seats front seats, as an optional equipment on the Laureate version.

The Dacia Lodgy will be powered by one of the two petrol engines: 1.6 liters with 85 HP and the newest Renault petrol engine with turbo direct injection, with a displacement of 1.2 liters and 115 HP. The diesel offer is represented by the 1.5dCI engine in two output versions: dCI 90 and dCI 110.

This weekend, the largest site dedicated to spy photos in France, Worldscoop Forum, has published a set of pictures with Dacia Lodgy. The Romanian MPV was photographed during the recent tests made by the Dacia-Renault engineers.

The set of photos captures almost all the external details of Lodgy, but also brings the first image with the interior of the MPV, dispelling the mystery surrounding the cabin. As expected, Dacia has realized the importance of ergonomics to the Western European market and relied on a total remodeling of the dashboard, completely different from what we see today in all the Dacia models.

Analyzing the spy picture, we can say that the interior of the Lodgy is a copy of the Duster that is sold in Russia. The top of the dashboard gets a shiny plastic, surrounding a new sound system, with more commands and a new display. Under this area, the Dacia designers installed a new air conditioning system.

The good news for those who have requested this change since the launch of the first Logan, is that the control buttons that open the windows have been moved on the doors. More details about the surprises that Dacia prepares will come in the coming weeks, as we approach the Geneva Motor Show.

Dacia Lodgy will go into production starting next week at the Renault factory in Tangier, according to the Le Figaro newspaper. The Renault factory in Tanger, spread on 300 hectares, was built based on an investment of 1.1 billion and has 2,300 employees.

The Dacia Lodgy is a model designed to attract a different class of customers – large families. That segment is new for the Romanian car manufacturer, although its offer already includes a seven-seater model. Although there is a possibility  that the sales of  Lodgy will cannibalize the sales of Logan MCV, these units will represent a small percentage relative to the total sales of Lodgy and Logan. The Renault officials have indicated in a previous statement that is not likely to that the Lodgy sales will not influence the Renault Scenic sales, as the Dacia model is destined to another customers.

Dacia Lodgy, the new model from Dacia, will debut on the European market in June, three months after the launch at the Geneva Motor Show.

Dacia presented last week the first official pictures of its new model – Lodgy. This time it was presented the version series of the first Romanian MPV model. The family model is available in versions with five or seven seats and will be launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year. The Dacia Lodgy has a length of 4.5 meters and promises a considerable amount of luggage, even in the seven-seater version. For now, the complete technical specifications of the Dacia MPV were not presented.

Instead, the Dacia representative explained the choice of name for their new model. The name Lodgy recalls the word Lodge in English and underlines the essential feature of this model: the ability to accommodate an entire family and its luggage. Compared to the Logan MCV, the Lodgy is longer by 30 mm and promises a more spacious trunk. The Logan MCV Logan has a 198-liter trunk in the seven seats version and 700-liter in the version with five seats, while Duster, a model with 200 mm shorter than the Lodgy has a trunk volume of 475 liters.

The Dacia officials have not presented any information about the engines that will power the Lodgy, although we expect at least one gasoline and one diesel engine. The 1.5 dCi engine with 110 HP and 240 Nm is the most likely candidate for the newest model from Dacia, and the 1.6-liter unit with 16 valves and 105 HP could be offered with the entry-level versions of the Lodgy.

Dacia Lodgy will be produced in the Tanger factory in Morocco and will attack the well developed markets in Western Europe: Germany, France, Spain, Italy and even the Great Britain, where Dacia will be launched as a independent brand this fall.

The Dacia officials have not communicated the price of the Lodgy but according the rumors, the starting price will be 10.000 euros.