Introduction
The summer this year had been atrocious and the parched lands were begging for the cooling monsoon showers. It was almost mid-June and for a place like Mumbai, it was already late for the monsoon to hit. I was happily surprised when I got the chance to travel to Goa to drive the new Renault Lodgy. This was not only because I could get to enjoy the rains a tad bit earlier than most Mumbaikars but also because I could finally get behind the wheel of the Lodgy - the one my colleague, Ninad, described as ‘the MPV that can actually handle well’.
Well, every tale has to have a twist and here is the first one – it rained so hard in Mumbai from Thursday night that on Friday I almost had to swim to the airport! Luckily though, the air–traffic wasn’t affected much and we managed to land safely in Goa and reach our hotel before sun down. In spite of being battered be the rain in Mumbai, my wish of catching the monsoon in Goa itself had been granted by the lord and it rained incessantly.
Goa
Goa is synonymous with the idea of a mad holiday for almost all Indians, a large number of Russians, Israelis and probably old retired Europeans. The influence of the foreign tourists has started showing up in this decade and most of Goa has started sporting signboards in Slavic languages. I am not sure if it is the sheer number of tourists or the below the surface murmurs of mafia, but Goa is changing from its sanctum and peace to an ecosystem that resembles the lid of a boiling pot.
Yes, it is monsoon and I was happy that most of the noisy ‘chal Goa mein aish karenge’ tourists would not be even in a kilometers radius of my luxury suite at the Leela’s property in south Goa, though the absence of a toilet door lock did raise some eyebrows for the twin sharing accommodation.
We were introduced to the Lodgy enthusiastically and in detail by the product manager – Manish. I was dreaming through most of it – mostly about how I was going to put the French automaker’s new MPV through its paces and discover the different aspects of the car over the next day.
The drive
It turned out that the itinerary too was dampened by the relentless showers. We had a short round trip of less than 100 kilometres and my bucket list had to be flushed. I started the car after inching my way through the detailed breakfast menu and with the deserts using up most of my grey cells, I lugged along with the convoy.
We also had a contest to participate in the drive and the team of five in each car was to click photographs of items listed in the to-do list. The wide windscreen, the big windows of the MPV gave everyone in the car equal chance to spot the items on the list. I was driving the 110 PS RxZ variant and had to hold myself back from stepping on to the gas. Though the car lumbered easily through the narrow roads of Goa, I had to manage the throttle carefully to stay in the turbo range and avoid a jerky ride.
The touch-screen system played music of our choice from a USB drive and it was only after ages that I discovered the hidden steering-mounted audio-control stalk – not that it made much difference in my life thanks to the touch screen – but I am sure it will be helpful when you are driving at higher speeds and do not have the time to look where you are clicking. The electric power steering does not have feedback as such but it is quite precise which brings me to the handling part. I agree with Ninad when he says this MPV can handle. With five people in the car and some luggage, I could chuck it around corners at decent speeds without getting that typical boat like feedback that most Indian SUV/MUV in that price bracket provide. The body roll is low for an MPV and can be attributed to its lower ride height than the likes of the Toyota Innova or the Mahindra Xylo. The braking is progressive but may feel inadequate at times if you are carrying too much speed.
We were going through our list of pink umbrellas, fishes, red cars and mango laden trees, to find ourselves at another luxury property - Lalit at the southern-most end of Goa, just across Palvoleim. The private beach was inviting but the lashing rain had us grounded and locked in the restaurant. Being a Mumbaikar, where you get food of all qualities and at all price-points, the overall taste grade of the food in Goa (at least for the starred luxury properties) is a notch higher. As I munched through plates of fish roast and mutton salami, I tried to think of more ways to explore the car as well as get into its nitty gritties.
After entrusting the driving responsibilities to my team, I went straight to the third row. In the past, we have had MPVs and SUVs claiming 7/8 seats but almost none other than the Innova or the Xylo can actually seat 7/8 adults. I am 5’8” and was decently comfortable in the last seat. Yes the thigh support was missing a bit, but then, it is okay for two people in the back to be comfortable. The noise, vibrations and harshness have been managed well making passenger compartment fairly silent. The folding rear and third row seats are a good addition but if the last row seats could be folded on to the sides, the versatility of the MPV would have certainly increased.
The Renault Lodgy looks nice and big from the front with its Koleos like chrome grille and headlamps. The typical MPV silhouette from the side is distinguished by the large wheelbase which explains the roomy cabin. The ‘arrow’ tail lamps on the uncharacteristically flattened chrome embellished tailgate are a reminder of the French quirkiness in the design.
Signing off
Goa is about having fun and with the spectrum of bloggers I was with, the Lodgy made the most logical choice. The five of us could travel very comfortable enjoying the greenery of south Goa with our bags stacked up in the boot. We could stop anywhere we wanted and the tailgate was our ledge roof while we feasted on sandwiches. The car is powerful for any kind of road and is efficient too! For an enthusiast, it also manages to handle well!
I know it is Goa and most of us end up doing things that do not fit in the legitimate boundaries of logic, but then, we do not live in Goa either! This is where the tag line ‘Live Lodgycal’ starts really making sense, even in Goa!
