On the outside it gets a Jewel studded front grille
and attractive looking fog lamps housed in glossy silver. The Lodgy Stepway
also gets bold plastic cladding all around along with silver finish skid plates
in the front and back which give the MPV a butch and macho look, almost like an
SUV
Renault has also added 16 inch panache metal alloy
wheels which look quite sporty and go well along with the new body cladding and
skid plate setup. Roof rails with dark metal finish and the Stepway decals help
in distinguishing this vehicle from the other MPVs running around town.
The Lodgy Stepway is powered by the same 1.5 litre dCi
engine found on the Duster. This diesel mill however comes with two options an
84 horse power variant and a 108 horse power variant. The latter has been mated
to a 6-Speed manual transmission while the 84hp output engine has been mated to
a 5-Speed variant. Both engine options are quite efficient, the more powerful
variant returns 19.98kms to a litre while the other variant returns 21.04kms to
a litre of diesel. The major difference between both engine options is the
turbo charger. While the 84hp version gets a fixed geometry turbo the 108hp
variant gets a variable geometry turbo. Both engines are peppy and spirited to
drive even with all occupants seated inside.
There is a cruise control function that gets a speed
limiter as well. Along with ABS and EBD the company is also offering a Brake
Assist feature on the new Renault Lodgy Stepway.
Safety has been assured with driver and passenger airbags.
Adequate cooling is provided in all three rows thanks to 2nd and 3rd row smart
sense AC. The 8-way adjustable driver seat is also a boon. The steering only
gets a tilt adjustment and is not adjustable for reach.
Features like electrically adjustable ORVMs, central
locking with keyless entry, headlight turn on reminder and 12 Volt power
sockets on each row are an added attraction. A gear shift indicator assists
drivers in changing gears at the right time to deliver optimum fuel efficiency.
The new Lodgy Stepway gets a versatile 7 inch media Navigation console which
has connectivity options for USB, AUX and Bluetooth.
Now with so many new features, we have got to see
whether this new Lodgy Stepway is the right step forward for the company!