As we are all aware, Mumbai is a city that never sleeps. Alas, there’s a reason to it. No other city in the world can be as charming as Mumbai at night. Obviously, why would anyone need to sleep if there is so much to do around? The vastness of the town exhibits properly at night as you start noticing the empty spaces that are well populated during the day, so much so that you can’t even step out without being perplexed. Reason enough for Renault India to organise an event in the maximum city, isn’t it?
Renault also chose the perfect car from their arsenal to suit the situation. The Lodgy Stepway is comfortable, spacious and equally charming, which comes to the fore at the given time of the day even more spectacularly, but more on that later.
The clan of about 10 journalist was first ported out to the jetty at Colaba, situated right next to the Gateway of India. We were then taken aboard a yacht that exuded luxury. Renault justified the whole event as an extension to the Lodgy’s character. And after the 1 hour long ride in the Arabian Sea, we were finally handed the keys to the MUV. The Stepway variant is a looker and thanks to the faux diffuser and chrome grille garnish, stands out from the rest of its adversaries. As we headed towards Fort amidst typical Mumbai traffic, we noticed how efficient the engine was during such stop and go situations. Even the interior is extremely well structured, aesthetically and built to last. Being a Renault, the ride quality is excellent and the suspension is perfectly tuned for maximum comfort and driving dynamics. Even with full load, it never bottoms out. The Body roll is optimal too and the Lodgy feels more like a regular hatch, once you’re on the move. The steering could’ve been slightly heavier though, as it feels lethargic at high speeds. We went from Colaba to Bandra Kurla Complex, via Fort, Nariman Point and Bandra-Worli Sealink allowing to test it under all conditions: traffic, high speed cruising and even mild winding sections. The Lodgy never felt out of place and we all loved hanging out with it during our night out.
There are bucket loads of MUVs in the market today but at the given price point, not many can come close to the Lodgy when it comes to the driving dynamics, comfort and build quality. In the Stepway guise, it even looks desirable, far away from being a utility vehicle. And that’s what Renault India intended the event to be: Maximum city, maximum car.