Dacia Lodgy dCi 90 in the test

U nter the order code 000884 and for 30 For the V40, Volvo offers an internally illuminated gearshift lever. Welcome to the year 126 after the invention of the automobile, in which we are so focused on internally illuminated gear levers that we forget what the car is actually about.

Appearance Dacia Lodgy. Put this obtrusive anti-status advertising aside, like every Dacia before him, it gives us back the glamor and lifestyle-free experience of pure mobility - a feeling that hundreds of thousands of classic car owners track down and pay homage to with their classics. The Lodgy is new, as standard, from 9,990 euros.

Dacia Lodgy offers plenty of cars and plenty of space

3,500 euros above the basic petrol is the Lodgy Ambiance with the 90 hp 1.5-liter diesel. The equipment culminates here in power windows at the front, a roof rail, asymmetrically foldable rear seats, four airbags and an on-board computer. The Lodgy was the first Dacia to get used to triple flashing, and the automatic wipe-wash function now has a wiping function. After-wiping function - Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn obviously knows how to spoil customers.

But above all they get a lot of cars. The Lodgy accommodates up to seven passengers on an area of ​​7.9 square meters. The test car without the 18 kilogram, foldable and removable two-seater bench at the very back for 590 euros comes with extras to 14,890 euros - with many other test cars, adding the options that are subject to a surcharge results in a higher sum.

That changes that View of the Dacia Lodgy. On the fact that he paneled his interior with Torx-screwed hard plastic and sheet metal, on the tool kit that rumbles into the trunk from the gentle clasp of two plastic holders, or on the load compartment cover with the material quality of cling film. Apart from that, the Dacia Lodgy rattle-free and quite solidly processed. He just likes it robust and relies on other strengths than surface glitter.

Above all on space. Even the standard volume of the trunk, at 827 liters, certainly exceeds thatnot undersized cargo space of the VW Touran by 132 liters. When the rear seat folds behind the front seats, there is space for 2,617 liters of luggage - the Touran has 1,989 liters. This makes it easy to overlook the fact that the loading floor is not completely flat and there are no storage compartments for small items. The Dacia Lodgy is more for big stuff.

Dacia diesel is loud, but economical

passengers approximately. Pilots and co. Travel on somewhat roughly adjustable seats that have weak lateral support. The operation of the storage area cockpit remains challenging - if only because of the manageable number of functions. We book the horn in the indicator lever as a small reminiscence of the Renault ancestry. However, there are more ergonomic positions for the rotary knob for the headlight range control than at the level of the left driver's shin. Pretty much every other one, namely.

The rear is furnished with a flat bench positioned far forward to increase the trunk volume. Sitting comfort and knee room? It's okay. But more important: the width is enough for three adults or three children with isofixed seats. Getting in is easy - you just slip into the Dacia Lodgy - the long rear doors in tight parking spaces make it difficult. Parking is not one of the Lodgy's core competencies anyway. The wide wheelbase causes a bulky turning circle, the wide D-pillar reduces the overview, the short hood crouches out of view.

Under it, the 1.5-liter turbodiesel nails itself warm and against the drought Noise insulation on. To put it politely, the 1500 series is one of the particularly tried and tested Renault engines. In the Dacia, he does without potentially vulnerable and definitely expensive cost-saving measures, but still skimpes on the standard value of 4.2 liters /100 km. And while we are just about to start lamenting again that the NEDC standard values ​​have nothing to do with reality, the Lodgy stops at the gas station after the auto motor und sport consumption round. The few liters of diesel that it takes after the route until the tank is full to the brim again results in exactly the specified, excellent 4.2 L /100 km.

Dacia Lodgy with little dynamism and weak brakes

The total consumption is also 5.9 L /100 km very low. The common rail diesel pulls the Dacia Lodgy, which is remarkably light at 1,283 kilos, vehemently. Because the somewhat clumsy five-speed gearbox with cable shift, which was taken over by Modus and Mégane, has a long gear ratio, the engine falls into a little loader thargy after every upshift. But then he rattles himself out in a hurry and then convinces with a hard draft. Even with a full load - 587 kilograms suitable for holiday /hardware store /flat share - the temperament does not die down drastically.

Like the drive, Dacia also digs the chassis from the parts shelf. It's based on thatof the Logan MCV station wagon, so goes back to the Clio II in terms of design. Since the very conventional combination of McPherson front axle with stabilizer and torsion beam axle at the rear was tuned to be resilient and tight, the Lodgy hops empty and sharp over transverse joints and short bumps. A few hundred pounds of payload soften the suspension, but the van leaves the swaying and remains safe to drive. The standard ESP intervenes early and powerfully.

In any case, the Dacia Lodgy only has cautious ambitions for dynamic performance. With its imprecise, low-feedback and somewhat jerky power steering, the Lodgy circles bends with enthusiasm for the process of understeering. Part of this is due to its narrow and tall 185 15-inch wheels, which are also responsible for the moderate braking distances. Even in the U 10,000 Euro class, the best manage braking distances of less than 37 meters. The brakes cost the Lodgy a fourth full star.

That doesn't change the fact that Dacia managed to create a remarkable car. Having managed to offer this enormously spacious, unpretentious, practical, economical, solid van from 9,990 euros is a highlight that outshines other supposed highlights - including those with interior lighting. The Lodgy - not a car for lifestyle, but one for a full life.