DACIA

BRAND WILL REPLACE LOGAN MCV AND LODGY FOR A NEW 7 SEAT SUV

The news came about a week ago. Some reports that arrived from France, a key market for Dacia in Europe, pointed out what had been suspected for some time: the arrival of a new model to the line of the Romanian brand. The project is already underway and is known internally with the RJI code. Now, new and interesting information appears that allows to clarify some questions that are on the table about this future launch.
Both Dacia Logan MCV and Dacia Lodgy are doomed to disappear. In the specific case of Logan MCV, it was decided not to continue this version of the family body with the generation change that the Dacia Logan will soon undergo. The Romanian manufacturer wants to improve the image of his first model sold in Western Europe, and to do so he will bet everything on the traditional sedan body.
The launch of the new Dacia Logan is scheduled for this same year and will reach dealers in 2021. It will be a completely new model, since it will change from the platform to the exterior and interior design, going through a revised and improved mechanical offer. Although sales of the Logan line have remained stable in recent years, Dacia wants to boost them, and for that the third generation will be fundamental.
With respect to Dacia Lodgy, in this case the fact that Dacia does not want to continue with Lodgy may surprise. It turns out that this is one of the best selling minivans in Europe, their license plates have remained at acceptable levels, and what is equally important, it is the only model of the brand with an interior for up to seven passengers. Now, the company is aware that times are changing and that traditional minivans must adapt to new market trends.
In recent years, I have witnessed how many minivans have turned into crossovers or directly into SUVs. And so many others adopted a ‘crossoverized’ image to follow fashion.
The Dacia line will be improved in 2021 with a new model. The Logan MCV and Lodgy will be replaced by a new SUV, a crossover that will offer an interior with a capacity for five or seven passengers. Lodgy will be retired later this year 2020 and Dacia wants to keep in its offer a vehicle that can carry up to seven passengers. As noted earlier, this project has the RJI code.
It is true that the idea of ​​a Dacia SUV with three rows of seats is not new. In 2017, it was speculated that the second generation of the Dacia Duster would debut an elongated version with seven seats. In the end it was not like that, and the Duster was kept intact with a five-seater interior. This new model will show its own personality, distancing itself from both the image of Logan MCV and Lodgy.
Dacia's new seven-seater SUV will measure approximately 4.50 meters in length. That is, practically the same size as Lodgy. Your profile will be subject to the need to have a cabin spacious enough to house a third row of seats.
On the technical side, it is worth mentioning that the CMF-B platform will be used, a new generation architecture that will be fundamental in the electrification plans that Dacia has for this future model.
The technological equipment will be quite complete if we consider that we speak of the Dacia brand. Practical driving assistance systems, such as the blind spot alert and the unintended lane departure alert system, are expected. The connectivity options will also be sufficient thanks to the infotainment system.

Dacia must accelerate its transition to electric mobility. It is known that both the new generation of Sandero and Logan will have a hybrid version (HEV) in their mechanical offer and that in 2021 the brand's first series production electric car, the Dacia Spring, will arrive in Europe. These launches will be essential to reduce the average emissions of the line and, therefore, that Dacia can comply with the emission standards.

The engine line of the new Dacia SUV will comprise a selection of diesel and gasoline mechanics. Also on the agenda is a conventional hybrid version derived directly from the new Renault Clio's E-Tech technology.
As for its arrival on the market, the launch of this new SUV from Dacia is scheduled for the first quarter of 2021. This means that the project is already underway and it would not be surprising that in the second half of the year, the first striking prototypes and test mules will appear.

Autonews