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Two's company, seven's not yet a crowd
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Car or van? The Logan MCV mixes the best of both worlds. The good news is it's coming to India soon
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This is the Renault Logan MCV (Multi Convivial Vehicle). And indications are that it's coming to India in a while, thanks to Mahindra-Renault, the new joint venture between the two companies. However, before launching the MCV, Mahindra-Renault will introduce the Logan sedan in April 2007.
While the Logan sedan doesn't break convention with its traditional three-box design, the MCV certainly does. What Renault has done to turn the sedan car into a seven-seater is stretch the wheelbase to a colossal 2,905 mm - the Innova's wheelbase measures 2,750 mm in comparison. However, the MCV is shorter than the Toyota and is more car-like in its dimensions. Its vertical tail section opens with doors similar to a cupboard, to make luggage access easy. The familiar Logan nose and strong wheel arches are retained, but the MCV certainly can't be called attractive by any stretch of imagination. And this boxy design might be a little too radical for Indian buyers to swallow at first gulp.
Inside the MCV, you'll find a similar dashboard and other controls as the sedan, though for India, the car will probably get plusher interiors. The real difference is a third row of seats, which can accommodate two full-size adults in reasonable comfort. The large pair of seats at the back flips forward for versatility and the high roof doesn't make you adjust your seating position so that you have to watch your head constantly. And after all seven passengers have belted up, you still get 200 litres of boot space.
The MCV is built on the same Renault-Nissan Alliance B-platform and features the same McPherson strut suspension system seen on the Clio. The torsion beam suspension at the rear has been especially modified, with vertically placed dampers for even better durability. Again, for India, factors like ground clearance and bad roads will mean tailoring the suspension specs accordingly.
Like with the Logan, the most popular motor for the MCV will surely be Renault's hardy 70bhp 1.5 dCi diesel motor. This motor is a relatively simple unit but has ample torque. A more exciting 1.6 16V 105bhp petrol motor is also available, but for obvious reasons, might not be picked for Indian duty.
Price will be key to MCV's success and like with the Logan, Mahindra-Renault is on track keep it within the Rs 6-7 lakh ballpark. Mahindra cannot afford a debacle again - the lessons learnt from the botched Voyager van experience has taught them a lot. Given this scenario, we expect the MCV to do well when it's launched - and a good guess is it's only coming when Mahindra is sure the Indian market has suitably warmed to such an idea - our estimate is early 2008.
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