Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ Feedback About Mahindra Renault Logan (India), Logan in India - Review of My own car

Hi, I am from India, purchased "Mahindra Renault" (JV) Logan DLS 1.5 Diesel about 6 months back when It was launched here in India. My purchase was purely based on two factors: 1. Cost Effectiveness & value for money 2. One of the most spacious car among all available here DLS is the topend version with 1.5 Lt Diesel engine same as one used with Dacia Logan. I would like to share some pros and cons of this car (keeping in mind that Renault has cut down features and quality from what they are selling in EU countries): Pros: - Widest and most spacious among all available in this range - Cost effective and value for money - Reliable diesel engine with good milage (14-15 in City & 18-20 on Highway before 2nd service) - Good boot space - Fog lamps Some Cons: - No good looking and sporty style (like a box .... could have made it better with little changes) - Pickup is average and bad in second gear on very slow speeds making it not suitable for comfortable city drive without repetive gear shiftings. - Quality of plastic material used is not good.... light weight bumpers, poorly finished handles, dashboard, glovebox and door openers, GAP between bumper and body looks ugly. - At only 4000 KMs driver side door and window glass is making noise - No remote boot opener - No electronic side mirrors - No ABS - No Automatic door locking (central locking is there) - Poorly finished switches, loosing alignment - Power window switches are not placed on doors but on central consol only - Wiper does not clean windshield properly due to adjusted for left hand driving (we have right hand driving) I have paid INR 6,51000 (about $16500) but I feel they could have made it better with little changes and use of some quality plastic materials. The impression of this car here in India is - Cheap Sedan made for upper middle class peoples. This car has headon with Ford Fiesta, Hundai Verna & Tata Indigo but Fiesta & Verna are way ahead in terms of all above mentioned cons and costly too (by INR 150000 & 250000). So all I would like to say that I have got a value for money car due to its engine and spacious body. comments are welcome and do ask if you would like to know any thing specific. Thanks, This post has been edited by ezee: 4 Dec 2007, 11:50

Hi,

I am from India, purchased "Mahindra Renault" (JV) Logan DLS 1.5 Diesel about 6 months back when It was launched here in India. My purchase was purely based on two factors:

1. Cost Effectiveness & value for money
2. One of the most spacious car among all available here

DLS is the topend version with 1.5 Lt Diesel engine same as one used with Dacia Logan. I would like to share some pros and cons of this car (keeping in mind that Renault has cut down features and quality from what they are selling in EU countries):

Pros:

- Widest and most spacious among all available in this range
- Cost effective and value for money
- Reliable diesel engine with good milage (14-15 in City & 18-20 on Highway before 2nd service)
- Good boot space
- Fog lamps

Some Cons:

- No good looking and sporty style (like a box .... could have made it better with little changes)
- Pickup is average and bad in second gear on very slow speeds making it not suitable for comfortable city drive without repetive gear shiftings.
- Quality of plastic material used is not good.... light weight bumpers, poorly finished handles, dashboard, glovebox and door openers, GAP between bumper and body looks ugly.
- At only 4000 KMs driver side door and window glass is making noise
- No remote boot opener
- No electronic side mirrors
- No ABS
- No Automatic door locking (central locking is there)
- Poorly finished switches, loosing alignment
- Power window switches are not placed on doors but on central consol only
- Wiper does not clean windshield properly due to adjusted for left hand driving (we have right hand driving)

I have paid INR 6,51000 (about $16500) but I feel they could have made it better with little changes and use of some quality plastic materials. The impression of this car here in India is - Cheap Sedan made for upper middle class peoples.

This car has headon with Ford Fiesta, Hundai Verna & Tata Indigo but Fiesta & Verna are way ahead in terms of all above mentioned cons and costly too (by INR 150000 & 250000).

So all I would like to say that I have got a value for money car due to its engine and spacious body.

comments are welcome and do ask if you would like to know any thing specific.

Thanks,

This post has been edited by ezee: 4 Dec 2007, 11:50

Welcome and Congratulations!
However, $16500 makes a lot of money. It is around EUR 11000. I think it is way too much for the described characteristics.
In Romania, EUR 11000 is the price of a Prestige model 1.5 dci/85 HP, having ABS, electric and heated mirrors, automatic door locking, and so on. The quality of plastics is comparable to Ford Focus or Hyundai Accent. The bad (or unusual) commands displacement seems to be the same, but I think you have already got used to it.

I have a question to you. How is the air conditioning working?

ezee, great summary, tks.

having (recently) driven the indian version too, and having at my disposal not only my own,
but quite a number of LOGANs here in europe (east), please trust me when i say there is very
little difference in overall quality, if any.

your points:

>> Cost Effectiveness & value for money

this is the main point, anywhere, but should not be used as an excuse for shabby workmanship or
outright dangerous arrangements.

>> One of the most spacious car among all available here

no doubt here, let anybody challenge you on this.

>> that Renault has cut down features and quality from what they are selling in EU countries

not really, if you look at the base versions here. true. DACIA (not really RENAULT) if giving you less choice
in india, but this will change dramatically in 2008 already. it was the same in europe when they started.

>> Reliable diesel engine with good milage (14-15 in City & 18-20 on Highway before 2nd service

it will even get better after about 20 to 30 thousand kms.

>> Fog lamps

discussable ...

>> No good looking and sporty style

matter of opinion. if you want a car like your neighbor, all looking the same, the DACIA is not
for you. if you want a car s that stands out a bit, is recognizable, and has reasons for being so,
you made your choice.

>> like a box ....

guess why? where do you think the great luggage space, and the roomy interior come from?

>> could have made it better with little changes

prove it: name another car that fits all the above, and looks much better. an old AMBASSADOR taxi
maybe? with the 'HORN OK PLEASE' sign in the back, and the meter outside to gain more space?

you being in india i do not have to tell you about road qualities, specially in bad weather. the LOGAN
being some 5 cm higher, and with a steeper overhang front and rear, will let you laugh about other drivers
when they are stuck, and begging you for a ride. just wait for it.

>> Pickup is average

adjust your driving, see situations in advance, and you will be happy. but there also will be other
engines, incl a stronger diesel, soon.

have you driven diesels or gasoline cars before?

>> Quality of plastic material used is not good ...

maybe on purpose: cheap interchangeability, cleaning, etc. - have a look at your dashboard after a
year or two, and compare to other cars same age.

>> GAP between bumper and body looks ugly

dont really know where you see one.

>> At only 4000 KMs driver side door and window glass is making noise

most unusual, have it checked, might be a simple adjustment.

>> No remote boot opener

will come, but not really an issue, is it? a 30 EUR option here.

>> No electronic side mirrors - No ABS

will be in other versions, or options

>> No Automatic door locking (central locking is there)

is for safety reasons forbidden in some countries, also debatable. comes with the theft protection anyhow.

>> Poorly finished switches, loosing alignment

unusual, but simple fixes available. seconds.

>> Power window switches are not placed on doors

has advantages, and is done on purpose - many other cars same. on the other side, how often
do you open the window with the A/C going?

>> Wiper does not clean windshield properly

have noticed that too, design problem, you are right here. but when will india change to drive
on the right (!) side of the road anyhow?

>> Cheap Sedan made for upper middle class peoples

maybe thats the impression it just WANTS to have? correct for some people, and a nice
understatement for others.

>> headon with Ford Fiesta, Hundai Verna & Tata Indigo

drive those for a while, and back you will be, quickly.

so, let me know what you think, and stay with us in the forum. and spread the word, we need
more input from your side of the world for sure.

greetings - heinz -

PS: i do agree with above that 16500 EUR is way to much for this model, but i am sure you know it is
indian policy that keeps prices at that level, not DACIAs. a similar model here in eastern europe
would be well under 10000 EUR, closer to 9000. all taxes and fees included.

This post has been edited by heinz57g: 4 Dec 2007, 12:42

Hi,

annem it is 16500 USD and if you convert to EUR it will come around 11200 excluding taxes and fees.

and heinz57g thanks for all clarifications, actually I just expressed what I am feeling after driving this car, afterall I am also owner of this car and should feel proud but unfortunately I live in Delhi and see progress & performance of other rival models as well.

Belive me the only doubt preventing increase in sales are one of the few problems mentioned by me. As per its availability and price it should have dominated the roads till now. But here in India sedan car market is growing damn fast and companies launching varients every now and then Maruti Suzuki SX4 has also got a lot success here but its available only in Petrol (Gas) model.

Nevermind I have the topend version of Diesel and features are same as I mentioned above, although if I say value for money then it should be far sufficient. I dont want to pay extra for ABS (specially if one cant drive on high speeds on Indian roads), and blah blah.

One good point I felt today after having 2nd service done is pickup and performance improved a bit. Doors adjusted but glass is still making noise and they say Its a common problem. I will try solution posted in this forum but after warranty gets over.

>> have noticed that too, design problem, you are right here. but when will india change to drive on the right (!) side of the road anyhow?

actually I was referring to right side of car not road

Actually I had test drives checked quality and compared with other cars but still I decided to buy just because of some pros mentioned above rest cons can be managed easily.

- Only once I had problem with wrong side indicator switches, but its a common in all EU imported cars selling here (Skoda, Chevy etc.) so one can easily get used to it. Not a problem.
- Remote boot opener are only usefull when security person wants to check boot for security purpose before entering in a mall here
- The comment about Cheap sedan is true upto some extent because sedan market is booming here in India and target customers are people purchasing small cars. Lot of competitors and even coming every quaterly - Suzuki, Hundai, Tata, Chevy, Skoda, Honda, Ford etc etc are purly targetting this segment.

Overall as a new launch Mahindra Renault has made a history by selling largest number of Logans in first few months and they should try to maintain this.

4 Dec 2007, 22:54:
AC is working properly even at 48 degree it chills. Heater not tested yet.

This post has been edited by ezee: 4 Dec 2007, 19:24

ezee, then we agree on 90%, not a bad value - and the correction of the EUR now also makes more sense.
even though our prices are incl all taxes and fees! but the pressure on the indian car market will make prices
go down even more, eventually.

so lets keep in touch, and see how things develop. you will in time also hear from the 'competition', and
that will make you even more proud of your dacia. and when they need two cars to take the family to
the next wedding, and you only one, and still have space int he trunk, you just smile ...

greetings - heinz -

This post has been edited by heinz57g: 4 Dec 2007, 20:00

Hi easy (forgive my little joke)
You are very welcome in our forum and as you have already noticed .We are a bunch of well organised Dacia logan drivers
We come from all walks of life .with one idea .... a cheap car that can do its job
You have bought this car ....dont worry about it not having all the extras that we have ..we dont need half of them either .I can just as easy open my windows by hand ..and my boot lid with a key .. the main thing is size and safety and safety lies more in YOUR hands than in ABS Airbags and ESP .I have been driving here in Germany since 1970 and have placed my life in MY hands not in some HITECH
OK i do buy good Tyres this is in MY hands
but the rest is up to my Reading the road in front of me and driving with this in mind "Beware every driver is a full idiot"If you follow my advice you will enjoy your life and your Cheap car


and now you can help me !! I need a photograph of your Headlights
because in 11 months I will be taking my left hand drive dacia to right hand drive England ..forever so I may or may not need to change the lights

i am pleased that you followed my link and like Heinz just said pass on this address to your friends it is a very good forum and as you have found out we are interested in anything to do with Dacia (LOGAN)
Namastey
Stu

because in 11 months I will be taking my left hand drive dacia to right hand drive England ..forever so I may or may not need to change the lights

If you are bringing the car back to the UK permantly, then you will have to change the lights, otherwise when it comes to it's MOT test, it may fail.

I don't know if parts are available in the UK for the Logan, may be worth contacting some Renault dealers to find out.

When I look closely at the lamps they seem to be just up and down lenses if you get what i mean !! there is no marks on the glass just clear glass
I will see when I get photos from India
Stu
PS Check your PM

For pictures of the Mahindra Logan headlights: http://www.daciaclub.ro/Faruri-Mahindra-Re...gan-t91937.html

When I look closely at the lamps they seem to be just up and down lenses if you get what i mean !! there is no marks on the glass just clear glass
I will see when I get photos from India
Stu
PS Check your PM

I would imagine you would still need to change the lights. At the moment, your lights dip to the right for driving on the right. In the UK, they dip to the left. You could use deflectors, but they still might fail the test.

The lights on my Twingo were changed when it was imported to the UK. Unbelieveable, isn't it, that they make UK lights for a car which isn't sold here...!

Noise you hear from your windows is caused by rather stupid source inside the door. One plastic part ( cable conector I think ) is loosed and it ( cables ) ticks to glass . It can be easily solved...I ll try to find some pictures of solved problem.
Enjoy your logan... :-)

pall, i have driven a large number of LOGANS, and maybe i was lucky, have not heard of that
problem exept in one case where somebody had put in his expensive (-> thick) speaker wires,
but tips like yours are most welcome, because sooner or later it will show up somewhere again.

so keep the pictures coming ... maybe it is something relating to the comments of our indian friend
above, regarding the window.

greetings - heinz -

Hi,

I have attached some pics of my car "Logan 1.5 DLS" (Diesel Top Model). Martin have a look at headlights as well.

Thanks,

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Can you make some pictures with the access door to the fuel tank?

done ..... !

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Hi,

I have attached some pics of my car "Logan 1.5 DLS" (Diesel Top Model). Martin have a look at headlights as well.

Thanks,

Nice car. It looks like it's got leather seats. Is that right?

Hey thanks Ezee
hey very impressed with your seats .are they extra .seem to be leather
What woulsd a set of headlights cost me with shipping ?? could you look that up for me ?Thanks
I like the colour of your car
I will photograph my lights tomorro (if its not raining)
Stu

Hi everbody I 'm from INDIA & new to this forum . i have purchased a new LOGAN 1.5 DLS on this DIWALI festiwal a month ago. i have decided for logan after my test rides to SUZUKI SX4, FORD FIESTA, HYUNDAI VERNA . This is an absolute TVFM (trru value for money car ) in terms of space ,milage and ofcourse comfort. i have crossed 2300 kms in just a month and i m getting a milage of 22 kms/l .
i 'm posting photos of my logan

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nice car
and a good choice
where are your numberplates
stu

Thanx
my numberplate ???
oh these snapes were a month ago when i just got the car delivered from the local dealer . now these are fixup on the right place .


regards

Nice car.  It looks like it's got leather seats.  Is that right?

Nopes, Leather seat covers purchased from dealer with foot mats and mud flaps.

New car launch very rarly gives you discount and free accessories, but it was my bad luck and they offered a huge discount last October (free registration + insurance = INR 50000).

hi FRIENDS
may i correct EZEE here that mahindra has offered only free insurance worth only rs 12000/- free as sCheme only for festiwal not rs 50000/-
and today one of my CA friend has orderd LOGAN as his second car after VERNA he feels the logan as good as verna but INR RS 100000 less than verna
and above all i would like to congratulate u all for a good news: JD power has declared LOGAN as No 1 car in mid segment (ENTRY LEVEL) WITH HIGHEST QUALITY STANDARDS

greetings

PL OPEN THIS LINK FOR MORE

This post has been edited by sweetboy: 9 Dec 2007, 20:46

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hi FRIENDS
may i correct EZEE  here that mahindra has offered only free insurance worth only rs 12000/- free as sCheme only for festiwal not rs 50000/-

Sorry for not being clear.

Actually registration cost in Delhi is around 32000 + 12000 + Accessories = 50K and if you add corporate discount then another 25K less. But this scheme is gone now.

11 Dec 2007, 12:03:

What woulsd a set of headlights cost me with shipping  ?? could you look that up for me ?Thanks

The cost of headlights set (2) is available here in India as given below:

Adjustable - INR 6080 (EUR 105)
Non- Adjustable - INR 5630 (EUR 98)
(tax included)

I am not sure about shipping charges as FedEx do not carry such items (wire attached electronic items) in courier mode, it require business cargo mode with export code and blah blah.

This post has been edited by ezee: 11 Dec 2007, 08:33

98 euros sounds a very good price Thanks for your time and effort
I may get back to you next year on that one
have a nice day
Its 2deg cel here and i am off to work selling frozen food haha
cu
Stu

martin you have written about remote boot opening change in one Indian forum..... Where can I find here about remote boot opening?

Also I would love to know any other automation which is possible like autolocking, adjusting wipers etc etc.

Please post URLs.

KLAUS !!
can you please Translate this for Easy

http://www.1ro.de/dacia/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3177#3177

Thanks
Stu

I would have tried to translate it myself(even if I am not very good in german) but it is far to much text. An automatic translation will do the job however, at least to catch an idea.

i have googled this !!!!! bit silly in places but what the hell !
just have a look
stu

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=ht...&hl=en&ie=ASCII

first i don'd speak german and second you can try babelfish, is better than google translation ( http://babelfish.altavista.com/ )

I too tried translation at Google, IBM & BabelFish but till now just got an idea only. Dont know where to search wires for connection and how to do the wiring.

Can we just start another thread for trunk opener just like it is done in other website?

This post has been edited by ezee: 19 Dec 2007, 09:44