Logan Diesel- A Well-Built Car with Excellent Economy!!

This article is of the Mahindra Renault Logan, from Business Standard Motoring, I won’t copy paste the whole article here, but a few excerpts on the car, that I found worth taking a note of.

Except 1: Proves to be, quite a spacious car.
" Make no mistake, this is a car built to a price. And the Indian version sticks to the brief like glue. The design is not like any of the contemporary Renaults since the thinking when the Logan was conceived, was a car that looked as robust as it actually was. Mahindra can be happy that like their proven utes, the Logan is a sturdy machine. It is evident the way the doors shut, how the car rides over bad roads, skims over speed-breakers and how it tackles corners. There is nothing flimsy about this machine. And then there is space – lots of it. An airy cabin with the feel accentuated by pre-tanned grainy plastic (again, lots of it), lots of elbow and head room (bring on the turbans) and a rear bench seat that can actually seat three make it a class leader. We drove a diesel car close to 600 km before filing this report, and that too, over all kinds of roads and we came back impressed. Fit and finish of the car, despite a very labour intensive manufacturing process which makes it affordable, is second to none. This car is absolutely well put together. The powertrain (imported for the time being) felt indestructible too in a way traditional engines did. The gear ratios are suited for commuting and we were surprised how easy the diesel was to drive on congested Mumbai roads. The improved airconditioner did a good job of keeping the commute cool. Getting in and out of the car is easy and seats are good for three-hour stints. Another strength area is economy – Mahindra Renault claims 18 kpl on the highway and our Logan actually returned 20 kpl easily. Brilliant indeed. The petrol models are supposed to return 10-13 kpl but we are yet to drive them.The Logan is contemporary when it comes to crashworthiness. And the company has offered driver-side airbags as standard fitment for the top-end models. Way to go. "


Excerpt 2: As a reader on my blog had commented, asking the commutablity of the car in highly congested traffic, here’s an answer.
"The gear ratios are suited for commuting and we were surprised how easy the diesel was to drive on congested Mumbai roads."

Excerpt 3: Value For Money!
" In short, the car should appeal to anyone who is planning to buy anything, from the top-of-the-line Hyundai Santro and Suzuki Wagon R to the Suzuki Swift and Hyundai Getz to the Honda City and Ford Fiesta. The top-end petrol model with a 1.6-litre engine is a whopping Rs 1.5 lakh cheaper than a City while the premium diesel variant is a clean Rs 1 lakh cheaper than a Fiesta TDCi – yes, it looks like moving 50,000 units won't be a problem for the Indo-French combine "

Excerpt 4: To summarise it all…
"Right product, right manufacturing strategy, right risk mitigation exercises and right pricing and packaging. If you are looking for a well-built car that can offer excellent economy, then the Logan diesel is where your hunt should end. "