THE BEGINNING
The Logan was born out of a very simple but sharp observation made by the then French president Jacques Chirac to Renault's Chairman Louis Schweitzer. This happened after Chirac's visit to Russia in the late 1990s. Chirac saw that the Russian Lada was a best-seller in the country, not least because of its affordability. But he also saw that the Ladas were built to a price and it showed. Wasn't there a better way to make a better car that offered an unmatched value for money proposition? Renault took up the challenge and set to work on the Project X90 in 1999. The aim? To build an affordable car that does all things a car should do and do it well. The car was launched in 2004 and was a resounding success in many European, African and Asian countries, including the Czech Republic, Hungary, Turkey, and Morocco.
THE HANDSHAKE
When Renault firmed up its plans to enter India with the Logan in around 2005, it chose one partner and chose it well - Mahindra. The French car-maker intent on expanding its reach and the Indian manufacturer, maker of robust utility vehicles for the last 50 years and the very impressive, very contemporary Scorpio SUV, hit it off from the word go. The result of that partnership is a car that has been among the top-selling sedans in the country ever since its launch in early 2007. Why has the Renault been a success? We'll go right ahead and take a look.
BIG VALUE FOR MONEY
The Mahindra Logan has everything it takes to sell in the Indian market. Is it built to last? Check. Does it deliver great fuel efficiency? Check. How about interior space? Is there room for five? Check. Can it handle bad roads? Double check. And as important a factor was the fact that for a car this affordable, the Logan looked and felt seriously good. Simply put, it’s as value for money as an owner satisfaction, but also huge savings thanks to low costs of running the car and maintenance.
BIG ON LOOKS
When Mahindra says that the Logan has the widest body in its class, it really means it. Thanks to Renault's space optimisation technology, the car uses its entire 1740 mm of width and 1534 mm of height to fit in five adults with ridiculous ease. And en we say it can seat five adults, we aren't talking packing them in. With the widest backseat in its segment and three separate headrests at the back, what you get is space for three people to sit in immense comfort. And then there's also the commodious 510 litre boot space that can ingest a lot luggage, even for a month-long holiday. Seriously, it today, get a bunch of friends and take a Logan -drive. You'll realise that not some companies can up their claims. The Logan isn't great just for the passengers. The driver, too, gets equal attention. The driver's seat is height-adjustable and comes with lumbar support; there's the premium upholstery that enhances the experience, along with silver finish louvers and bezels. Plus there's an ultra-efficient air-conditioning system that makes light of harsh summers, and the Logan's also equipped with an efficient four-way heating and ventilation system.
According to Logan owners, the car offers space equivalent to a D-segment car and ingress exit, too, is a breeze. In short, come or high water, you'll be on your way, and comfortably at that.
BIG ON QUALITY
It's been about a year since the Logan was launched in India but the car has already been topping various surveys. Among them is the JD Power Asia Pacific 2007 India Automotive Performance Execution and Layout Study released in December 2008. According to the study, the Logan ranked highest in the entry midsize segment in new-vehicle design and performance. The study examines nearly 100 attributes covering ten vehicle factors, including vehicle interior and exterior, driving dynamics and fuel economy. The Logan also figured in the 2007 Four-wheeler Total Customer Satisfaction Study conducted by TNS Automotive. The exercise is the largest of its kind in India and represents the responses of more than seven thousand new car buyers. According to the study, which rated the Logan as tops in the midsize diesel segment, "The expectations of diesel car customers have been growing and manufacturers have been meeting them consistently through better engine technology and improved fuel efficiency. The Logan delights its customers with the overall quality of the product.”
BIG-CAR ENGINES, SMALL CAR FUEL EFFICIENCY
Among the engines that power the Logan is the 1.5 litre 65bhp common rail diesel. The petrols that power the car might be faster off the block, but once the 1.5 diesel settles into a groove and the 16.3 kgm of torque comes into play, this motor munches immense distances in an effortless manner. And what's more, it feels perfectly at home in the bumper-to-bumper urban grind. The common rail diesel's refinement and linear power delivery will make you mistake it for a petrol-burner. Plus with an economy of 14 kpl in the city with the AC on, your fuel costs will be way cheaper than your housing society's monthly maintenance charges. To help you keep track of the engine, the Logan comes with an in built Tachometer and an LCD display. The advanced driver information system updates you of overall fuel consumption, distance you can travel with remaining fuel, average fuel consumption, predicted fuel economy and average speed.
The petrol motors - a 1.4 litre 74bhp unit and a 1.6 litre 85bhp engine - are sterling, robust and yet refined examples in their own right, which pack enough zest for both commuting’ within the city as well as those escapes into the great beyond.
According to an internal Mahindra survey, the Logan has exceeded users' expectation not only with diesel but also with the petrol engine. The average reported mileage for the diesel is 15 kpl in city and 20 kpl on the highway. The petrol models deliver around 10 kpl in the city and about 14 kpl on highways.
So, want a car just for small city runs and occasional outings with the family? You've got the 1.4. Want the same with a bit more pep, a bit more go and some more pizzazz, you've got to have the 1.6. And if you are a diesel man, there's that brilliant common rail diesel. Any which way you look at it, the Logan got it all covered.
SUPERIOR RIDE & HANDLING
It's a known truth - a car is as good as its suspension - and nowhere is it truer than India which has a perennial problem - bad roads. And that's an area where the Logan excels. An independent McPherson strut with wishbone links at the front and torsion beams with coil springs at the rear. It's a sensible, robust set-up that has been tuned keeping the worst of Indian roads in mind and it has proven to be an ace at handling bad roads. In fact, the one thing a Logan owner will tell you is that "it takes potholes like they don't exist." So irrespective of whether you're a victim of potholes in the city or gashes and undulations in the hinterland, we'll guarantee you one thing - the Logan's suspension won't let any of that affect you.
BIG ON SAFETY
You don't need a laboratory to gauge the toughness of the Logan. Just get inside and shut the door. The resounding thunk will remind you of a bank vault. And you’ll feel safe inside, which is just the engineers who developed car wanted it to be. Not only does it have an immensely strong underbody structure, the Logan's possesses a rigid architecture. Mechanical components are well stacked to limit their intruding into the cabin and the magnesium steering wheel frame is specially designed to reduce impact. Plus there's a cross member attached behind the rear seats to prevent luggage from getting into the cabin in case of a rear impact. And most importantly, the Logan comes with an air bag for the driver. So, every time you belt up you can rest assured that what you are driving is built to protect you from every eventuality.
THE LAST WORD
Now that you’ve read about the Mahindra Logan, go ahead and drive it. And once you’ve done that, you’ll know that you can never go wrong with it.