Renault India Private Limited (RIPL), a sub-division of French multinational auto major Renault S.A.S., has launched the automatic variant of its Scala sedan in the country. The company seems to be hoping to capitalise on the prevalent market fervour observed among domestic audience, towards vehicles with automatic transmission system.
At present, Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire Automatic is the most affordable sedan available in Indian auto market, and looks set to pose difficulties in the way of Renault Scala Automatic. Evidently, Swift DZire is one of the best selling cars and offers an extremely value-for-money proposition to local buyers, who wish for an automatic vehicle in their garages.
The Renault Scala Automatic comes fitted with the X-tronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) gearbox and is offered in petrol guise only. The Scala AT is packed with the same 1.5 litre, 1,498 cc petrol engine, found under-the-hood of its manual sibling, which belts out a peak power of 97.6 bhp and a maximum torque of 134 Nm. Renault India has affirmed that the automatic saloon cranks out best-in-class mileage of 17.97 kmpl, which will might create a difficult situation for DZire.
On the other hand, Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire AT comes assimilated with the acclaimed 1.2 litre K12 petrol engine, which churns out peak power and torque equations of 86 bhp and 114 Nm. Further, the fuel efficiency of Swift DZire AT is rated at 13.2 kmpl in cities and 17.4 kmpl on highways. Hence, in terms of engine performance and mileage, the Renault Scala AT definitely has an upper hand over Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire AT.
At present, Swift DZire AT is the most affordable automatic sedan option and is offered to domestic audience at a price tag of Rs. 6.7 lakhs in the country. Renault India has not yet revealed the pricing of its automatic sedan, but industry sources suggest Scala AT could be launched with an introductory price tag of close to Rs. 8.5 lakhs. Evidently, a huge price differential arises between Swift DZire AT and Scala AT sedans. Hence, those buyers looking for an affordable automatic sedan will opt for Swift DZire AT, whereas the performance oriented car enthusiasts will go for Scala AT.
