Renault India Private Limited (RIPL), a completely owned subsidiary of the French multinational automobile giant Renault S.A.S, has introduced an automatic variant of its Scala mid-sized sedan in the domestic market. The announcement came in Chennai on January 10, 2012. Further, the new Scala model became the first car available in Indian premium sedan segment to come equipped with the next generation X-tronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) system.
The cutting edge X-tronic transmission system entails the Scala CVT to deliver superior engine performance and higher fuel efficiency, along with a lower overall cost of ownership in maintenance. Scala CVT will set new benchmarks with its best-in-class fuel efficiency rating of 17.97 kmpl (certified by ARAI) in the automatic sedan segment of Indian auto market. Evidently, Scala automatic's mileage is comparable to those delivered by its segment competitors having manual transmission systems.
Expressing his delight at the launch of Scala X-tronic CVT sedan in the country, Marc Nassif, Managing Director (MD), RIPL, was quoted as saying, “With more and more cars on the road as well as frequent stop-and-go traffic, India has been seeing an increase in demand for automatic sedans in recent years. However, despite the growing interest for these cars, petrol automatic vehicles are still limited to a 6 per cent share in the premium sedan segment because they deliver lower mileage and higher cost of ownership.”
He further added, “The Scala X-tronic CVT aims to bridge this gap by offering class-leading fuel efficiency, reliability and performance. With the next-generation X-tronic transmission, customers will be able to experience a new technological benchmark in automatic transmission, which offers a smoother ride, convenience and savings, making the Scala CVT an attractive choice for those opting for an automatic premium sedan.”
The cutting-edge X-tronic CVT technology uses an auxiliary gearbox that entails it to possess world's greatest transmission ratio, even higher than seven speed automatic transmission systems. The state-of-the-art technology helps in achieving high end of compactness, light weight and superior fuel efficiency.
At present, the traditional CVT transmissions rely on larger pulleys to achieve greater transmission ratios, but the space limitations in small cars pose difficulties for the optimal design. The next generation automatic transmission system installed in Scala CVT, ignores this obstacle using a sub planetary gear, thereby allowing smaller pulleys to achieve higher transmission ratio, of the order 3.46:1. The smaller pulleys also help in achieving reduced oil stirring friction, by augmenting the distance between surface of pulleys and transmission oil. By employing this first of its kind arrangement, the X-tronic CVT transmission achieves close 30 per cent less friction and is 10 per cent smaller, besides being 13 per cent lighter than the traditional CVT systems.
In terms of overall driving characteristics, the X-tronic CVT transmission system installed in Renault Scala automatic sedan allows for infinite gear change ratios. The state-of-the-art Scala CVT gear-box ensures a pleasant and complete driving experience, with its hassle free gear shifting, highly accurate speed control, easy and stable engine braking, along with superior responsiveness to quick throttle. Further, the CVT technology helps in overcoming the shift-shock fluctuations experienced in the torque transmission of traditional automatic vehicles, besides maintaining an optimum level of output torque.
Renault launched its Scala model in the domestic passenger car market last September (2012), with the mid-sized sedan already claiming an 8 per cent share in the premium sedan segment of Indian auto sector in December 2012. Upon its launch in the country, Renault Scala received mostly positive responses from top industry experts, satisfied customers and local automobile media. Reportedly, the French auto major has already recorded sales of over 3,000 units of Scala in the country, which is remarkable, considering the vehicle was launched just four months back. Renault India has also confirmed that the Scala CVT sedan will be offered to domestic audience in the RXL and RXZ petrol trim levels.
