Renault, the French automaker that is best known in India for its unsuccessful partnership with Mahindra & Mahindra, is all set to unleash Renault Pulse, its new hatchback. Though speculation was rife that the carmaker will launch a hatchback version of its popular mini-MPV Renault Modus, company officials have stated that the upcoming vehicle will not be a smaller version of the Modus. Instead, it will be an all-new car that has been developed keeping in mind mileage and Indian road conditions. They have clarified that this car is not among the models that it sells in Europe, so Indian buyers can expect a whole new package to hit the roads quite soon.
The French car manufacturing giant has chosen an excellent day to unveil this vehicle – the first Indian Grand Prix. However, full specifications and details will be discussed at the New Delhi Auto Expo 2012. The upcoming Renault Pulse is expected to be built on the V platform, which the company shares with its sister concern, Nissan. Other cars built on the Versatile platform are Renault Clio and Nissan Micra.
Notably, Pulse is expected to be powered by the same engines that run the Micra. If this turns out to be true, then the petrol variant will be equipped with a 1.2 L, 3 cylinder engine that is capable of generating 74.9 hp power and 1.4 Nm torque with utmost ease. Likewise, the 1.5 L, 4 cylinder diesel engine will be able to produce power output of 63.12 hp and torque of 160 Nm. Both the cars will have 5-speed manual transmission systems to ensure a smooth driving experience.
In terms of pricing, the car is expected to sport a tag of Rs. 4 Lacs to Rs. 5 Lacs, thus giving tough competition to many popular cars, such as Nissan Micra, Honda Brio, Hyundai i10, Maruti Suzuki Ritz and Maruti Suzuki Swift. In fact, Sudhir Rao, Deputy Managing Director, Renault India said “The car will be positioned between (Maruti’s) Swift and (Nissan’s) Micra”. This gives a clear indication that the company is targeting the pole position of the Indian hatchback segment with the upcoming Pulse.
A lot of its success depends upon its design, which has been kept under wraps till now. Considering that the car is not expected to sport the looks of a smaller Modus, it will be difficult to speculate how it will appeal to Indian audiences. The official website of Renault India displays an upcoming car that boasts of a tall boy design, which may eventually turn out to be Pulse, though there was no confirmation for the same. According to rumours, the car may even look like Micra with some modifications, though the chances of that are quite slim.
This car will be built at the company’s Chennai plant, where the Micra is also developed. However, many people have sighted the test mules of Modus in and around Chennai, so speculation is that the company may launch the mini-MPV in India as well. However, according to officials, the car is in India as part of validation testing, which is being carried out in eight countries in order to develop the next generation of Modus. Moreover, the company has categorically said that Modus will not be launched in India. So, all eyes will be on today to see the third car that Renault will launch in the domestic market.
