Expected Price in India : Rs 5,77,000 - Rs 6,37,500
Review:
Renault Pulse is the third product from Renault’s car basket in India. In an attempt to put its best foot forward in India, Renault India has readied its new car ‘Renault Pulse’ for mass audience. After it ceased the joint venture with SUV giant Mahindra, Renault chalked out an aggressive strategy for establishing itself in the much competitive car market. In an effort to emerge as an independent identity in the country, the French auto biggie came with Renault Fluence and lately brought into fore the extremely pricey SUV - Renault Koleos. Renault India wants to extend its reach in every car segment. Therefore after launching Koleos SUV for niche audience at Rs 23 lakh, the French auto maker has tried to catch attention of mass audience by Renault Pulse. Renault Pulse is positioned in the Swift hatchback category.
To generate curiosity, Renault had put up 3 upcoming cars in line on its website in disguised appearance. The first among them was the small car Renault Pulse, which was launched at the Auto Expo, 2012. Renault unveiled the new car earlier in 2011 at a grand event of Formula 1 racing in Noida where it was unveiled by Carlos Tavares, COO of Renault and Marc NASSIF, Managing Director, Renault India and two Formula 1 drivers. The company, which is focusing on the top-down strategy to establish the brand in the Indian market, is simultaneously working on plans to enter the core market which is highlighted by hatchbacks in India. It plans to launch a range of vehicles based on a completely new platform in the A segment.
Although Renault has a tried and tested market for its hatchbacks in international market, India would be witnessing the entry of Renault’s small car for the first time. There were so many guesses about the exact name of this hatchback car that everyday a new name used to crop up for this hatchback. But none of them could make up to India and finally Renault Pulse stuck to the name plate. Renault Pulse will be specially devised for Indian market to keep the price affordable. Renault India has decked up Renault Pulse with all necessary and luxury features to suit the requirements of Indian audience. Renault Pulse is basically a small hatchback car by built. However, the emphasis is not on the smallness of the car, rather it is quite spacious and roomy. Renault Indian is eyeing big business through this small car in India. The widening arms of Renault can be seen from Renault’s investment of a whopping Rs 6.5 crore on promotional activities during Indian GP.
Renault Pulse is developed for the Indian market by Renault’s Design Center in Mumbai. The Renault Pulse Indian project is being completely handled by Indian designers. The 11 member design team worked for two-and-a-half years when the project was started in 2009. The company worked on the design of Renault Pulse that came out with the Logan, even though the latter was not a success. During these three years, the designers understood the needs, expectations and taste in terms of colours, shapes and features of Indian customers. Based on their research, Renault India decided to position the car a little differently from Nissan’s Micra and therefore, tried making Renault Pulse more sporty, aggressive and with more character. The quick rollout of products highlights Renault’s commitment to the Indian market.
Renault Pulse India is based on the V platform also used in Nissan cars like Nissan Micra. The new car osculates some features with Nissan Micra. The Renault Pulse is available with the Renault K9K diesel 1.5 dCi engine with maximum power of 64PS@4000rpm and peak torque of 160Nm@2000rpm that but delivers one of the best in-class fuel efficiency of 23.08 Kmpl, as per the ARAI test data. The Renault Pulse is thus a prime example of the synergies generated by an alliance. With Renault Pulse, Renault has also started the localization of the k9K engine family in India with production starting at the Nissan -Renault factory located in Oragadam in the outskirts of Chennai. Renault Pulse will take on Maruti, Hyundai and Tata’s small cars head on and will further intensify the already competitive hatchback market. The Pulse is launched in India in two diesel variants the RxL & RxZ. Launch of only diesel variants has surely given a pat on Renault’s back.
Despite the fact that it shares the same platform with Nissan Micra, Renault Pulse hopes to have its own identity with a unique French automaker’s styling. The new hatchback by Nissan has new body color bumpers, a small bonnet and front hexagonal grille besides unique body panels. The front end features huge Renault logo in centre, flanked by chrome underlined front grille and tinted windshield. The side profile of Renault Pulse steals the show and resembles the side of Maruti Ritz with tall appearance and thick C-pillar. The rear end of Renault Pulse showcases a big Renault logo with ‘Renault Pulse’ nomenclature below it and tall tail lamps. Renault has tried to buck-in as much profit as possible by giving Renault Pulse a chic look.
Furthermore, Renault Pulse inherits the interiors from its sibling Micra. The HVAC (Heater, Ventilation and Air-Conditioner) controls on the dash in addition to an array of other interior features and styling are carried forward to Renault Pulse from the bubble shaped car, Micra. The smart door lock and unlock feature is the centre for attraction. With this convenient feature, there is no need for driver to take out key from his/her pocket or bag to lock/unlock the car. The smart access key has proximity sensors that automatically do the duty. The Renault Pulse India features automatic climate control, power and tilt adjustable steering, power windows, air-conditioner, rear defogger with timer, rear washer/wiper, leather seats, tinted glass, lock and unlock sensing ORVMs, illuminated engine start/stop button, dash integrated music system and rear parcel tray. The list of features aggravates with roof spoiler and front fog lamps with follow-me headlamps.
The Pulse will turn out to be a perfect small car for youth and aspiring Indian customers looking for a bold, fuel-efficient compact car that is fun to drive in the city as well as on the highways. The Pulse will be available in various metallic colors like Pearl White, Metallic Red, Solid Black, Metallic Silver, Metallic Grey and Champagne Gold colors. The Pulse stands and runs on decent 14 inch wheels for RxL and the top end RxZ gets 15 inch alloy wheels which adds considerably to the handling and the aesthetics of the car. Macpherson struts in the front and coil springs in the rear add stability to the ride and give the hatch superb driving dynamics.
Renault Pulse is high on safety norms. 2 airbags, fog lamps, rear seat belts, Front and rear adjustable headrests and ISOFIX child seat fixing points are standard with Renault Pulse. One good thing about Renault Pulse is the unique 2+2 year or 80,000 Km warranty under the Renault Complete Care package that will be offered by the company which also includes sops like Concierge services, 24X7 roadside assistance, Navigation assistance, etc. Renault is also aggressively working on increasing the sales and service outlets of the company to promote the brand and address needs of their customers.
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