French automaker Renault entered mass segment in India with the launch of Pulse hatchback at the Delhi Auto Expo 2012. Pulse, a mildly altered version of Nissan Micra, is priced at between Rs 5.77 lakh and Rs 6.25 lakh (exshowroom Delhi). The company also unveiled a crossover Duster which would be launched before Diwali in the domestic market.
“India is a priority market for us. We are going ahead with our plans to launch five new products for the Indian market between the middle of 2011 and December this year. Pulse is our third product for the Indian market. Duster will come before Diwali. However, by the end of the current year, we will have five products across segments in India,” Renault India Managing Director Marc Nassif said.
Pulse will be available with the Renault K9K diesel 1.5 dCi engine with maximum power of 64PS@4000rpm and peak torque of 160Nm@2000rpm and claims mileage of 23.08 km per litre.
The interiors of the Pulse however are almost identical to those of the Micra, right down to colours and shades.
The base RXL is priced at Rs 5.77 lakh and it comes with a manual A/C and a driver airbag.
The top-end RXZ is priced at Rs 6.25 lakh and it comes loaded with alloy wheels, automatic climate control, fog lamps and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, rear defoger with timer, roof spoiler dual airbags and a smart access key. RXZ also gets push button start.
The crossover Duster, which combines the features of a sedan and a sport utility vehicle (SUV), will be manufactured in India and will be available in petrol and diesel variants. The company said that it would launch the vehicle in the second half of 2012.
Renault’s introductory product in the Indian market was Fluence, which was launched in May last year followed by the luxury SUV, Koleos in September.
Renault Pulse, Duster at Delhi Auto Expo 2012:
