It was not far back that Renault started out in the Indian car market. They took their baby steps in this market with the aid of Mahindra and it seems they have now gone past their infancy here. The company is bringing new and new models regularly to fit the needs of different Indian car segments. The company is also targeting the already overcrowded midrange hatchback segment with their car; Pulse. In a segment which is ruled by Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata, it takes more than luck to gain any foot hold. Let us take a look and see if Pulse has got what it takes to be a champion here.
Externally the car looks rather cute and nimble yet gives us that ‘have seen this before,’ feeling. If you get that feeling, well that is because it looks a tad like Nissan’s Micra (may be, a little more than a tad). With an overall length of 3805mm, width of 1665mm and height of 1530mm, the car is well suited for navigating the city traffic. The car comes with a 1198cc, 3 cylinder, DOHC 12-valve, in-line petrol engine that produces 76 PS power at 6000rpm and 104 NM of torque at 4000rpm. There is also a 1461cc, 4 cylinder, 8-valve SOHC, in-line diesel engine that can deliver 64 PS at 4000rpm and 160 NM at 2000 rpm. The petrol engine comes with electronic fuel injection control, while the diesel engine is common rail one with lesser CO2 emission. Both engines feature 5 speed manual transmission gear boxes. According to the company the diesel engine can offer an impressive 23 plus kilometre mileage.
Smart door lock and unlock, tilt adjustable steering, on-board trip computer, automatic climate control, decent air conditioner, rear defogger with timer, rear washer and wiper, leather seats, tinted glass, lock and unlock sensing ORVMs, illuminated engine start or stop button, dash integrated music system and rear parcel tray, are all present in the car to increase the comfort and practicality it offers. Airbags for both driver and front passenger comes standard in the car. So does, fog lamps, rear seat belts, front and rear adjustable headrests and ISOFIX child seat fixing points. This points at the importance Renault has given to the safety department.
The car is now available it 7 different variants, which includes 3 petrol variants and 4 diesel variants. The low end variants comes with 14 inch wheels and plum and black dashboards while the high end variants have 15 inch alloy wheels and stylish Greige dashboard and equipment. The high end models also have lock and unlock sensing folding outside rear view mirrors, smart access key, leather wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, rear defogger with timer, roof spoiler, and front fog lamps. It is presently available in gold, silver, grey, red, white, and black colours.
Price: Rs. 4, 99,000 – Rs. 6, 70,000 (Ex-Showroom)
Alternative Rides in Market: Nissan Micra, Maruti Swift, Volkswagen Polo, Chevrolet Beat, Hyundai i20, Toyota Etios Liva, Fiat Grande Punto, Tata Indica Vista, and Skoda Fabia.

It was not far back that Renault started out in the Indian car market. They took their baby steps in this market with the aid of Mahindra and it seems they have now gone past their infancy here. The company is bringing new and new models regularly to fit the needs of different Indian car segments. The company is also targeting the already overcrowded midrange hatchback segment with their car; Pulse. In a segment which is ruled by Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata, it takes more than luck to gain any foot hold. Let us take a look and see if Pulse has got what it takes to be a champion here.
Externally the car looks rather cute and nimble yet gives us that ‘have seen this before,’ feeling. If you get that feeling, well that is because it looks a tad like Nissan’s Micra (may be, a little more than a tad). With an overall length of 3805mm, width of 1665mm and height of 1530mm, the car is well suited for navigating the city traffic. The car comes with a 1198cc, 3 cylinder, DOHC 12-valve, in-line petrol engine that produces 76 PS power at 6000rpm and 104 NM of torque at 4000rpm. There is also a 1461cc, 4 cylinder, 8-valve SOHC, in-line diesel engine that can deliver 64 PS at 4000rpm and 160 NM at 2000 rpm. The petrol engine comes with electronic fuel injection control, while the diesel engine is common rail one with lesser CO2 emission. Both engines feature 5 speed manual transmission gear boxes. According to the company the diesel engine can offer an impressive 23 plus kilometre mileage.
Smart door lock and unlock, tilt adjustable steering, on-board trip computer, automatic climate control, decent air conditioner, rear defogger with timer, rear washer and wiper, leather seats, tinted glass, lock and unlock sensing ORVMs, illuminated engine start or stop button, dash integrated music system and rear parcel tray, are all present in the car to increase the comfort and practicality it offers. Airbags for both driver and front passenger comes standard in the car. So does, fog lamps, rear seat belts, front and rear adjustable headrests and ISOFIX child seat fixing points. This points at the importance Renault has given to the safety department.
The car is now available it 7 different variants, which includes 3 petrol variants and 4 diesel variants. The low end variants comes with 14 inch wheels and plum and black dashboards while the high end variants have 15 inch alloy wheels and stylish Greige dashboard and equipment. The high end models also have lock and unlock sensing folding outside rear view mirrors, smart access key, leather wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, rear defogger with timer, roof spoiler, and front fog lamps. It is presently available in gold, silver, grey, red, white, and black colours.
Price: Rs. 4, 99,000 – Rs. 6, 70,000 (Ex-Showroom)
Alternative Rides in Market: Nissan Micra, Maruti Swift, Volkswagen Polo, Chevrolet Beat, Hyundai i20, Toyota Etios Liva, Fiat Grande Punto, Tata Indica Vista, and Skoda Fabia.