Renault Pulse review

Renault’s entry into India has been challenging to say the least. Its first offering, the Logan, was a rebadged version of Romanian brand Dacia’s low-cost saloon. It struggled here, and caused Indians to associate Renault with ‘budget’. The fact is the French brand has good equity in Europe, with a vast motorsport and road-car history that spans more than a century.
 The Pulse is powered by the familiar Renault-Nissan 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines, the latter of which we’re testing here. It produces a modest 63bhp and 16.3kgm and on urban roads, is immediately impressive. Initial engine response is good and there’s very little turbo lag. Half-throttle responses are also good and the Pulse ambles along at low speeds rather well. Mid-range performance is healthy and you have adequate passing power on tap. It’s only on the highway that you feel the lack of power and you have to constantly shift gears to keep the motor on the boil. With power tapering off as early as 3800rpm, you have a very small powerband to play with and the Pulse’s performance is a far cry from the likes of the Swift. Our timing equipment confirms this — the car takes a leisurely 16.2 seconds to reach 100kph. The motor is quite refined though; it settles into quiet idle and only sounds gruff when worked hard.

Fact File

Price Range (in lakhs)*

Ex-showroom price

Rs 6.17 lakh (est. ex-shorrom, Delhi)

Engine

Fuel	Diesel
Installation	Front, Transverse
Power	63bhp at 4000rpm
Torque	16.3 kgm at 4000rpm

Transmission

Gearbox

5-speed manual

Dimensions

Length	3805mm
Width	1665mm
Height	1525mm
Wheel base	2450mm

Chassis & Body

Weight

1070kg

Performance

0-20	1.56sec
0-40	3.77sec
0-60	6.35sec
0-80	10.43sec
0-100	16.20sec
0-120	25.17sec

Economy

Tank size

41 litres