French car maker Renault used the platform provided by the first Indian Grand Prix, here at the Buddh International Circuit, to launch its third passenger car for the Indian market.

The new Renault Pulse will mark the company’s entry into the premium small car segment and is expected to quickly widen its portfolio and draw in more buyers.

The new Pulse has been built on the same V-platform that the Nissan Micra, the small car from Renault alliance’s partner, was also based on. The Pulse has a redesigned front, but bears a striking resemblance to the Micra in every other department, including the interior trim.

Commercial launch

The Pulse will be commercially launched in January at the 2012 Auto Expo in New Delhi. Bookings will open after the price announcement in January. The car will be launched with petrol and diesel engine options.

But the current announcement from Renault only talks about the K9K diesel engine being available with the Pulse. This 1.5-litre diesel engine is said to be very popular worldwide and is expected to be very efficient in the Pulse, being capable of offering up to 23 kmpl of mileage.

The car will be manufactured in the Renault-Nissan alliance plant in Chennai. The plant has also commenced localised production of the engine. It is said to only be the third plant worldwide to manufacture this engine for Renault. Initial engine production capacity will be 1.5 lakh units and this is expected to be ramped up to 3 lakh units. The engine has been available in the Indian market for the past four years in the Renault Logan.

Target segment

The Pulse will be positioned at the top end of the B segment and will be pitched at value conscious premium hatch buyers, according to Mr Marc Nassif, Managing Director, Renault India. The new hatch has been developed entirely in India by Renault’s in-house design centre in Mumbai.

Renault expects to launch two more cars in 2012, including the Duster, an affordable SUV, and possibly another small car. The company is also targeting to increase the number of its dealerships from about 40 this year to about 100 by end 2012.

At the Grand Prix here, Renault Sport F1’s RS27 engine powers three teams’ cars.