ರೆನಾಲ್ಟ್ ಪ್ಲಸ್‌ 2012-2014 ಆರ್‌ಎಕ್ಸಙ

Renault India is the fully owned auxiliary of the French automobile maker Renault S.A and they are in the country since several years now. Their fleet of cars is short, yet admirable; they have 4 vehicles presently in their stable. The company has recently launched an SUV, Renault Duster which is doing quite well in the market. They also have a top selling hatchback, Renault Pulse, which is being offered in both petrol and diesel variants. Renault Pulse diesel was launched in January this year, while the petrol version of this hatchback was introduced a little later in the month of May. This hatchback is a wonderful combination of exciting features, an aerodynamic overall design along with superior and refined technology. The Renault Pulse Renault Pulse RxZ Diesel is blessed with a peppy engine with efficient maneuverability and compact yet roomy interiors. This hatchback is acclaimed to be one of the best selling cars in its segment with some intelligent features and a striking exterior. The powerful yet fuel efficient engine along with some impressive safety features and a sturdy body structure certainly makes it one of the most amiable cars in the country. The tagline “Add Pulse to your life” is actually rightly suitable to this adorable, Renault Pulse hatch. It can be said that, this Renault small car is certainly one of the best looking hatchbacks in the country's automobile market.

Exteriors:

This brilliant looking Renault Pulse RxZ diesel has dynamic styling and is sportier than many of its other competitors. This hatchback has some really striking features all over along with a new and refreshing design with an aerodynamic bodyline. The dual front grille is bold and looks attractive with some chrome elements and prominent insignia of the company fitted right at the center, which makes it look stylish. The head light cluster is large and is fitted with powerful lamps with ‘Follow Me Home Headlamps' feature. The front body colored bumper is fitted with a pair of round fog lamps to enhance the visibility of the driver. The side profile has body colored pull type door handles and body colored outside rear view mirrors. The neatly done up wheel arches are blessed with a set of trendy 15 inch alloy wheels with tubeless tyres of size 175/60 R15, which makes this Renault Pulse look dynamic . The other striking exterior features are a rear defogger with timer, black colored B pillars, a rear washer as well as a wiper, green tinted glass for the windscreens, a roof spoiler with a high mounted bright stop lamp and from 2+1 speed intermittent wiper along with a number of other features. The overall dimensions of this hatchback are quite impressive with a total length of 3805mm and an overall width of 1665mm along with a total height of 1525mm and a comfortable and roomy wheel base of 2450mm. The boot of this Renault Pulse has the capacity of storing close to 251 litres of luggage, which is quite apt for any hatchback.

Interiors:

The insides of this hatchback are done up very nicely and gives you a refreshing feel once you are inside it. The company has bestowed this charming hatchback with some alluring features and spacious leg room with comfortable seats, which are covered with premium upholstery. Then the front door trims that are covered with good quality fabric. There are quite a few other interesting features such as a front cabin lamp with reading lights, trunk room lamp, steering wheel and gear shift knob are covered with leather and have a smooth finish, a couple of cup holders at the front and one for the rear seat and two bottle holders as well. Then there are trim pockets in the front door and 3 assist grips as well. There is a 12 v power outlet, an internal release for the fuel lid, a day/night internal rear view mirror and also a vanity mirror for the driver as well as the passenger with a lid. Apart from all these, there are a lot of such small convenient features, which will certainly attract the customers.

Engine and Performance:

Renault Pulse RxZ diesel is fitted with a power packed 1.5 litre K9K dCi, in-line diesel power train with 8 valves and a single over head cam shaft (SOHC) . This engine has the capacity to displace 1461cc and can deliver a peak power output of 62.72bhp at 4000rpm along with a maximum torque of 160Nm at 2000rpm. This commanding engine has a common rail diesel fuel supply system and has been cleverly mated with a five speed manual transmission gear box with smoother gear shifts. The top speed of this Renault Pulse hatch is 158kmph, while it can reach the milestone of 100kmph from a standstill in just about 16.27 seconds or so. The mileage claimed by the company is in the range of 19.4 to 23.8kmpl in standard driving conditions, which is quite impressive.

Braking and Handling:

This Renault Small Car is fitted with ventilated discs for the front wheels, while the rear wheels have been fixed with drum brakes, which are very efficient. The braking system is one of the most important parts of any vehicle and the company has taken good care of this aspect in this hatchback . The suspension system of Renault Pulse is said to be very similar to another popular hatchback, Nissan Micra. Renault Pulse runs on the McPherson struts type suspension for the front, while the rear end is on a torsion beam fork, which assists in a comfortable driving experience along with helping in the vehicle stability on bad roads.

Safety Features:

This part is another very significant aspect of any vehicle and the company has taken good care by incorporating some remarkable safety features in this Renault Pulse hatch. This car boasts of some impressive features like driver side airbag with an option of installing a passenger airbag as well, an anti-pinch safety feature for the drive side power window, child proof door locks for the rear doors, engine immobilizer, head restraints for front and rear seats and also speed sensing automatic door locks. These are some of the notable safety features, which are installed in this hatchback.

Comfort Features:

The Renault Pulse RxZ diesel being the higher end version is loaded to the gills with some remarkable comfort features. The long list of these features include an electric power assisted steering that can be tilt adjusted, all four power windows, with one touch up and down function for the driver window, an engine start/stop button with illumination, lock/unlock sensing folding external mirrors that are electrically adjustable from inside, an on board trip computer, central locking for all the 5 doors with a smart access key, a powerful air conditioning unit with automatic climate control system, an advanced integrated music system with four speakers and a roof antenna, an headlamp On as well as a Key-off reminder along with a door ajar warning lamp . These are some of the exciting features which have been incorporated in the Renault Pulse RxZ diesel version.

Pros:

A compact car very apt for the city, stylish overall design, powerful engine and the mileage is quite good.

Cons:

Price is expensive, rear end can be made sportier and ABS with EBD should be included.