Renault to launch premium small car on October 29th; may be named Pulse

Renault will unveil its new premium small car for India on October 29^th at Greater Noida where the debut Indian Grand Prix is to be held. Full details such as variants, prices and specifications are expected to be revealed during the upcoming Delhi Auto Expo in January 2012.

There are mixed views as to whether Renault will launch an all new car based on V platform or Indianize an existing model from its international lineup and launch here.

The Renault premium hatchback will be based on Nissan’s V-platform on which the Nissan Micra is based.  “The car will be positioned between (Maruti’s) Swift and (Nissan’s) Micra,” Sudhir Rao, Deputy Managing Director, Renault India, was quoted as saying by the Business Standard. No further details were available officially. Meanwhile, Auto Bild reported that it will be an all-new small car, and that it would be named the Renault Pulse.

A few months ago, Rao told CarToq that the small “B-hatch” that Renault was planning for India had been designed in India, and was being made for India initially. It’s possible that Renault will be sharing parts with the Micra platform to keep costs low and achieve easier economies of scale.

Renault’s upcoming car will likely be powered by 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines that power the Nissan Micra. The 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine makes 74.9 hp of power and 104 Nm of torque while the 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine churns out 63 bhp of power and 160 Nm of torque at 2,000 rpm. The engines will likely be mated to 5-speed manual transmissions.

The final design of the car is still a mystery of sorts.

The official website of Renault India shows a representation of a tallboy car among its upcoming launches. Last month CarToq reported that Renault was testing a small car in the outskirts of Chennai. The car was a disguised Renault Modus, a mini MPV which the French carmaker sells in markets such as the UK.  However, the company has denied that it would be the Modus which would come to India.

So an all new Renault car that would be powered by the Micra’s engine, positioned between the Swift and the Micra, and possibly named Pulse. Let us wait till October 29 to know more!