Renault Pulse: Road Test

The very first pictures of the Renault Pulse frankly left us very disheartened. Especially since we are totally gaga about Renault’s other small offerings like the Twingo and the Clio. The Pulse on the other hand pretty much looked like a rehashed Nissan Micra with a Renault badge. However, like they say, the god is in the details and once you see the Pulse in the flesh, the subtle but noticeable differences start to make themselves evident. So how different is the Pulse and will it prove to be the game changer for Renault? Let’s find out…

Similar lines, different appeal

Now there is no doubting that the Pulse comes across as a slightly different looking Micra. But then that’s not really a bad thing. It’s pretty much the same with the VW Vento and the Skoda Rapid, so why not with the Micra and the Pulse. Now the Micra is already a cute looking car, but then therein lies its problem too. While cute is good it appeals only to a certain kind, the fairer sex. And that’s exactly what Renault has worked on. Not only has it saved on the development costs of an all new car but Renault has given the car an all new character which now gives a very universal appeal.

The changes include re-styled and now slightly elongated head lights that is complimented by a large aggressive grille which gives the little car a lot of macho appeal. While the sides and the overall silhouette remains the same, the rear has been given a once over. The tail lights get a minor touch up and there is also an all new bumper which now also sports a black mid section imitating a diffuser. All these sporty bits are further complimented by one of the best alloy wheels in this segment. All in all, if you liked the Micra but found it a tad to feminine, the Pulse is sure to get your attention.

Round is in!

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To save costs, the bulbous interiors of the Micra are retained. There is no difference whatsoever apart from the Renault badge on the steering wheel and the different choice of colours that you get choose for the interiors. The RxL variant gets a black dashboard with maroon inserts while the RxZ pictured here gets a mix of beige and grey. Now the beige and grey combo does make the interiors feel more airy but also make the interiors look more plastiky.

The driving position is nice and comfy and even new drivers will feel at home in the Pulse thanks to the good all round visibility. Leg room at the rear is not abundant but it’s not too bad either and even tall passengers will not feel cramped. But get five people into the car and its does get a bit tight in the Pulse.

Ergonomics are well taken care off and everything falls at hand pretty easily. The aircon controls arranged in a circular pattern not only look refreshing but also serve their purpose well. Even the music system has a nice tune to it and performs quite well considering its basic nature. All in all the insides of the Pulse is good place to be in.

Diesel delight

As of now Renault has launched the Pulse with a diesel powerplant only with a petrol to follow soon. The engine is the same 1.5 litre multifarious dCi unit which does its duty in the Robust Renault Logan which is now the Mahindra Verito, the Renault Fluence (albeit in a different state of tune) and of course in the exact same tune in the Micra. It pushes out 64 PS @ 4000 rpm and 160 Nm @ 2000 rpm.

While its power figures at 64 PS does not suggest the Pulse to be as quick as its competition like the Swift which packs in much more power where the Renault scores is drivability. Turbo lag is minimal and the Pulse shoots forward at the slightest dab of the accelerator. Pedal to the metal, the Pulse hit 100 km/h in 16.27 seconds which almost a second quicker than the Micra and pretty close to the more powerful Swift. How you ask? Short well matched gearing is the answer. The short ratios mean the Pulse is in the powerband at all times resulting in crisp acceleration. Drivability is brilliant and the Pulse can doodle around in town in as high as 3rd and 4th gear without having to downshift and the roll-on times reflect the same. 4-120 km/h in 4th gear took just 26.59 seconds.

However there is a downside as well. The shorter gearing means highway runs can get quite buzzy. In fact, the Pulse could not even hit 120 in third gear and maxed out at 106 km/h. High speed cruising is not the Pulse’s forte either and the car maxed out at 160 km/h thanks to a long downhill. Coming to deceleration, the Pulse brakes well under normal usage however a high speed emergency braking situation means locking up the front wheels thanks to the absence of ABS. We fail to fathom why such an important and mandatory safety feature has been omitted from the equipment list.

The suspension is pretty sorted too and the Pulse offers a decent balance between ride and handling. However we found the setup a tad too stiff with bumps filtering into the cabin on bad roads. The stiffness however aids handling and the Pulse is pretty much in its element in the twisty’s. The Pulse then makes for a great city car with decent highway potential.

Easy on the pocket

Good drivability and a light weight design results in good fuel efficiency too. Driven around town, the Pulse returned 13.8 kmpl with the figure going up to 17.3 kmpl on the highway, giving the Pulse an overall figure of 14.6 kmpl. With a 41 litre fuel tank the Pulse should easily see close to 600 km before needing to be refueled.

Bottom Line!

The Pulse then comes across as a pretty sensible offering from Renault. The aesthetics has been taken care of and the interiors do just fine. It drives well and is fuel efficient too. The RxZ variant is pretty loaded too, of course if you could overlook the glaring omission of the anti-lock braking system and the optional passenger airbag. At 6.25 lakh the top of the line RxZ is exactly Rs. 4300 cheaper than the Nissan Micra. Thanks to the better looks, the Pulse makes absolute sense for not only those who loved the Micra for everything but it looks but also for those looking for a well rounded diesel family hatch.