Renault Pulse RxL Airbags

Renault Pulse RxL Airbags

This variant is fitted with the 1461cc 4-cylinder diesel unit producing 64bhp and mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. It has features such as air conditioning, electric adjustable exterior mirror with tilt steering adjustment, tachometer, CD/MP3 audio player, front and rear power windows, central locking with keyless entry. For safety it also has driver and passenger airbag with anti-pinch safety function on driver side window. The Pulse is powered by the familiar Renault-Nissan 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines. The latter produces a modest 63bhp and 16.3kgm and on urban road and 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. 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. The new Renault small car, will be powered by the same three pot 1.2-litre petrol engine which does duty on the Nissan Micra. Even though, this engine has three cylinders, the NVH levels are low especially while idling – which is generally the issue with most of the three cylinder engines as the vibration levels are higher due to balance issues. These new engine blocks are now machined by a method called bore circularity which has helped reduce friction by 20% if compared to a conventional four-cylinder engine. This helps to increase the power output, fuel efficiency and even the life of the engine; which in short makes the engine rev freely while making it quicker and reliable too.