French carmaker Renault showcased its compact car 'Pulse',specifically designed for India,that will be commercially launched in January 2012. India is one of the three key countries for Renault along with Brazil and Russia. This car is designed and produced in India for Indian drivers, Renault Chief Operating Officer Carlos Tavares told reporters. The price of the Pulse will be announced during the Auto Expo to be held at New Delhi in January 2012. The car is developed on its partner Nissan's V platform. Pulse has been designed at Renault's design centre in Mumbai. The company showcased the car with a 1.5 litre diesel engine,which is produced locally at Renault's Chennai facility,Tavares added. With the production of the 1.5 litre diesel engine from this month,India is the third country to produce this engine in the world, he said. The company has an installed capacity to produce 1.5 lakh engines per year at its Chennai plant which can be expanded up to 3 lakh units per year,he added. Pulse is the third car from Renault's stable in India after its premium sedan Fluence and sports utility vehicle (SUV) Koleos. The company will be launching two more cars next year as a part of its plan to sell one lakh units in India by 2013.
