Renault India has rebadged Nissan Micra small car in India and is selling it a Renault Pulse which is a more premium and sporty looking diesel only hatchback from Renault India which come with premium features and aesthetics. On the same lines, Renault India is working on re-badging the Nissan Sunny Sedan in India and it will introduce the same in India by October 2012 named as Renault Scala. Scala is French for “Scale” which signifies the large dimensions and space of Nissan Sunny or Renault Scala Sedan.
Renault-Nissan has been working together as an alliance in India and they have a manufacturing facility at Chennai where Nissan India cars are made. In terms of changes between Renault Scala and Nissan Sunny, we expect that there will be new front fascia which will look more premium, some changes at the rear, re-badging and branding also there can also be some additional features provided.
Image –Renault Scala Official Picture
In terms of specifications, we expect that Renault may provide only Diesel variant like in case of Renault Pulse to start with. The Diesel engine unit used in Renault Scala will be a K9KE424 Renault Engine with a peak torque rating of 200 Nm and peak power 86 BHP. The fuel efficient Diesel engine of Renault Scala is capable of producing 20 + KMPL of mileage per litre of Diesel. The Renault Scala sedan in India will feature a 5 speed Manual Transmission which is standard and the chances of a 4 speed automatic can also not be ruled out as a Nissan Sunny with CVT Automatic transmission has been seen testing on Indian roads.
With its cabin space, fuel economy, premium feature, sporty looks and a reasonable price tag, Renault Scala may turn the Renault sales charts steeply upwards in the times to come. It will be interesting to see how many variants and what all features will be offered with Scala. As per the previous track record, we expected 2 to 3 variants with premium features and premium pricing will be introduced. Renault is establishing a premium car maker’s image in India since the launch of Renault Fluence, followed by Renault Koleos and Renault Pulse. We expect the trend to continue and expect to see sporty and premium offering from Renault India.
source – ACI
