Renault Pulse

When: Early 2012
How Much: Rs 5-7 lakh

India is a country obsessed with vehicles that can pack in a lot of people. Indeed, it is one of the primary reasons why people buy SUVs and MUVs. Among low-cost MUVs Maruti Suzuki has done well with the Eeco, and is now preparing the RIII.

The RIII was first revealed at the 2010 Auto Expo as a concept car. Now, the production prototype is ready and we expect the company to launch it next year. While the concept was a swanky looking thing, the production car has lost quite a bit of the glamour. The design has been toned down to match production specs and costs and now the RIII looks more real. Nonetheless, a raked bonnet and a two-tier grille give the front identity. In profile, the suicide doors have been done away with and in their place come conventional doors. The rear door works as a hatch and houses the registration plate and also sports the rear wash and wipe.

Inside, the RIII gets a large dash and in top-of-the-line variants, the RIII will get electric ORVMs, climate control, steering mounted controls, ABS and airbags. It will be a seven-seater (six-seater in top-end trim) with three rows of seats. However, the boot will only be effective once the third row of seats have been folded down.

The RIII will be offered in both petrol and diesel motor options. The petrol is sure to be the 4-cylinder K-series engine and the diesel would be the super efficient 1.3-litre DDiS engine, which also does duty in the Swift, SX4 and the Ritz. However it is expected to offer around 90bhp. We expect Maruti Suzuki to price it in the Rs 5-7 lakh bracket, considering that it is tad smaller than the likes of the Xylo and Innova.

Specs (Speculated)
Engine: 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litre multijet diesel

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