Renault to launch automatic variant of Scala

Renault has announced that it will launch an automatic version of the Scala Sedan. The car will be equipped with an X-tronic CVT transmission instead of the conventional autobox and will be made available only on the RXL and RXZ petrol variants. The French automaker has however not mentioned a price for the automatic variant.

The Scala AT will continue to be powered by the 1.5-litre petrol engine that produces 100bhp and 134Nm of torque. However thanks to the CVT gearbox, the company says the Scala AT will have an ARAI certified fuel efficiency of 17.97 kilometers to the litre.

Commenting on the Scala automatic, Marc Nassif, MD, Renault India said, “With more and more cars on the road as well as frequent stop-and-go traffic, India has been seeing an increase in demand for automatic sedans in recent years. However, despite the growing interest for these cars, petrol automatic vehicles are still limited to a 6 per cent share in the premium sedan segment because they have a low fuel efficiency and higher cost of ownership. The Scala X-tronic CVT aims to bridge this gap by high fuel efficiency, reliability and performance,” he added.

The Scala sedan is basically a rebadged version of the Nissan Sunny. It was launched in September 2012 and has so far managed to sell around 3100 units. With the arrival of the Scala automatic it is likely that Nissan might launch an automatic variant of the Sunny soon.