TRAVEL BUSINESS CLASS : My Renault Scala

[F30]

It is said that dressing well is a necessity if you want to travel Business Class;

& the perks of travelling in style

Makes you arrive in style;

Introducing a new dimension of Business class travel;

The very STYLISH;

The Very SEXY;

Renault Scala;

They say LUXURY must be COMFORTABLE & being comfortable is a STATE OF MIND;

But whatever they say, there is no substitute for S P A C E;

The Scala provides LUXURY IN SIMPLICITY

The INVITING REAR SEAT;

The Decision;

My Current daily commute is/was the Fiat Punto 1.3 MJD

It was aprox > 80k kms on the Fiat Punto MJD & it had served us exceptionally well especially with its confident inspiring highway manners, ride comfort & decent space at the back considering it was a hatchback, but it was time for a change & so was on the lookout for replacement.

Sold for Rs 3.3 L

Other Considerations;

Renault Duster 85 PS (Diesel);

The delivery period for the 85 Diesel was going overboard i.e > 3 months & so had to drop the idea of the Duster.

Also the issue with the rear space/legroom put me off

Pre-Requisites for the new buy;

- Efficient Diesel Engine (Because my running would be atleast 20-25k kms/Annum)

- Going to be chauffeur driven > 95% of time

- Back seat space/comfort

- Rear Arm rest ( mentioning this as was sorely missed in the Punto )

- Good Highway manners ( as dad will be chauffeured to factory @ Gujarat, Pune )

The booking & delivery Experience;

The car was booked at Gen Next motors , Thane.

The car was available in stock so the delivery was very quick indeed i.e. 7-8 working days. (this includes the loan procedure)

GenNext Motors offered accessories worth upto Rs 25,000 Free on the Scala which include;

1) Map My India GPS

2) Illuminated Scuff Plates

3) Rear Parking Sensors

4) OE Matting

5) OE Mud Flaps

The Delivery (23/11/12);

Picked the car up from the stockyard @ Panvel

1st pictures;

My T-Fort playing the role of a Support Car during the delivery;

Registration;

On the day i took the car for registration to Silvassa i got allotted the number 1164.

I happily accepted the number & made a temporary sticker of the same & returned to Mumbai.

The next day was a weekend, & on Monday i got a call from the RTO & DNH that the number i allotted which was 1162 is not changed to 1172.

Was strange but anyway had to accept it, so did.

However was running around on the old number till the new RC book, & IND Plates arrived

Tyre Upgrade;

The very next day of delivery & 300 kms later the tyres were upgraded from;

Stock Bridgestone : 185/65 R15 to ;

Make : Michelin Primacy LC

Up-Size : 195/60 R15

& immediately the outcome

Positives;

- Better Ride quality / comfort

- Improved Handling

- Improved high speed stability (which was lacking in the Bridgestones especially > 120 km/hr

- Marginally improved braking (> 2-3 %)

- Wider track hence Better looks

- Boosts the confidence of my driver & also mine while being chauffeured (mind games)

Negative;

- None, except while explaining my driver to take it easy on bumps, potholes as don’t want a popping side wall air bubble / cut may have dip his morale, lol

Total cost after Buy Back – Rs 8000/- (i.e. 2k / tyre)

More on this in the ride & handling section.

2000 km : 1st Service

In almost under 15 days for the 1st service as had crossed the 2000 km mark;

Also the fitment of accessories was to take place.

The free goodies;

- Map My India GPS

- Illuminated Scuff Plates

- Rear Parking Sensors

- OE Matting

- OE Mud Flaps

7500 km Report on;

Engine/Performance;

The engine feels like a N/A & this i say not in a negative way but with its low end ability & negligible turbo Lag this motor is a boon for stress free driving.

This motor churns out a minimal of aprox 85 hp but the pulling power is astonishing aiding the cruising ability.

Yes, the motor does get a bit gruffy when you revv it but overall pretty silent.

As the meat of the power is in the strong low to mid end, so no point in doing 0-100 runs or red-lining as the juice wont be worth the squeeze.

Refinement/Damping;

Pop the hood & u see no damping, seems Renault is pretty confident of the refinement levels of the K9K.

Gearbox/Gear shifts;

The Gear Ratios are laid out very well to aid driving/cruising. Ample torque available from the low-mid end.

Gearshifts are precise and good to operate. To be frank it is FUN to play around the gears as the shift quality is good. Also i believe the Renault engineers could have made the shift quality even better & paralleled the Skodas shift quality (Benchmark in my eyes – have been a Laura user i.e. before Cruze) but it seemed they left working on the shift quality halfway.

Also note the Renault gearshifts cant adopt to the quick/fast gear changes. Gives a sound when you want to operate them in a rush.

Fuel Economy;

The Scala has been fairly economical till now.

Highest FE clocked an practical runs (100-120 km/h) NH driving is 18-19 km/l

On an daily commute in the city have consistently clocked 15-16 km/l

The Worst economy got till now was in an spirited run on an highway clocking high 13s km/l

Also recently did a short economy run on EE Hwy (Aprox 40 kms) with very careful throttle inputs (non practical) & managed to get an staggering 26 km/l

All in all an extremely FE car & i am satisfied with it.

Braking;

A lot has been criticized about the braking on the Scala / Sunny & all those claims are true but to a certain extent allow me to speak in favour of the Scala a bit.

More than the braking i feel the problem lies in the setting of the brake pedal / sensitivity.

To elaborate more on this is that the pedal has almost no feel when pressed up to say 20% of travel & post that it starts reacting but taking its own time still & when the mind is convinced it is a do or die u depress the brake pedal further & there finally it has the bite. So overall i blame the brake pedal for being lazy / in sensitive but if you master this art i feel the braking is very soothing for the rear passengers.

Post the Fitment of wider PLC Rubber i think it is definitely confident inspiring under hard braking but the difference is hardly 2-3% which is critical nonetheless.

Ride & Handling;

The ride quality is truly impressive. It drives flat on the rough patches very well.

Much of the credit has to be given to the suspension of this Renault which has been truly designed in favor favor of the poor Indian road conditions.

Negative - As soon as you hit a bad bump/badly laid out pavered blocks/ pot hole the suspension sounds creep into the cabin making you feel you have committed a sin.

^ The above could have been reduced with better sound dampening

Handling is very predictable now thanks to the confidence inspiring Michelins for being Wider, Softer & Stickier than the Bridgestones.

The suspension now gives in before the tires thanks to the soft setup.

Also there is noticeable body roll.

Have done many number of trips to Gujarat, Pune (more like a passenger though i.e. back seat) and it feels safe;

^ @ NH8 - From one of my trips to Gujarat (DNH)

But all in all the handling is very good and more of a cruiser on the Highways than a Scorcher.

Interior;

I think the interior is well laid out everything is pretty neatly designed and the color chemistry used is a fresh change over the common beige.

Space – This is the one and main reason for the purchase.

Haptics;

Haptics refers to the science / sense of TOUCH & FEEL.

Normally cars plastic (Dashboard & trims) is based on 3 principles;

1) Conventional Polypropylene Compound

2) Polypropylene Compound With additives ( Scratch Resistant )

3) TPO Skin overmolding ( Where a soft rubber skin – leather like is crafted on the hard poly propylene compound to give the entire interior / dashboard soft touch feel) – Common to premium cars BMW, Porsche etc ...

The plastics quality in the Scala belongs in the 1st category i.e. the conventional PP Type.

I say this as the plastic quality on the interiors is not at all inviting to touch, leaving that aside it has already developed a scratch above the glove box.

Scala in a nutshell ;

What i Like:

1) ABS + EBD in RxL Model ( technically BASE Model of Diesel)

2) Fantastic Rear headrests (cushioned to perfection , just like a pillow)

3) One Touch down & UP window ( Drivers side )

4) Steering mounted steering controls (specially having “Source” button, no need to reach out to switch ON)

5) Steering “Not” adjustable for REACH – I say this in my interest as i am going to be 95 % of time sitting behind so which directly means the driver will not push seat back because the steering will not get pulled for reach )

6) The chrome door handles feel upmarket & are of supreme finish.

7) Big Boot has quite an appetite & can swallow quite a bit of luggage.

8) 2+2 year / 80,000 km warranty

What i Dislike:

1) Even after setting the seat to the lowest position still it is too high for my liking

2) No cushioning on the front center arm rest

3) The Roof Antenna is too long for today’s standard ( makes it look like an RC car)

4) Mediocre engine performance above 120 kph, literally feels out of breath

5) Only 2 keys given by Renault out of which only one is with the integrated buttons & other one with no keyless entry buttons looks pre-historic ( 2+1 would have been ideal)

6) Rear seat storage pocket only on the passenger side & missing on the drivers side, WHY ?

7) Headroom ( Rear Seat) is tight at the rear for any one who is >= 6 Ft

Overall this review pays more emphasis on the Scala as a practical, economical, stylish & S P A C I O U S Business sedan to be chauffeured in.

Thank You !!!

[PrancingHorse]

That is fantastic review of the Scala F30. And the pictures are superb. A new style of writing too, I hope the trend catches on. The Scala is an ideal chauffeur driven car and practical too because of the diesel mill under the hood. Looking forward to more updats from you and congratulations on the new car

[AMG1]

Very nicely written review!

[librankur]

This magic is what happens when you read a review from people who love their cars.Loved every bit of it.

A review which would even the best in the advertising business would envy.

Many congratulations once again.

[F30]

That is fantastic review of the Scala F30. And the pictures are superb. A new style of writing too, I hope the trend catches on. The Scala is an ideal chauffeur driven car and practical too because of the diesel mill under the hood. Looking forward to more updats from you and congratulations on the new car

Thanks 'PrancingHorse',

Indeed the Scala amazes me with its value as a chauffeur driven car & also it isnt a bad car to cruise around in be it around town or doing sane speeds on open highways.

Shall keep you posted on the updates.

Very nicely written review!

Thank You !

This magic is what happens when you read a review from people who love their cars.Loved every bit of it.

A review which would even the best in the advertising business would envy.

Many congratulations once again.

Thanks 'librankur',

I truly appreciate your comments.

[dr_nishu]

That's really a cool & a review in style like the perks for Scala.

Liked the 'boring to drive' compliment(actually it is) for Scala, after considering the racy BMW 3-series which you're having with you on the other end.

6) Rear seat storage pocket only on the passenger side & missing on the drivers side, WHY ?

Its only to reduce the Interference & disturbance to driver to the minimum.

[freakyskull]

What a review..Simply fab. Thanks for sharing this F30. Its very comprehensive and will of help to any Scala prospective buyers. Will be glued to this thread.

Drive safe

[BonFre]

F30, that's a wonderful post there, thanks for the share.

Renault would do well featuring your story in their official memoirs!

I had a liking for Nissan Sunny & had almost bought it at one point of time. Then came Scala, went to Renault showroom but Duster stole the limelight from the well-rounded package! Your story again rekindles my feelings for the car, shall be paying a visit to Renault soon.

[sachins]

@F30, very nice review indeed.

"TRAVEL BUSINESS CLASS : My Renault Scala"

This tagline sums it up. I think Renault should have used this tagline to promote this car.

[F30]

That's really a cool & a review in style like the perks for Scala.

Liked the 'boring to drive' compliment(actually it is) for Scala, after considering the racy BMW 3-series which you're having with you on the other end.

Thank You 'dr_nishu' !

Its only to reduce the Interference & disturbance to driver to the minimum.

Interesting ! But most other cars have it anyway

What a review..Simply fab. Thanks for sharing this F30. Its very comprehensive and will of help to any Scala prospective buyers. Will be glued to this thread.

Drive safe

Thanks !

F30, that's a wonderful post there, thanks for the share.

Renault would do well featuring your story in their official memoirs!

I had a theme in my mind for the review, tried my best

I had a liking for Nissan Sunny & had almost bought it at one point of time. Then came Scala, went to Renault showroom but Duster stole the limelight from the well-rounded package! Your story again rekindles my feelings for the car, shall be paying a visit to Renault soon.

Highly recommended if you are looking to be chauffeured around and take the wheel occasionally.

Otherwise the Duster should serve your purpose well too

@F30, very nice review indeed.

"TRAVEL BUSINESS CLASS : My Renault Scala"

This tagline sums it up. I think Renault should have used this tagline to promote this car.

Thanks "sachins'

Yes indeed the tag line sums up the USP of the car

[CarCrazyASTL]

Really nice review with awesome snaps! Before reading this one I was in very much favour of Sunny over Scala; but your review really made me think over on it! Still I'ld preffer sunny over scala as I love simplicity, which is more pronounced in Sunny! ( specially front looks!) When you bought this one? have you considered other competitors of it, like Ford Fiesta Classic, Nissan Sunny (Special edition with leather interiors & modern touch screen enabled ICE) or Skoda Rapid?

[F30]

Really nice review with awesome snaps! Before reading this one I was in very much favour of Sunny over Scala; but your review really made me think over on it! Still I'ld preffer sunny over scala as I love simplicity, which is more pronounced in Sunny! ( specially front looks!) When you bought this one? have you considered other competitors of it, like Ford Fiesta Classic, Nissan Sunny (Special edition with leather interiors & modern touch screen enabled ICE) or Skoda Rapid?

Thanks man !!!

The only thing in my mind was the Duster (Which lacked the back seat space)

& Nissan sunny i never liked (mainly coz of the plain looks)

[BHP-junkie]

Excellent review of Renault Scala, especially that shot in which you are getting out. Gives a feel of another class..

Scala is much better looking and aggressive than the Nissan Sunny.

I personally like Renault as they are damn serious about the quality they are giving to their customers.

[Sstar]

@F30: Very nice and detailed review of Scala. I must say you love it from core.

Btw...I am not sure about is this car registered in MH or GJ? The plate says DN??? What does DN stands for? Usually it is the state initials in India.

[F30]

Excellent review of Renault Scala, especially that shot in which you are getting out. Gives a feel of another class..

Scala is much better looking and aggressive than the Nissan Sunny.

I personally like Renault as they are damn serious about the quality they are giving to their customers.

Thank You

+ Regarding the quality , IMO Renault still has a long way to go in case of their < 10L cars (plastic quality) as the fit is good but the finish & haptics are lacking.

@F30: Very nice and detailed review of Scala. I must say you love it from core.

Btw...I am not sure about is this car registered in MH or GJ? The plate says DN??? What does DN stands for? Usually it is the state initials in India.

Thanks 'Sstar'

Regarding your query, DN stands for Dadra & Nagar haveli it as an Union Territory

[Sstar]

Thanks 'Sstar'

Regarding your query, DN stands for Dadra & Nagar haveli it as an Union Territory

Thanks, I was expceting this but now I am confirmed !!!

[F30]

Update: 10,000 km service DONE;

Service Cost : Rs 4,827/-

Attached Bill copy for reference;

Service Experience was overall satisfactory.

My driver was present on the shopfloor throughout the service time span.

His key observations were that the Renault service team was new & in-experienced. The high pressure washer had stopped working around lunch time & my driver was asked if it is OK to take the vehicle without washing (to which my driver refused). There were some Duster owners which were complaining about back pain while driving their Dusters.

[PrancingHorse]

Thanks for the update F30. Looks like Renault still has a lot to be desired as far as service goes. They better improve especially considering the number of Dusters on the road. On another note good to see that they allowed your driver to be on the shop floor during service

[F30]

Thanks for the update F30. Looks like Renault still has a lot to be desired as far as service goes. They better improve especially considering the number of Dusters on the road. On another note good to see that they allowed your driver to be on the shop floor during service

Another funny bit was that the Duster servicing cost @ 10,000 km is aprox Rs 3300-3500/- Whereas the Scala cost me about Rs 4800/-

Funny coz both share the same engine block & same tune (85 PS)

[dr_nishu]

@F30:

The invoice showing the part details is a very good addition here.

And thankfully the parts are also not much expensive either, Renault definitely have done their homework properly.

Engine Oil, Oil filter & Diesel filter are quite cheap for car costing this much & of this segment.

I'm now skeptical about the service costs @10k kms of my Swift DZire, which is a free service but with scheduled parts change like Engine Oil(Synthetic oil only, alone cost ~Rs.3k), Oil filters & Diesel filters, etc.

I'm sure it'll cross something around Rs.6k for a free service.

Off topic, but few days back my friend shelled Rs.9600 on his Swift VDi service at 78k kms & his car engine uses conventional Mineral engine oil, which costs same as yours Scala's i.e ~Rs.1100.

[F30]

@F30:

Off topic, but few days back my friend shelled Rs.9600 on his Swift VDi service at 78k kms & his car engine uses conventional Mineral engine oil, which costs same as yours Scala's i.e ~Rs.1100.

Engine oil is cheap, thanks to Renault's tie up with ELF

[F30]

6 months update;

It has been little more than 6 months since i have acquired the car & its already done 17,500 km on the odo.

Been doing a lot of running around & majorly driven by my driver, he is happy with it & we all are with respect to the role what this car is meant to perform.

Some may think the 1.5l dci as a workhorse but in my case with the mileage covered, places visited i'd like to term my car a "WAR HORSE"

Also regarding the recent recall issue of the brake master cylinder, i have informed my dealership regarding the same & they shall get back to me shortly.

[librankur]

@F30

That's quite a bit of running nearly 100 kms per day , you have so many of them do all of them clock so many kms or this one is being enjoyed more.

Hey you missed out an important figure (KMPL)

Tell me about its service schedule ? all free services over ?

So they actually did not communicate to you about the faulty part you had to take the initiative yourself ?

[Sstar]

@F30

Great name I must say...but what is the reason to say? Is it due to ease to drive in traffic?

[F30]

@F30

That's quite a bit of running nearly 100 kms per day , you have so many of them do all of them clock so many kms or this one is being enjoyed more.

This is the car doing maximum running around as its out daily

Cruze is @ 36k (3+ years)

BMW @ 6k (10 months)

Fortuner @ 35k (just under 3 years)

Hey you missed out an important figure (KMPL)

I am getting consistent 16 km/l (On daily commute/runs)

On highway runs it is giving 18-20 km/l

^ Chauffeur driven

I have achieved as high as 27 km/l too (Pune - Mumbai Run)

Tell me about its service schedule ? all free services over ?

1st service was @ 2k kms (Free service)

2nd service was done @ 10k kms (Earlier posted details)

3rd service coming up @ 20k kms

So they actually did not communicate to you about the faulty part you had to take the initiative yourself ?

They are suppose to send a letter to the people whos cars need a replacement. I just called them for checking (Couldnt wait for the letter)

@F30

Great name I must say...but what is the reason to say? Is it due to ease to drive in traffic?

Thanks

Calling it a War horse majorly because the car is a daily commute & has to daily go through the grind like bad roads, inter city traveling, not driven by single person (driver/dad/mom/me) & still the Scala performs like new