Bajaj Auto has introduced its long-awaited
quadricycle, the Bajaj Qute, at a starting price of INR 2.63 lakh (ex-showroom,
New Delhi). The country's first such vehicle can be bought by both private and
commercial buyers.
While the Bajaj Qute, which is the production
version of the RE60, was unveiled in September 2015, it was only in June 2018
that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) greenlit the inclusion
of Quadricycle as a vehicle type permitted on Indian roads, thereby paving the
way for the official launch of the Qute. Moreover, it's worth a mention that
the quadricycle is already on sale in Turkey and Indonesia among various other
international markets.
Unlike what the styling of the Bajaj Qute might
suggest, it's not a car. Instead, it is a low-cost means of transport that aims
to replace the three-wheeled auto-rickshaws in the commercial segment. It
weighs just 452 kg and is powered by a 216 cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled
DTSi engine. On petrol, the engine makes a maximum power of 13.1 hp at 5,500
rpm and a peak torque of 18.9 Nm 4,000 rpm. On CNG, it outputs 10.9 hp at 5,500
rpm and 16.1 Nm at 4,000 rpm. The motor comes mated to a five-speed sequential
manual unit.
The Bajaj Qute comes kitted out with drum brakes on all
wheels. The company has used fibre doors instead of metal units, while the
bare-basic interior is even devoid of air-conditioning. The company states that
the CNG version of the quadricycle has a low running cost of INR 1.53/km,
which, as per them, is even lower than that of a motorcycle, which averages INR
2.06/km. The claimed fuel efficiency figures stand at 43 km/kg for the CNG
version and 35 km/l for the petrol model.
2019 Bajaj Qute - Price List (ex-showroom, New
Delhi)
- Petrol - INR 2.63 lakh
- CNG - INR 2.83 lakh
