Bajaj Auto – leading manufacturer of three-wheelers, on Wednesday announced the launch of country’s first Quadricycle ‘Qute’ in the state of Gujarat.
General Manager Sales, Intracity Business Unit of the company Navneet Sahni and DGM (Business Planning) Prashant Ahir said that the launch of Qute comes in line with the acceptance of the ‘Quadricycle’ as a new category from the government of Gujarat.
“We are delighted with the launch of Qute in Gujarat. Apart from being an effective first and last mile transportation solution it will also provide employment to many in the state. Over the years, the Bajaj Intracity (those used within the city) Vehicles have become a part of the social fabric of India and with Qute, we are now raising the bar and ushering in a new ecofriendly solution, which will hit a sweet spot in intra-city mobility between three-wheelers and cars.In Gujarat, Bajaj through its CNG 3-wheelers has been a leader in the last mile passenger segment and we intend to raise the bar with the launch of Qute in Gujarat,’ they said.
Quadricycle is a new category in India. A Quadricycle is a 4-wheel motor vehicle designed in response to evolving requirements of low running cost, eco-friendly and safe alternative to intra city commute by optimizing size, weight, speed.
Launched in both CNG and Petrol variant, the Qute is powered by a light weight 216 cc 4-valve water-cooled DTSi engine with closed loop fuel injection system resulting in higher fuel efficiency of 43 km/kg (CNG) and 35 kmpl (Petrol). Qute is low on maintenance cost which makes it suitable for daily commuting. It is easy to drive because of dash mounted sequential shift gears. It weighs only around 450 kgs.
The smallest turning radius of 3.5m makes it easy to maneuver in city traffic and its small footprint helps in parking in tight spaces, Ahir added.
Qute also provides weather protection from sun and rain. Its 12-inch alloy wheels provide better road grip. High strength monocoque body makes the vehicle safer. Qute has enough storage space inspite of its small size. It’s also eco-friendly with at least 40% lower carbon emissions than any car.
“Today there is an Urban Mobility Crisis because cars which are designed for intercity travel are being used for intracity travel causing congestion and vehicular pollution. Requirement for intracity travel is a 4 wheeled vehicle which has significantly higher mileage, has low maintenance cost, is easy to drive and park, provides all weather protection to its occupants, is safe & spacious and low on CO2 emissions.Qute, the first Quadricycle of India, is the answer for intracity travel”, he said.
He further added,” We have created a capacity of 60,000 units per year for the Qute at our manufacturing facility in Aurangabad. We already export the vehicle to over 30 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe and have received an overwhelming response, and we are hoping to get a tremendous support for the Qute in Gujarat as well.”
To a query Ahir said that there was no AC version of Qute launched at an attractive price of Rs.279,724 (CNG , Commercial) & Rs.249,293 (Petrol, Personal) ex showroom -Gujarat. He said that later on electric version would be launched but AC won’t be included in it as it was not a car as such and there was enough ventilation in it. It has four differentiators. It is Highly fuel efficient, comes with low cost of maintenance, is easy to drive and provides all weather protection and the company is targeting the commercial space as its first priority. In the personal space it could be highly useful to people like delivery-boys, real estate and other kind of agents who do a lot of traveling within the city in a day.
To another query he said that this vehicle was a lot different from Nano. ‘We have learnt a lot from the failures of Nano and the biggest differentiator was its mileage. It is also not a car but something between a three wheeler and a car. It is worth its price,’ he added.
