Bajaj Auto today unveiled its first attempt at a low cost city car just days before the start of the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. The vehicle has been named the Bajaj RE60 and is expected to create a benchmark in the four-wheeler segment in terms of low emissions and high fuel efficiency. The car has been claimed to offer a mileage of 35kmpl, whereas it is going to emit just 60g C02 in one kilometer.
This has been made possible mainly because of the fact that the Bajaj RE60 is rigid and lightweight primarily because it has been made using a hybrid metal polymer. This has been able to keep the kerb weight of the vehicle below 400kg. A significant role has also been played by its four stroke, liquid cooled DTSi engine. This single cylinder 200cc engine has been mounted at the rear of the car and is able to generate a power of 20Bhp by making use of a closed loop system of fuel injection.
The car has been designed for use within city limits and is not going to be dimensionally much larger than an auto rickshaw. This could turn out to be very interesting as Bajaj is considering marketing this vehicle as a better and safer alternative to three-wheelers rather than competing with conventional passenger cars.
Managing Director of the company, Rajiv Bajaj has said that the core belief of the company was to provide better things at a faster rate to people. Hence, the company had come out with this optimized solution that would take care of passenger transport within a city. Design of the vehicle has been such that it can be used within city limits and the company has kept in mind the requirements of safety along with time saving that inhabitants of cities need. Mr. Bajaj has further laid stress on the fact that the development of this vehicle did not require huge investment or any separate resources, time or infrastructure. It was also achieved with providing huge subsidies.
With its upright glasshouse, thin wheels and a shortened wheelbase, the Bajaj RE60 at first look cuts a comic shape. But, if one takes a closer look at this car, its smart urban design gets revealed. Its headlights disclose the fact that Renault has put its touch in the design process. No grille has, however, been provided under the badge of the RE.
The interiors have also been kept very simple. The instrument cluster has been placed at the centre of the dashboard and stowage boxes have been provided on both sides. The seats have been designed in a very basic manner with a flat rear bench that can be deemed to be a progressive version of a rickshaw bench. The commercial variant of this RE60 that had been displayed during the launch ceremony even had fitted an auto-rickshaw meter to its dash.
The windows cannot be rolled down rather they have been split at the middle for flipping downwards. Front headrests have also not been provided to this car, which gives further proof of the low cost in which the car is going to be positioned. It has also not been provided with roof lining and its seat belts do not have inertia reels.
The Bajaj RE60 has been provided with two layouts of seating, 1+3 and 2+2. It has been provided a boot space of 44L and can achieve 70kmph top speed. Dimensionally, the car measures 2.75m in length, 1.3m in width having a minimum turning radius of 3.5m, which can make the users maneuver the car easily in congested city traffic. Price of this car is going to be disclosed by the company only when it starts production of this vehicle, which is expected to start within a few months.