India’s largest Bike manufacturing company launched its first four-wheeler vehicle RE60. Aimed at redefining the three-wheeler market its four-wheeler — RE60 — does not fall under the passenger car category but has several features present in a small car. Bajaj chose to call it a ‘four-wheeler’, rather than a ‘car’.
The four-wheeler basically targets the commercial vehicle section of the Indian automobile industry. This ultra-small car is powered by a 200cc rear-mounted single cylinder petrol engine and it will produce a maximum power of 20bhp. The car has a 4-stroke engine. The RE 60 has high fuel-efficiency ratios and has hit 40kmpl under test conditions and a realistic mileage in daily driving conditions should be above 35kmpl. It is an Eco-friendly car because of its CO2 emission of 60g of CO2 per kilometre. There is also a fuel injected CNG variant available. It is a low-cost vehicle with better fuel emission.
With a metal-polymer monocoque body, Bajaj RE60 measures 400 kg in weight. The length is 2.75 meters while the width is 1.3 metres. Bajaj’s first 4 –wheeler has a turning circle radius of 3.5m. Two models of RE6O differ in their seating layout. While in one the seating arrangement is done as 2+2, the other model can only seat driver in front and 3 passengers at the back. . It will be available in petrol and CNG/LPG fuel options. Overall length is 2752 mm, Overall width is 1312 mm and Overall height is 1650 mm.
The RE 60 has body-coloured bumpers and funky wheels. The interiors get a central speedometer cluster, folding front windows, 44-litre boot space, 95-litre under-seat storage and prominent seatbelts in the cabin. This four-wheeler gets a digital twin spark tech engine. It is also available in fuel-injected CNG variants. Its engine is a new water-cooled DTSi 4 (Digital Twin Spark Ignition) and able to accelerate to a maximum speed of 70km per hour.
Though Bajaj has not yet revealed the prices for the RE 60, it is believed to be an ultra-low-cost car and will compete with the Tata Nano. The Bajaj Small Car may not be a small car, after all, a ‘four-wheeler’ for commercial application. Bajaj Auto’s Ultra-Low-Cost Car (ULCC) strategy has seen a change in direction and the result is a less ambitious four-wheeler than a full-fledged passenger car meant primarily for cities.
