Spied - Fully undisguised Bajaj RE60 caught testing in Pune

31/12/2012 - 10:18 | ,  ,   | Nithyanandh K

If the Bajaj RE60 can manage to overcome its naysayers, it would create a whole new segment of automobiles in India.

Bajaj RE60 rear close upBajaj RE60 white rear

The quardricyle is the the segment we are talking about and as the definition stands, the quadricyle is something that sits between a three wheeler and a proper car. Look at the RE60 and you will get the point.

Bajaj RE60 Bajaj RE60 interior

The Bajaj RE60 made its public debut at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo, both commercial and personal versions were showcased. The test mule of the vehicle was spotted testing in Pune by our avid reader Mr.Kiran Manjal who brought us the production-ready DC Avanti road testing a few weeks ago.

The car which was spotted has alloy wheels and appears to be the variant meant for personal use. Bajaj has been maintaining that the RE60 is basically an auto rickshaw with an extra wheel and its main role is to come in as a safer alternative to the three wheeled auto rickshaw, millions of which are on roads in India and many overseas markets. Bajaj's Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj

The test mule was completely undisguised and the styling is true to the RE60 that was showcased at Auto Expo except the rear hatch. While the Auto Expo model had a proper glass and metal hatch door, the one in the test mule is made up of fabric and plastic, to keep costs in check. There are additional air vents provided on the rear bumper to aid better engine cooling.

The interior also remains the same but the glovebox lids are black and the rest of the dashboard is beige unlike the all-beige dashboard in the show car.

The RE60 is powered by Bajaj's 200cc DTS-i petrol engine which is expected to develop around 20 bhp. The quadricyle will have a top speed of 70 kmph and fuel economy of around 35 kmpl. RE stands for Rear Engined and 60 represents the CO2 emissions per km in grams. The RE60 was developed in-house completely and did not have inputs or technologies coming in from Renault-Nissan, who were interested in rebadging this product into their entry-level offering.

One can also not rule out the possibility of the RE60 being rebadged into an entry-level product for the Datsun brand.

The Indian government has formed a committee to explore the feasibility of quadricyles in India and to device the policy for the segment.

If the policy is in place, Bajaj would become the first mover in the segment which is already popular in Europe. Later, players like Piaggio, Mahindra and TVS could follow.

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