Bajaj Qute Quadricycle to be launched in India on April 18

Aditya Chatterjee Updated: July 08, 2019, 03:04 PM IST

Pune-based automobile manufacturer Bajaj Auto known for their two-wheeler and three-wheeler offerings will be launching the Qute Quadricycle in India on April 18. This will make Bajaj Auto the first Indian company to officially launch a Quadricycle in the country. Bajaj Auto has already started deliveries of the Qute to select dealerships in Kerala and North East in India. The Bajaj Qute will be listed into a new category and will be sold as a commercial vehicle. Presently, Kerala and North East are the only two states that have approved the sale of the Bajaj Qute.

The Pune-based manufacturer, Bajaj Auto presently has an annual production capacity of 60,000 units for the Qute, which can be further ramped up by using the production facility of three-wheelers. Bajaj Auto has been selling the Qute quadricycle in Latin America, Europe and Africa since 2015. Powering the Bajaj Qute is a 13.2PS, 216cc engine.

The passenger quadricycle will have a maximum weight of 475kg and will have to pass the mandatory crash tests before getting launched in the country. These crash tests would determine the passenger safety standards for this category. The Indian government has also given an approval to launch electric and hybrid quadricycles, in addition to the ones running on conventional fuel. The final specifications of the quadricycle that include weight, emission and safety features have already been drafted by the road transport and the highway ministry.

Back in 2016, Euro NCAP had released the results of crash tests that were conducted for heavy quadricycles, which included the India-made Bajaj Qute. And the Bajaj quadricycle was awarded two stars tested on a different set of parameters, compared to conventional cars. Quadricycles are microcars, a class of vehicle that has been on sale in the European Union for quite some time. They have a specific size and weight limit and must meet set emission and crash safety norms. The Qute conforms to all Indian mandates and has also got the European WVTA (Whole Vehicle Type Approval) certification awarded by RDW Netherlands.