Bajaj Auto rolls out new 3-wheelers
Bajaj Auto Limited (BAL), India's largest manufacturer of three-wheelers has unveiled a new range of compact three-wheelers. These passenger vehicles will be available in two-stroke as well as four-stroke petrol, CNG and LPG versions. A diesel variant will also be included in the next six months.
The vehicles come with features such as higher fuel efficiency, lower maintenance cost, and better comfort. The launch will take place in a phased manner across India. The two-stroke petrol variant is priced at Rs 1.03 lakhs, while the four-stroke petrol variant is for Rs 1.15 lakhs (ex-showroom, Mumbai).
"We have around 85 per cent market share in the small-sized passenger three-wheeler category in petrol and diesel versions. The new range will help us defend our leadership position,'' said R. C. Maheshwari, president (Commercial Vehicle Business), BAL.
BAL, which has been selling three-wheelers for almost 52 years in India, is looking at replacing its existing range of three-wheelers with the new vehicles. The average investment on the new project is being estimated at around Rs 100 crores.
Rajiv Bajaj, managing director, BAL, said, "We have been saying for some time that we are going to renew the entire range of three-wheelers. We will have a diesel version in a few months as it constitutes a large part of the demand. BAL will take around six months to replace the entire range."
Bajaj expects a majority of demand to come from from replacements, which currently account for about 80 per cent of sales, with fresh auto-rickshaw permits creating 20 per cent of sales. This fiscal year, new permits are projected in Andhra Pradesh, Jaipur and Delhi, while replacement demand is likely to come from Kolkata and Maharashtra.