Bajaj QUTE

We Say: Bajaj Testing Waters With This Quadricycle That Looks Like A Car

- Girish Karkera

The term quadricycle may not evoke much interest for most Indians. But what we see here is a potential last-mile connectivity solution for urban India, with its congested and mostly ill-planned townships. Bajaj, a name synonymous with the three-wheeled autorickshaw, sees this vehicle as a natural progression for itself. Qute, in absolute terms, is a fourwheeled autorickshaw. What that means is it has similar shortcomings but offers better stability and protection from the elements (mostly, rain).

While Bajaj vehemently denies it, you can almost connect the birth of the Qute to the ambitious small car/vehicle project that Bajaj was to do with Renault. While the French wanted a Nano-rival, Bajaj soon figured that they could and would, at best, make what is a step below a fullfledged car – a quadricycle. Seemed logical too given its extensive history with the three-wheeled variety. A lot has changed and the Qute may not be quite connected in design or architecture to the concept shown at the Delhi Auto Expo in 2012 but it remains what its maker wanted it to be even at that time – not a car, but a quadricycle.

If you compare this to say, a Bajaj RE, there is not much in terms of mechanicals that have been borrowed. The chassis – being four-wheeled, compared to three – is different. The metallic body gets fibreglass doors and bonnet, in a bid to keep the weight down. The engine sits at the rear and gets 12-inch wheels. There are alloy wheels for the petrol version. Fancy?