Light at the end of the Indian tunnel for Bajaj Qute quadricycle?

Bajaj Auto’s Qute quadricycle, first showcased by the company at the Delhi Auto Expo 2012 and awaiting government approval to ply on Indian roads, has finally got reason for cheer. A draft notification, issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (moRTH) on November 24, seeks to amend the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 to outline the recognition of the quadricycle category in the domestic vehicle market.

For Bajaj Auto, which is primarily a motorcycle and three-wheeler manufacturer and currently has 16.05 percent and 53.86 percent market share respectively (April-October 2017), the Qute constitutes the company’s foray in the four-wheeler market. The company claims the Qute quadricycle is its answer as an alternative to cars. In an exclusive interview with Autocar India last year, Rajiv Bajaj, MD, Bajaj Auto, said, “We exist to provide superior alternatives to cars through our bikes, three-wheelers, and quadricycles.”

The Bajaj Qute is a petrol-engined vehicle, equipped with a 216.6cc engine that produces 13.5hp at 5500rpm and 19.6Nm torque at 4000rpm, mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox that enables a top speed of 70kph (limited). It is estimated the vehicle will cost around Rs 150,000 when launched in India. 

Despite the company batting strongly for inclusion of the quadricycle category in the Motor Vehicles Act, that would allow it to be sold in the country, the company has had to endure a long five-year wait. Nevertheless, Bajaj Auto went ahead and started exporting the Qute three years ago. In FY2015-16, it shipped 334 units, followed by 1,556 units in FY2016-17, and in the fiscal year till now it has exported 1,096 units (April-October 2017).

The draft proposal by the road transport ministry outlines the emission standards, kerb weight, annual production (minimum and maximum), and even allows the manufacturer to transit towards hybrid/electric vehicles.

As per the draft notification, the quadricycle will also need to be equipped with an On Board Diagnostic (OBD) system for emission control which shall have the capability of identifying the likely area of malfunction by means of fault codes stored in computer memory for vehicles manufactured. 

The draft notification has a 30-day objection and suggestion window for relevant comments to be shared with the Ministry. The next step will to be set a final notification that will pave the way for introduction of quadricycles on Indian roads. According to previous reports, two other Indian automakers were also planning to enter into the segment but because of lack of regulatory permissions haven’t yet confirmed their intentions to enter the segment.

Safety issues with quadricycles in Europe were highlighted at a meeting of the United Nations World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations (WP29) in Geneva in November last year in a bid to establish a global standard for such vehicles in line with the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) crash tests.

In his comments on the Euro NCAP tests on quadricycles last year, Dr Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP Secretary General, had said: “Quadricycles are still not subject to the same legislation as passenger cars. Nevertheless, these vehicles look like small city cars and are likely to compete for sales. However, their performance in Euro NCAP’s tests is far below a similarly-sized passenger car which can be bought second-hand more cheaply.”

As and when the final amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act 1989 is issued and the quadricycle category given a green signal, Bajaj Auto will get a headstart – albeit a somewhat subdued one given the delay that could have allowed competitors to develop their own quadricycles – in the Indian market.

Also read: Bajaj Auto’s Rajiv Bajaj: 'Safety is a matter of less being more. Smaller, lighter, slower vehicles are intrinsically benign.'